Personal Safety, Basic Health and Fundamental Liberty
1. Case Selection Priorities (PADD, PAIMI and PAIR):
- Cases of misuse of physical holds, mechanical and chemical restraints, and seclusion in state operated mental health hospitals and developmental centers
- Special education cases involving misuse or excessive use of physical holds, restraint, and seclusion.
- Investigation of individual rights cases related to misuse of medication, inadequate programming or medical care, and inadequate discharge planning and aftercare.
- Investigation of individual cases involving egregious abuse, neglect, death, or serious injury as a result of staff neglect, or incidents occurring in settings which are not investigated by other state investigatory agencies.
Special Initiatives:
a. Outreach to People with Disabilities in State Operated Mental Health Hospitals and Developmental Centers (Funding from PAIMI, PADD and the Abuse Investigation Unit)
Goal: EFE will broaden its services to residents in state operated mental health hospitals and state developmental centers by deploying staff on a regular basis to disseminate informational and educational materials, to identify the needs of residents, and to identify common or systemic problems. EFE will provide civil rights and self-advocacy training to residents in mental health facilities and provide community integration services to residents in developmental disability centers.
b. Restraints in Private Psychiatric Hospitals (Funding from PAIMI and the Abuse Investigation Unit)
Goal: EFE's Abuse Investigation Unit will enhance compliance with state and federal standards related to the use of restraint in private psychiatric hospitals and hospitals with psychiatric units by finalizing and issuing a report to the participating hospitals and the Illinois Hospital Association, and by monitoring the implementation of the recommendations of the report.
c. Abuse Investigation Unit's Enhancement of the Safety of People with Disabilities. (Primary funding from the Abuse Investigation Unit with some additional funding from PAIMI, PADD and PAIR)
Goal 1: Equip for Equality will enhance the safety of children and adults, including seniors, with disabilities through findings and recommendations made as a result of monitoring, oversight and investigative activities in programs including day and residential programs, state operated mental health hospitals and developmental centers, hospitals, schools, nursing homes, jails and prisons, licensed and unlicensed facilities.
Goal 2: Equip for Equality will enhance the safety of people with disabilities through analysis and review of existing state investigatory systems, increased communication regarding dangerous practices and other safety issues and increased reporting of abuse and neglect.
Goal 3: Equip for Equality will ensure reporting and timely and thorough investigation of serious incidents at residential psychiatric treatment facilities for individuals under 21 through ongoing review of incident and investigative reports, site visits, and select investigations.
Goal 4: Equip for Equality will prepare a public report containing findings and recommendations to better evaluate and investigate incidents of sexual abuse, which have been identified as a type of incident presenting unique investigative challenges, by using analysis of such incidents, and best practice research.
Goal 5: Equip for Equality will examine the effectiveness of investigative systems in non-public school settings where special education students receive services and review the use of restraint and other aversive techniques in those programs.
Goal 6: Equip for Equality will enhance the effectiveness of the investigatory system related to domestic abuse of adults with disabilities by analyzing the coordination between state agencies responsible to address abuse and the extent to which resources are available to prevent further abuse.
Goal 7: Equip for Equality will review the extent to which abuse registries and data bases related to substantiated findings of abuse and neglect contain accurate and updated information which can be effectively utilized by investigatory agencies, provider systems in connection with hiring practices and by the public.
Goal 8: Equip for Equality will monitor physical restraint practices at state-operated mental health hospitals to identify incidents where the use of restraints violates federal and state standards and to bring those incidents to the attention of appropriate federal and state agencies. EFE will also continue to participate as an active member of the Advisory Committee pursuant to the SAMSHA Incentive Grant to reduce or eliminate the use of restraints.
Goal 9: Equip for Equality will conclude its national review of restraint related deaths of children and adults and will convene a national, Blue Ribbon Task Force to review the findings and to develop recommendations to Congress and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for reform.
d. Amending Office of Inspector General Rule 50 to address jurisdictional concerns (Funding from PAIMI, PADD and the Abuse Investigation Unit)
Goal: EFE will seek to address jurisdictional concerns and other related issues in the state regulations that govern the investigation of abuse and neglect, by advocating that (1) the jurisdiction of OIG be expanded to include resident on resident abuse, financial exploitation, and patterns of serious injury, and (2) a mechanism be developed to ensure that investigative standards are implemented consistently.
e. Develop fact sheets for individuals with disabilities and families identifying strategies to enhance personal safety and quality care. (Funding from PAIMI and PADD)
Goal: Equip for Equality will be developing more consumer friendly versions of fact sheets related to legal rights in institutional settings and develop additional fact sheets as warranted.
f. Outreach to individuals receiving services from community mental health centers. (Funding from PAIMI and Abuse Investigation Unit)
Goal: Equip for Equality will continue and expand outreach visits to community mental health centers to enhance the protection of individuals' rights and freedom from harm through knowledge obtained regarding the services and programs available at Equip for Equality and providing consumer friendly rights information.
