that found Nevada was failing its children with behavioral disabilities by relying too heavily on institutionalization.
During the inspections between January and November last year, auditors said they found piles of dirty clothing and trash in children's rooms, clogged toilets, exposed pipes and a blood-stained pillow. They also said they reviewed inventory and files at the facilities and found missing medication, medical files and paperwork related to training and background checks for staff.
In its 25-page report issued in October, the Justice Department said the state was failing “to ensure access to community-based services that could prevent institutionalization,” resulting in often repeated hospitalizations. Oftentimes, children were sent to long-term residential facilities outside the state, “exacerbating the harms of the segregation,” the DOJ report said.