In a July 22 op-ed for the Chicago Sun-Times, Peggy Flaherty and Debra Howard-Frye, co-chief clinical officers at Thresholds, urged Congress and state leaders not to retreat from the right of people with mental illness to live and receive care in their communities. The piece centers on the 1999 Supreme Court decision in Olmstead v. L.C., which found the unjustified institutionalization of people with disabilities to be discrimination and has pushed states to support people in their own homes rather than in institutions. The authors warn that a recent Department of Justice memo advancing a far narrower reading of the Americans with Disabilities Act could open the door for states to roll back community-based care.

Drawing on Thresholds’ six decades of experience, Flaherty and Howard-Frye argue that pairing stable housing with clinical support works both clinically and financially—most people the organization has helped leave institutions have stayed in the community, at a lower cost than nursing home placement. Conlon Public Strategies is proud to work with Thresholds and other organizations advancing the right of people with mental illness to live and thrive in their communities. Read the full op-ed here. Photo: stock.adobe.com.