“The Beds Were Just Not Available to Her.” When Psychiatric Hospitals Refuse to Admit Patients from Emergency Departments

In the fall of 2022, Disability Rights Maine (DRM) represented a woman who had been "blue papered"[1] in an emergency department (ED) and was awaiting transfer to a psychiatric bed. She remained in the ED for 65 days until eventually being transferred to a psychiatric...

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The Law Court’s Decision in A.S. v. LincolnHealth and Its Impact on Maine’s “Blue Paper” Law (34-B M.R.S.A. § 3863)

In January of this year Maine’s highest state court, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, also known as the “Law Court”, issued a decision called A.S. v. LincolnHealth.[1] This decision had a substantial impact on the process used to hold someone in a general hospital’s...

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DRM Provides Voting Information to Individuals in Hospitals, Ensuring Their Right to Participate in the 2020 Election

Susan B. Anthony once said: “Someone struggled for your right to vote. Use it.” However, sometimes “using it” comes with its own struggles. This is certainly true for individuals with disabilities who are patients in psychiatric hospitals. One of DRM’s core missions...

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DRM Death Investigation Leads to Recommendations for Increased State Oversight of Maine’s Progressive Treatment Program

Disability Rights Maine (DRM) was contacted by the mother and legal guardian of John Doe[1], a 40 year old man who had been found unresponsive in his apartment and was later declared dead. The mother stated that her son was an individual with mental illness and was...

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