LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has accused the state of Kentucky of failing to adequately support people with mental illnesses in Louisville.

The allegations are outlined in a nearly 30-page investigation released Tuesday, accusing the state of breaking the law.

The investigation is not the first of its kind in recent years, as the DOJ continues to scrutinize the state’s mental health care system.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg emphasized that the city itself is not the focus of the investigation.

"The city of Louisville is not part of this investigation," Greenberg said. "We in Louisville are doing everything we can to provide more mental health services for those who are in need."

The DOJ's 30-page report highlights that Kentucky is violating the American with Disabilities Act. The report reveals that thousands of people are admitted to psychiatric hospitals in Louisville every year, with many being readmitted multiple times. However, the DOJ believes that many of these admissions could be prevented with better services and resources.

Gov. Andy Beshear acknowledged the DOJ's findings.

"If the end result of all this is better services for the people in Kentucky, that's a good thing," Beshear said. He also expressed support for affordable housing initiatives, which the DOJ identified as a critical need for people with mental illnesses in Louisville.

"I believe in affordable housing, and we need a lot more," Beshear said.

The DOJ's report also calls for reducing the involvement of law enforcement in responding to mental health crises. Louisville has already been working on this issue through its 911 crisis call diversion program, which recently expanded to operate around the clock.

Mayor Greenberg noted that the DOJ report recognized the city’s efforts. "If you read this report, you'll see that they even commended the city of Louisville in our efforts to expand the 911 deflection program throughout over the past several years," he said.

Beshear emphasized the need for balance when addressing mental health services in the community versus institutionalization.

"I think what we have to do is find the right balance, because we have seen some incidents where someone is not institutionalized and something bad happens at the same time. We've got some people going into facilities that would be better served in the community," Beshear said.

Beshear also pointed out that the state had not heard from the DOJ for 11 months before the release of this report. "An entire General Assembly session went by in that time where we even tried to create one of the teams that they have suggested in the report. So we want to make sure that the report is timely," he said.

Both Greenberg and Beshear agreed that more mental health services are needed not just in Kentucky, but across the nation. Greenberg called for increased funding for nonprofit organizations and greater access to legal services.

"We need more funding for nonprofit organizations, for the state to provide the access to legal services that so many people in our community need," Greenberg said.

As they look ahead, Greenberg and Beshear expressed a commitment to working with leaders in Frankfort to ensure that all Kentuckians facing a mental health crisis receive the help they need.

"I believe that there are some aspects of the report that can provide a very good guidepost and will hopefully spur the General Assembly," Beshear said.

Related Stories:

Copyright 2024 WDRB Media. All rights reserved.