An old building on St. Elizabeths east campus. Photo by Elvert Barnes.

Seven years after beginning oversight of the city’s psychiatric facility, the Department of Justice filed a motion D.C. to end that agreement.

Federal oversight of St. Elizabeths hospital began in 2007 after conditions were found to be unacceptable. This, as the Post reported at the time, included patient-on-patient violence. An agreement required the city “to meet 224 performance benchmarks across a broad range of clinical measures, including treatment planning and services, clinical discipline assessments, discharge planning, quality improvement, risk management and environment of care.”

“We commend the district and the Department of Behavioral Health for their commitment to reform the clinical practices at Saint Elizabeths Hospital,” Molly Moran, acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, said in a DOJ release. “The leadership of the Department of Behavioral Health and of Saint Elizabeths Hospital have made significant and often difficult decisions to change the clinical culture at Saint Elizabeths Hospital and ensure that persons confined to hospital were appropriately discharged and integrated into the community with adequate supports. They strongly supported the required changes and provided the time, energy and resources necessary to achieve reform.”

Mayor Vince Gray said the joint motion is “recognition that we are providing high-quality, recovery-focused treatment at Saint Elizabeths Hospital.”

The hospital was moved to a new facility in 2010 on the East Campus, leaving much of the other land available for development. The DOJ also notes that D.C. increased the number of clinical staff numbers and reduced the number of patients.

University Legal Services will continue independent monitoring of St. Elizabeths after the agreement is over.