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Education
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By Administrator
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Monday, 14 May 2012 07:20 |
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RALEIGH, (SGRToday.com) - North Carolina fails to provide kids in private psychiatric residential treatment facilities with an adequate education, according to a complaint filed by Disability Rights North Carolina with the U.S. Department of Education. The complaint asks the government to investigate the state's activities, and says the actions are violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
"Serious emotional and mental health disorders in young children andyouth are real and treatable and must include education," said Vicki Smith, executive director of Disability Rights North Carolina, in a news release. Smith adds that the state has known about the problem for years and has not acted.
According to the release, attorneys from Disability Rights North Carolina were aided by law students in conducting interviews with 25 patients at a treatment facility in Charlotte. The group alleges the interviews found that the children were not receiving adequate education services even though they had the required Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) prior to admission. The release contends the results are consequential and include falling behind non-disabled peers and an increased risk of dropping out of school after leaving the facility.
Disability Rights North Carolina is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with offices in Raleigh and Asheville.
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Last Updated on Monday, 14 May 2012 07:22 |
