a class action lawsuit in North Carolina which mandated a special category of individuals with cognitive retardation who lived in state psychiatric hospitals. Many category members had both cognitive retardation and serious and continual or repeating cognitive disease. The court order ascertained needed services and supports. Even though the category was dissolved in 1998, the case resulted in the organization of a division which delivers MR/MI services in the state-led agency for cognitive retardation services.
THOMAS S CLASS ACTION: “The Thomas S Class Action lawsuit produced rules that were later dissolved in the late 1990’s.”