New Hampshire is denying claims made by the U-S Department of Justice that the state is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Attorney General’s Office issued a formal response to the findings Tuesday.
The U-S Department of Justice concluded in April that the state was violating federal law in the way it treats the mentally ill.
It criticized the state for failing to provide adequate community-based services, leading to prolonged stays at the state hospital.
But in a response letter, Attorney General Michael Delaney and Health and Human Services Commissioner Nicholas Toumpas objected to those allegations.
Delaney says the median length of stay in the state psychiatric hospital in 2010 was seven days, compared to a national median of 55 days.
“The reality is the US Department of Justice came up here they spent a day at the Glencliff Home, they spent part of a day at the NH Hospital and we really don’t feel they spent enough time trying to understand our system.”
Delaney says the state is continuing to improve its mental health services through its ten year plan.
The letter urges the government to withdraw what the state contends are its erroneous findings.
