Louisiana Involuntary Commitment

Dear Sarah Seymour:
Thank you for your interest in public records of Louisiana Department of Health. Your request has been received and is being processed in accordance with the Louisiana Public Records Act. Your request was received in this office on 10/26/2020 and given the reference number P001321-102620 for tracking purposes.
Name of Documents Requested: Records Requested: To Whom It May Concern:

The Health in Justice Action Lab at Northeastern University is interested in Louisiana’s involuntary commitment programs under La. R.S. § 28:52.4. Specifically, we are looking for data concerning individuals civilly committed for substance use and addiction treatment, the programmatic offerings for those individuals, and Louisiana’s response to COVID-19 in its civil commitment system.

In order to permit the public to understand how the state of Louisiana is administering involuntary commitment, the outcomes of that program, and the impact on Louisiana’s public health, the Health in Justice Action Lab is making this request pursuant to La. R.S. § 44.1 et. seq. for the following records:

1. State-wide volume. Any record showing the number of people who were civilly committed for substance use and addiction in each year since 2015 to the latest available.

2. Demographic information. Any and all records reflecting de-identified demographic summary statistics, including (but not necessarily limited to) race, gender, age, and pregnancy status, pertaining to individuals who have been civilly committed for substance use and addiction, from 2015 to latest available.

3. Facility information. Summary statistics, reports, or relevant documentation detailing facilities that are used to house people civilly commitment for substance use and addiction, including the following information:
a) Summary of the number of individuals committed to each individual facility for substance use in each year since 2015, to latest available.
b) For each facility housing people civilly committed for substance use, summary of the number of individuals also being held on criminal charges in those same facilities
c) Which facilities employ or contract health care providers licensed to prescribe methadone and/or buprenorphine.
d) Number of individuals each facility is licensed to house.
e) State agency managing each facility housing people civilly committed for substance use disorder.
f) Any and all documentation noting the number of non-fatal and fatal overdose incidents within each facility housing people civilly committed for substance use disorder in each year since 2015.

4. Financial information. Summary statistics, reports, or relevant documentation regarding government resources or insurance funds that are used to pay for civil commitment for substance use/addiction in each year since 2015.

5. Re-entry planning. Any and all documentation regarding the re-entry planning process for people discharged from civil commitment for substance use disorder, including:
a) Overdose education and naloxone distribution
b) Linkage to treatment in the community
c) Linkage to housing in the community
d) Insurance assistance
e) Any other support or health services

6. External overdose data. Any and all documentation noting the number of overdose incidents of patients within 1 year of re-entry from civil commitment for substance use disorder/addiction in each year since 2015.
Because this request involves a matter of public concern and because it is made on behalf of a nonprofit organization, we ask that you waive any fees. If you decide not to waive fees, we request that you permit us to examine, at our election, the responsive documents before deciding which portions to transmit. We prefer the documents in electronic format.

Should you determine that some portion of the documents requested are exempt from disclosure, please release any reasonably segregable portions that are not exempt. In addition, please note the applicable statutory exemption and explain why it applies to the redacted portions. As you know, a custodian of public records shall comply with a request within 3 business days, as the statute requires after receipt.

Thank you for your assistance. We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Louis Miyara
Health in Justice Action Lab
Northeastern University

Upload documents directly: https://https://www.muckrock.comhttps://www.muckrock.com/
Your request will be forwarded to the relevant department(s) to locate the information you seek and to determine the volume and any costs associated with satisfying your request. You will be contacted about the availability and/or provided with copies of the records in question.

PLEASE NOTE: Although LDH’s records are generally subject to disclosure under the Louisiana Public Records Act (La. R.S. 44:1, et seq.), it is possible that confidentiality and/or privilege issues may be encountered in the processing of your request.  If so, LDH will immediately notify you of any such issues and work with you to resolve them.

You can monitor the progress of your request at the link below and you'll receive an email when your request has been completed.

Thank you,
Louisiana Department of Health

Dear Sarah Seymour,

RE: PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST of October 26, 2020, Reference # P001321-102620

Dear Sarah Seymour,

Your public records request is being processed; it is estimated that it will require an additional 15-30 days for collection and review of the prospective records before they will be available for inspection or reproduction.

It is possible that after this review that some or all of the prospective records may be exempt from disclosure, or that confidentiality and/or privilege issues may prevent the disclosure of the requested records. If so, LDH will contact you immediately to state the legal basis for withholding any records responsive to your request.

Sincerely,

Michael Coleman
Attorney at Law
Bureau of Legal Services (BLS)

--- Please respond above this line ---

November 04, 2020
Sarah Seymour
411A Highland Ave MR104268
Somerville, MA 02144
RE: Public Records Request of October 26, 2020., Reference # P001321-102620.
Dear Sarah Seymour,
The Louisiana Department of Health received a public information request from you on October 26, 2020. Your request mentioned: "To Whom It May Concern:

The Health in Justice Action Lab at Northeastern University is interested in Louisiana’s involuntary commitment programs under La. R.S. § 28:52.4. Specifically, we are looking for data concerning individuals civilly committed for substance use and addiction treatment, the programmatic offerings for those individuals, and Louisiana’s response to COVID-19 in its civil commitment system.

In order to permit the public to understand how the state of Louisiana is administering involuntary commitment, the outcomes of that program, and the impact on Louisiana’s public health, the Health in Justice Action Lab is making this request pursuant to La. R.S. § 44.1 et. seq. for the following records:

1. State-wide volume. Any record showing the number of people who were civilly committed for substance use and addiction in each year since 2015 to the latest available.

2. Demographic information. Any and all records reflecting de-identified demographic summary statistics, including (but not necessarily limited to) race, gender, age, and pregnancy status, pertaining to individuals who have been civilly committed for substance use and addiction, from 2015 to latest available.

3. Facility information. Summary statistics, reports, or relevant documentation detailing facilities that are used to house people civilly commitment for substance use and addiction, including the following information:
a) Summary of the number of individuals committed to each individual facility for substance use in each year since 2015, to latest available.
b) For each facility housing people civilly committed for substance use, summary of the number of individuals also being held on criminal charges in those same facilities
c) Which facilities employ or contract health care providers licensed to prescribe methadone and/or buprenorphine.
d) Number of individuals each facility is licensed to house.
e) State agency managing each facility housing people civilly committed for substance use disorder.
f) Any and all documentation noting the number of non-fatal and fatal overdose incidents within each facility housing people civilly committed for substance use disorder in each year since 2015.

4. Financial information. Summary statistics, reports, or relevant documentation regarding government resources or insurance funds that are used to pay for civil commitment for substance use/addiction in each year since 2015.

5. Re-entry planning. Any and all documentation regarding the re-entry planning process for people discharged from civil commitment for substance use disorder, including:
a) Overdose education and naloxone distribution
b) Linkage to treatment in the community
c) Linkage to housing in the community
d) Insurance assistance
e) Any other support or health services

6. External overdose data. Any and all documentation noting the number of overdose incidents of patients within 1 year of re-entry from civil commitment for substance use disorder/addiction in each year since 2015.
Because this request involves a matter of public concern and because it is made on behalf of a nonprofit organization, we ask that you waive any fees. If you decide not to waive fees, we request that you permit us to examine, at our election, the responsive documents before deciding which portions to transmit. We prefer the documents in electronic format.

Should you determine that some portion of the documents requested are exempt from disclosure, please release any reasonably segregable portions that are not exempt. In addition, please note the applicable statutory exemption and explain why it applies to the redacted portions. As you know, a custodian of public records shall comply with a request within 3 business days, as the statute requires after receipt.

Thank you for your assistance. We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Louis Miyara
Health in Justice Action Lab
Northeastern University

Upload documents directly: https://https://www.muckrock.comhttps://www.muckrock.com/ The Louisiana Department of Health is not the record keeper of civil commitments, and therefore does not have comprehensive data responsive to this request.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to reply to this email communication.
Sincerely,
Michael Coleman
Attorney at Law
Bureau of Legal Services (BLS)

Good afternoon,

The request was closed on 11/4/20 as LDH did not have responsive records.