SOCIAL JUSTICE BLOG

Read and share extraordinary stories from the frontlines of social change

Indiscriminate Use of Psychotropics among Children in Foster Care Is a National Disgrace
Foster Care, Psychotropics, Class Actions Teddy Basham-Witherington Foster Care, Psychotropics, Class Actions Teddy Basham-Witherington

Indiscriminate Use of Psychotropics among Children in Foster Care Is a National Disgrace

Because of the success of our lawsuit, Missouri will now begin implementing reforms to protect these children: medical records will be monitored; doctors and caregivers, with real input from youth, will vet the risks and the benefits of medication before it is administered; and an independent child psychiatrist will be available to provide secondary review of prescriptions for efficacy and safety.

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 Too Many, Too Much, and Too Young: Class Action Seeks To Protect Foster Kids From Dangerous Mistreatment With Psychotropic Drugs
Class Actions, Children's Rights Teddy Basham-Witherington Class Actions, Children's Rights Teddy Basham-Witherington

Too Many, Too Much, and Too Young: Class Action Seeks To Protect Foster Kids From Dangerous Mistreatment With Psychotropic Drugs

On any given day, thousands of children in foster care across the country are administered psychotropic medications to address mental health and behavioral issues. Some of these children receive combinations of two, three, or more such medications at a time, often in elevated dosages. Some, like Joe, are even placed on antipsychotics, which led him to say, “I feel like I have knives in my eyes.” 

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