Rhode Island violated the civil rights of hundreds of children with mental health or developmental disabilities by routinely and unnecessarily segregating them at Bradley Hospital, an acute care psychiatric hospital, federal prosecutors said Monday.
Zachary Cunha, U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island, said the multi year investigation found that — rather than complying with its legal obligation to provide services in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of the children — the state left them hospitalized at Bradley for months and in some cases for more than a year.
Although inpatient admissions at Bradley are designed to last only one to two weeks, the federal investigation concluded that children with behavioral health disabilities in DCYF’s care were often forced to languish in the hospital despite being ready for discharge, and despite the fact that the children would be better served in a family home, investigators said.
From Jan. 1, 2017, through Sept. 30, 2022, 527 children in the care or custody of DCYF — or receiving services voluntarily through the agency — were admitted to Bradley Hospital. Many of the children were subjected to avoidable and unnecessarily lengthy hospitalizations because DCYF failed to provide the community based services they need, according to investigators, who said keeping a child hospitalized for an extended period when their needs could be served in a less restrictive setting only exacerbates the child’s acute needs.