Summary: More than 130 patients have died under suspicious circumstances in Georgia's public psychiatric hospitals over the past seven years, according to an exposé by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Carter Center has been a leading voice for change in Georgia's mental health system since this crisis came to light, and has worked to identify strategies to transform Georgia's shame into a model for the nation.The U.S. Department of Justice has filed suit against the state of Georgia, the status of which was discussed during the Feb. 16 Conversations at The Carter Center. Former First Lady and Carter Center Mental Health Program founder Rosalynn Carter provides opening remarks. Carter Center Mental Health Program Director Dr. Thom Bornemann moderates a panel of key stakeholders who discuss the challenges facing the state mental health system and explore potential solutions. Panelists include Charles Willis of the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network; Dr. John Gates, board member, The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving, Georgia Southwestern University; and Andrew Penn of the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law.
