Mississippi
‘We can do our job’: Disability rights group wins access to mental health agency’s records
When the state’s advocacy group for folks with disabilities couldn’t get the Division of Psychological Well being to show over data that would present abuse or neglect at state-run psychiatric amenities, it sued. This week, the 2 events reached a settlement that can permit the advocacy group to entry reviews of great incidents involving workers and residents by means of a web-based system.
“The Division of Psychological Well being goes to permit us to see what we have to see,” mentioned Polly Tribble, govt director of the nonprofit Incapacity Rights Mississippi, the group that sued the psychological well being division. “We will do our job.”
Division spokesperson Adam Moore mentioned in an electronic mail to Mississippi At this time that the settlement will present further transparency.
“Although the incident reviews included on this settlement had been already being reported to the Lawyer Basic’s Workplace and all different required licensure entities, Incapacity Rights will now have the ability to entry these reviews at any time and request extra documentation if wanted,” he mentioned.
Final 12 months, Incapacity Rights started listening to about how staffing shortages had been resulting in neglect on the state hospitals. The group is Mississippi’s “safety and advocacy (P&A) system,” charged by the U.S. Congress with advocating for folks with disabilities and investigating abuse and neglect at applications that serve them. Every state has a P&A.
The advocacy group sought incident reviews from 10 psychological and behavioral well being amenities across the state, a broad request meant to establish potential patterns and tendencies. However the state refused to show over the reviews, arguing that the group hadn’t proven “possible trigger” to launch a systemic investigation and was endeavor “a fishing expedition.”
The Division of Justice sued the state of Mississippi over its failure to supply enough community-based psychological well being providers in 2016. U.S. District Choose Carlton Reeves sided with the federal authorities and final 12 months ordered the state to adjust to a reform plan overseen by a particular monitor.
Incapacity Rights sued the company in November after months of negotiations over the data.
Tribble was stunned the lawsuit was essential; her group has at all times had a great relationship with the Division of Psychological Well being, she mentioned.
On Wednesday morning, Incapacity Rights workers used the brand new system to entry incident reviews for the primary time, although there are nonetheless some technical kinks to work out.
“Our intention all alongside has been to have a look at the reviews and see if there’s any patterns of abuse by a selected workers particular person, but in addition to see if the staffing scarcity is having an impact on incidents,” she mentioned. “Which I think it’s. However we don’t know.”
The Justice Division filed an amicus transient siding with the advocacy group in March. The transient requested the courtroom to order the division to show over the incident reviews from its amenities.
“Throughout its routine monitoring actions, DRMS advocates noticed troubling points, together with understaffing, unreported incidents, affected person neglect, nonuse of COVID protocol and precautions by onsite workers, and staff-on-resident accidents and incidents,” the transient mentioned. “Most significantly, the existence of incident reviews relating to particular people inherently signifies that uncommon occasions involving these people, similar to hurt or an error or omission in care, have occurred.”
A spokesperson for the Division of Justice declined to remark for this story.
Attorneys on the legal professional normal’s workplace represented the Division of Psychological Healthin the swimsuit.
“The State stays dedicated to serving Mississippians in want of psychological well being and substance use providers and we had been happy to have the ability to attain a decision on this case,” Michelle Williams, chief of workers for Lawyer Basic Lynn Fitch, mentioned in an announcement.
Earlier this 12 months, the advocacy group settled one other lawsuit with the division after it denied a request for data referring to the Mississippi State Hospital’s forensic unit, which serves individuals who have been diverted from jail or jail, normally as a result of they’ve a psychological sickness that makes them unfit to face trial. The group wished to analyze after getting reviews of mistreatment.
Tribble mentioned that settlement, too, allowed her group to get the data it had initially sought.
Even because the Division of Psychological Well being says it’s making an attempt to adjust to the court-ordered settlement settlement and develop neighborhood psychological well being providers, the state legal professional normal remains to be preventing the ruling. Final 12 months, the workplace appealed to the U.S. Court docket of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the place it’s arguing that the division is already offering wanted providers and that Reeves has unconstitutionally put in “perpetual federal oversight” of the state company.
Oral arguments have been tentatively scheduled for the week of Oct. 3.
Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Mississippi high school Athlete of the Week for August25-31. Read through the nominees and cast your vote. The poll will close Sunday at 11:59 p.m. If you would like to make a nomination in a future week, email Tyler@scorebooklive.com. For questions/issues with he poll, email athleteoftheweek@scorebooklive.com.
Editor’s note: Our Athlete of the Week feature and corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. However, we do not allow votes that are generated by script, macro or other automated means. Athletes that receive votes generated by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified.
Kohl Bradley, DB, George County: Racked up 17 tackles and returned an interception 80 yards for a touchdown in a 33-7 win over East Central.
DaJuan Colbert, DB, Natchez: Recorded 15 tackles, forced one fumble and returned another one 75 yards for a touchdown in a 58-50 win over Hancock.
Garrison Davis, QB, Holmes County Central: Completed 14 of his 21 pass attempts for 375 yards and three touchdowns in a 20-6 win over Vicksburg.
Xzavion Gainwell, DB, Yazoo County: Recorded nine tackles, an interception and an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Panthers’ 20-16 win over South Delta.
Elijah Jones, RB, West Jones: Had 24 carries 226 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-6 win over Laurel.
Kingi McNair, WR, Pearl: Caught four passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-20 win over Neshoba Central.
Ashton Nichols, DB, Clinton: Recorded six tackles to go with two big pass breakups, a blocked punt and a return for a touchdown in a 26-20 win over Warren Central.
Ethan Prater, RB, Pisgah: Rushed for 132 yards on 27 carries with three scores and caught a 60-yard touchdown pass in a 33-32 win over North Forrest.
Glen Singleton, RB, Madison Central: Rushed for 174 yards on 18 carries with all four touchdowns in a 27-20 win over Ocean Springs.
Damarius Yates, RB, Kemper County: Rushed for 193 yards on 17 carries and returned a kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown in a 38-15 win over Kosciusko.
Mississippi
‘If they cannot play Thalia Hall, they cannot play in Mississippi at all’: Broadway in Jackson speaks out about possible show cancellations
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – It’s been one month since Thalia Mara Hall closed its doors due to a mold outbreak.
Innovation Arts and Entertainment is the company responsible for bringing Broadway productions to Jackson.
Representatives from the company visited Jackson after hearing the building had been closed.
CEO Adam Epstein says the City of Jackson did not inform them of the news.
“We did not find out from anybody within the city. We found out by reading news clippings forwarded to us by other people in Jackson,” Epstein said.
Certified Industrial Hygienic Testing reported visible dirt, debris, and suspected mold growth on many surfaces.
Epstein fears this could change the possibility of bigger shows coming to the capital city.
“They’re going to skip over us because of this mess. We need to show as a community that Jackson cares about this valuable asset and that we demand our elected leaders to support and treat this really, incredibly valuable asset with the TLC it deserves,” he said.
Thalia Mara Hall is the only venue in the state that can host a Broadway production due to the technical needs and accommodations required.
“Touring theatrical shows. If they cannot play Thalia Hall, they cannot play in Mississippi at all,” he said.
Broadway in Jackson is not only a great source of entertainment in the city, but it’s also beneficial economically.
“Those other businesses don’t benefit. The city doesn’t earn tax revenue from events that we present. They don’t earn rental income from the events we present. They don’t earn facility fees from the events we present. This is a real tragedy. It’s unacceptable.”
The well-being of the potential audience is the company’s main priority.
“I will not risk our ticket buyers’ health and safety and comfort. Our shows can and will cancel before we’d ever put somebody in jeopardy. We’ve issued a 100% guarantee of a full refund if the venue is not given a clean bill of health,” Epstein said.
All shows will be canceled on a case-to-case basis.
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Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board are conducting a probe into Saturday’s crash that killed seven and injured 36 people.
The deadly bus crash in Mississippi that killed seven people and injured dozens of others early Saturday occurred after the vehicle experienced a tire failure, causing it to run off the road and overturn, officials and authorities said.
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board, in coordination with the Mississippi Highway Patrol, are conducting a probe into Saturday’s crash that left seven people dead and another 36 people injured. The collision occurred at about 12:40 a.m. on Interstate 20 near Vicksburg, Mississippi, when the bus left the roadway and overturned.
The bus, which authorities described as a 2018 Volvo commercial passenger bus, traveled westbound when its left front tire failed, NTSB member Todd Inman said at a news conference Sunday. The bus then moved onto an embankment and rolled over on its left side.
Inman added that investigators will be at the scene for at least another week and are looking into several factors of the crash, including the vehicle’s mechanical condition, motor carrier safety, the condition and experience of the driver, and environmental factors.
According to U.S. Department of Transportation records, the bus was operated by Autobuses Regiomontanos. Records show that in the 24 months before Saturday, the transit company’s vehicles were involved in one fatal crash, two injury collisions, and a crash requiring a tow truck.
The transit company has over 20 years of experience and provides trips between more than 100 destinations throughout Mexico and the United States, according to Autobuses Regiomontanos’ website.
“Everyone at the NTSB sends their expressions of sorrow for everything that the survivors and victims of this crash went through,” Inman said.
7 killed, 36 injured in bus crash
The bus carried a total of 41 passengers and two drivers, according to authorities. It was traveling from Atlanta to Dallas when the incident occurred.
No other vehicles were involved in the crash, according to Master Sergeant Kervin K. Stewart with the Mississippi Highway Patrol. Six people were pronounced dead at the scene and another person died later at a hospital, Stewart said.
Another 36 people were transported to area hospitals.
Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey said two victims killed in the crash were identified by their mother as a 16-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy, according to The New York Times. Authorities were working to identify the other victims.
Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY
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