DOJ memo sparks alarm over disability rights and community integration

Mental health and disability advocates are sharply criticizing a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) legal opinion they say could undermine longstanding protections that allow people with disabilities to live and receive services in their communities rather than in institutional settings. The June 18 memorandum asserts that states are not legally required to provide community‐ or home‐based care to integrate individuals with mental disabilities. The memo was released just days before the 27th anniversary of the Supreme Court's landmark Olmstead v. L.C. decision on June 22.