INDIANAPOLIS— A state senator is pushing for sweeping change following a WRTV Investigation into a Lawrence mental health facility .
Options Behavioral Health is facing several lawsuits from families alleging the facility held patients against their will.
WRTVWRTV Investigates found getting public information about mental health hospitals in Indiana can be downright difficult.
35 private mental health institutions are licensed by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction.
FSSA may conduct annual inspections and investigate complaints, however, FSSA does not post inspection reports or summaries online as they do for childcare facilities .
In fact, if the public wants to view inspection reports for a mental health hospital, they have to request copies through a formal records request under the Indiana Access to Public Records Act.
It took WRTV Investigates four months to receive inspection reports for Options Behavioral Health. We requested them on July 15 and received two reports on November 13.