Publication: ACLU-DC
Bread for the City Responds as D.C. Police Union Moves to Intervene in Lawsuit Challenging Unequal Response to Mental Health Emergencies
The D.C. Police Union is intervening in a lawsuit that challenges the city's practice of sending police instead of mental health providers to respond to mental health emergencies. Bread for the City, the nonprofit leading the lawsuit, is determined to ensure that residents with mental health disabilities receive the appropriate emergency care they deserve.
Lawsuit Challenges Unequal Response to Mental Health Emergencies in Washington, DC
Bread for the City, a D.C.-based nonprofit supporting underserved communities, filed a federal lawsuit today challenging the District of Columbia’s practice of sending police officers rather than mental health providers to respond to mental health emergencies. Represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of D.C., and the law firm of Sheppard Mullin, the community organization alleges that the disparity in how the District responds to physical and mental health emergencies violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act