A recent in-depth article in the Baltimore Banner documents how children and young adults with behavioral health challenges are being housed long-term in hospital emergency rooms. Hundreds of individuals with complex needs are spending months if not years in health care facilities ill-equipped to serve them due to the severe shortage of appropriate placements. Part of the problem is that the state agencies involved are “not talking to each other in the way that they need to,” says DRM attorney Leslie Margolis. “These are systemic issues and they can’t be solved child by child by child.” DRM will continue to advocate on behalf of these individuals to address this growing problem and ensure that these individuals receive the appropriate services and supports to live productive lives in their own communities.
