A Pierce County, Wash., judge has ruled in favor of a lawsuit against the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services focused on behavioral health evaluations, The Center Square reported Oct. 9.
A coalition of 22 Washington state counties and the Washington State Association of Counties initially sued the department in August in Pierce County Superior Court for "failure to provide adequate mental health services."
The lawsuit focused on civil conversion patients, who often have a severe mental or behavioral disorder and do not have the capacity to stand trial for criminal charges, and DSHS stopped serving due to bed shortages and the increasing number of patients who required housing.
The department argued that it was not obligated to evaluate or treat patients whose criminal charges are dismissed, but an order by the ruling Pierce County Superior Court Judge Michael Schwartz will require DSHS to immediately evaluate all new conversion patients going forward, the report said.