On September 30, U.S. District Court Judge William Hart issued a 24-page order that will require state officials in Illinois to enable thousands of people with mental illness currently living in nursing homes to move into community settings that advocates describe as more appropriate and less costly.  Chicago media indicate that the order will pave the way for new nursing home safety reforms signed into law this year by Governor Pat Quinn.  It is also reported that the ruling will cause state officials to offer about 4,300 mentally ill people the opportunity to move out of two dozen large Institutions for Mental Health (IMDs).

About Sam Fish

Sam Fish has over 40 years of legal experience in federal and state human services laws and programs, having joined PCG in 1995 after serving as Chief Counsel, Region I, for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for more than 25 years. At PCG, Sam provides legal advice and counsel and has served on many projects that required legal research and interpretation and implementation of many federal and state laws.