South Carolina has resolved a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice over alleged unlawful treatment of residents suffering from mental illness. Both parties filed a stipulation on Wednesday to withdraw the Department’s complaint while the state implements the settlement terms.
The DOJ’s investigation found that residents in Community Residential Care Facilities were institutionalized and given little to no independence, with residents describing the facilities as resembling asylums. The lawsuit alleged that South Carolina was violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by institutionalizing residents suffering from mental illness in these facilities. According to Danielle Pope, owner and chief executive officer of Trusted Result Therapy Group, institutionalization has historically been an easy and simple approach, but “it has turned out that it’s not the best place for them to receive that care.”
Under the settlement, South Carolina will ensure that those suffering from mental illness receive community-based mental health services and will expand its services in other ways.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.live5news.com/2025/12/19/south-carolina-resolves-doj-lawsuit-over-mental-health-treatment/