Treatment Facilities
Now Hiring: Impact Litigation Attorney
March 16, 2023DRW’s Legal Advocacy Team seeks a litigation attorney with a demonstrated interest in conducting impact litigation and other systemic advocacy to enforce the legal rights of individuals suffering from abuse, neglect, or other human and civil rights violations. This position will require a licensed attorney, or an individual who will soon become a licensed attorney, with the ability to conduct systemic investigations, develop complex advocacy strategies, and represent both classes and individuals. Learn more now.Civil discharge settlement agreement
December 16, 2022On December 2, 2022, after nearly a year of negotiations, Disability Rights Washington finalized a settlement agreement with the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services and Health Care Authority to address state hospital discharge delays, and better ensure that people are not confined in expensive, institutional settings longer than necessary.
Civil Discharge Settlement
On December 2, 2022, after nearly a year of negotiations, Disability Rights Washington finalized a settlement agreement with the Washington
Rainier School Case filed in September – (G.G. et al. v Meneses et al.)
October 4, 2022The Rainier School is a large state-run, residential institution in rural Pierce County. It is a dangerous place to live. The mistreatment and neglect within its walls have maimed, hospitalized, and killed residents. Learn more about this case here.DRW Amicus brief highlights the risks and dangers of involuntary inpatient civil commitment
September 21, 2022Disability Rights Washington, the ACLU of Washington, the Washington Defender Association, and the King County Department of Assigned Counsel have filed an Amicus Curiae (Friend of the Court) brief in the Washington State Supreme Court. Learn more here.Press Release: State Agrees to Pay $1.25 Million in Rainier School Wrongful Death Lawsuit
March 16, 2022The family of JoHanna Pratt, a former resident at the state-run Rainier School in Buckley, has settled their medical neglect and wrongful death lawsuit against Rainier School and the State of Washington for $1.25 million.New Report: ALL OR NOTHING Ending Washington’s Dependence On Involuntary Civil Commitment
December 14, 2021DRW's newest report examines the gaps in Washington’s behavioral health treatment and crisis response systems, and the systemic failures in the involuntary civil commitment system that has resulted in the increased use of harmful Single Bed Certifications and No Bed Reports. ALL OR NOTHING provides clear, sensible action steps Washington can take to deliver the right care at the right time.ALL OR NOTHING Ending Washington’s Dependence On Involuntary Civil Commitment
December 14, 2021Press Release For Immediate ReleaseDecember 14, 2021 Contact: Alexandra Deas(206) 324-1521 x117alexandrad@dr-wa.org Disability Rights Washington’s (DRW) newest report examines the
ALL OR NOTHING Ending Washington’s Dependence On Involuntary Civil Commitment
All or Nothing, examines the gaps in Washington’s behavioral health treatment and crisis response systems, and the systemic failures in the involuntary civil commitment system that has resulted in the increased use of harmful Single Bed Certifications (“SBCs” ) and No Bed Reports (“NBRs”). All or Nothing provides clear, sensible action steps Washington can take to deliver the right care at the right time.
$22,000,000 in grant funds awarded to create housing for Trueblood class members across Washington State
November 1, 2021As part of the ongoing Trueblood contempt-fine funded diversion programs, DRW is pleased to announce that we have awarded over $22,000,000 in grant funds to five service providers. These funds will be used over the next four years to generate housing for class members under the Trueblood lawsuit, ranging from rental subsidies to dedicated leases, renovated houses to newly-constructed permanent supportive housing.New Law Demands De-escalation, Not Abandoning People in Crisis
July 20, 2021During the 2021 legislative session, Washington law makers passed HB 1310, a new law governing when and how police can use force against members of the public. The law creates an expectation for officers to de-escalate and requires police to exercise care in the use of any force, in order to reduce violence and prioritize the sanctity of life. However, some law enforcement agencies in Washington are dangerously misinterpreting the new law.Solicitation for new and additional housing resources for Trueblood Class Members
February 8, 2021The Trueblood Court Monitor and the Trueblood Parties are soliciting letters of interest from providers who currently or recently have operated programs specifically targeted to Trueblood Class Members who wish to enhance the availability of housing for current or previous Class Members in their region.
“Shut Them Down”
January 2021
In “Shut Them Down,” DRW calls out Washington’s RHCs for repeatedly showing that when major problems are discovered, they do not act swiftly or make lasting changes that prevent future harm, even when failing to remedy legal violations costs lives. The issues called out by DRW in previous reports in 2017, 2018, and 2019 have not been fixed – people with developmental disabilities are still languishing, sometimes for decades, in segregated institutions where they are continually at risk for verbal, physical, and sexual abuse and neglect.