Federal Oversight of Two Calif. Mental Hospitals Ends
Patton State Hospital and Atascadero State Hospital no longer are subject to federal oversight under a consent judgment on patient care that state and federal officials reached in 2006, according to an order issued Monday by a federal judge in Los Angeles. However, the judge extended until Dec. 2 the consent judgment for two other mental hospitals -- Napa State Hospital and Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk. The federal government sued the state to force reforms in the four hospitals after reports found poor treatment planning, overuse of medication and restraints, and inadequate patient safety.
- "Two California Mental Hospitals Released From Federal Oversight" (Hoeffel, Los Angeles Times, 11/15).