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MONTGOMERY – Alabama Department of Mental Health Commissioner Zelia Baugh will be traveling to Washington D.C. next week to testify before a U.S. Senate Committee on a successful initiative in Alabama. Commissioner Baugh will be sharing her knowledge before the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions in a hearing titled “Olmstead Enforcement Update: Using the ADA to Promote Community Integration.” The hearing refers to the United States Supreme Court case, Olmstead vs. L.C., which ruled individuals with mental illnesses, can move to community-based care instead of facilities and hospitals.
The HELP Committee held a similar hearing two years ago and is gathering information on the progress of community based integration. Commissioner Baugh will be testifying on Alabama’s accomplishments with community inclusion and how the state of Alabama has been amongst the leaders of community-based care. The hearing is scheduled for Thursday, June 21, at 10 a.m. in Room 430 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
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For more information and an interview, please contact Jeff Shackelford at 334-242-2403.
Information about mental health services in the state of Alabama can be obtained by contacting the Office of Public Information and Community Relations at 334-242-3417 or by visiting us online at www.mh.alabama.gov.
For more information, visit http://mh.alabama.gov
For more state-wide press releases, click here
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