Before South Carolina was sued for allegedly not doing enough to ensure that people with serious mental illnesses were taken out of group homes and helped back into the community where they could work and lead independent lives, the South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health recommended change.
The lawsuit, filed by the United States Department of Justice in early December, pointedly alleges the state violates the Americans with Disabilities Act by choosing, through money and policy, to leave people in adult care homes. In announcing the filing, Justice Department officials referenced a July 6, 2023, federal investigation into South Carolina's use of adult care homes, which they claim failed to provide sufficient community-based services to prevent unnecessary institutionalization.