Davis v. California Health and Human Services Agency
Davis et al. v. California Health and Human Services
Agency et al., challenged the state’s and city’s practice of serving
people with disabilities, including many seniors, in the city’s Laguna
Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center (LHH), a 1,200-bed nursing home, without
considering community alternatives as mandated by the Americans with Disabilities
Act.
On December 18, 2003, the court approved a settlement requiring San
Francisco
to develop a system of assessment and hospital-discharge planning that allows
people who are in Laguna Honda or eligible for admission there in the future
the option of receiving supports and services in the community. San Francisco has also agreed to start a state-of-the-art
program to screen, assess and develop individual service and discharge
plans to members
of the Davis class and provide ongoing case management after their discharge.
Program staff will receive training on community-living alternatives
and Laguna Honda residents will have training and support resources.
The Davis case also settles longstanding deficiencies in the state
mental health department’s Pre-Admission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) program
for individuals with psychiatric disabilities. The new assessment process will
identify personal goals for housing, work, relationships and health. State
evaluators will consider whether the person's goals and needs can be met with
community-based alternatives to nursing home care.
