Massachusetts’ child protection agency failed to properly manage the care of children in its custody with serious mental health conditions, the state auditor found, a systemic oversight that included missed or delayed therapy sessions for 35 percent of children whose cases were reviewed, and several others who received antipsychotic medications without proper authorization.
Virtually all the Department of Children and Families cases examined in the audit released Thursday had information missing from their files, making it more difficult for doctors and nurses to safely and effectively treat those children. The audit also determined the cases of four children who received antipsychotic medication should have been reviewed by a judge.
“It is very concerning,” Auditor Diana DiZoglio said in an interview, “especially following the pandemic shutdown period where we know mental health challenges increased significantly among the children of the Commonwealth.”
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