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Georgians sue the state for the right to continue to live in their own homes

September 10th, 2010

By Carrie Teegardin, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Six Georgians suffering from serious mental or developmental disabilities sued the state Thursday over the loss of benefits that have allowed them to live in homes instead of institutions.

The six people, with illnesses ranging from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, mental retardation and traumatic brain injury, have been living with family or in personal care homes.

A state program called SOURCE — Service Options Using Resources in a Community Environment — has helped cover the cost of caring for the people, who need close oversight. All six have lost benefits, or have been told they will lose them, because the state now allows only people with physical disabilities to be a part of the program, according to the  lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court.

The Georgia Department of Community Health, which administers the program, declined to comment Thursday on the allegations, saying it was not yet aware of the suit.

The department said eligibility requirements for the program have not changed since 2007, but declined to answer specific questions about whether people with mental and developmental disabilities were being removed.  The department’s website says that 15,193 people were enrolled in SOURCE at the end of the 2009 fiscal year. Many of them are frail elderly people who are able to avoid placement in a nursing home through more active management of their medical problems and assistance at home. It’s unclear how many Georgians have been removed from the program.

Read the rest of the article.