Disability Rights
Laguna Honda has faced a critical challenge from 1997 - 2010 to improve services for people with disabilities. Disability rights organizations filed two federal lawsuits (known as Davis and Chambers) seeking greater community integration for Laguna Honda residents.
The city created two major new programs to serve disabled San Franciscans.
The Davis case, filed in 2000 and dismissed in 2008 following the fulfillment of a settlement agreement, sought to accelerate and streamline the discharge process for people living at Laguna Honda. To meet the goal of increased and improved discharges, the San Francisco Department of Public Health created the Targeted Case Management(TCM) program to assess the ability of residents to live at lower levels of care, and to provide assistance in finding accessible housing.
The Chambers case, filed in 2006 and settled in 2008, sought to create housing and service options for former Laguna Honda residents and potential residents. The city addressed the goal of expanded opportunities by creating the Diversion and Community Integration Program (DCIP), a joint venture of the Department of Public Health and the Department of Aging and Adult Services. The program evaluates applicants to Laguna Honda to determine if they can be served in other community settings, and serves as one-stop shopping for low-income, accessible housing and services.
In addition to improving community integration for current and potential residents, Laguna Honda is itself working to become a more integrated setting. An important part of the mission of the hospital is provide a venue for public events in its theatre and on its grounds.
Read more about this topic: Laguna Honda Hospital And Rehabilitation Center
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