After three separate investigations, the state finally has found something wrong with Love In Action (LIA).
The state Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (DMHDD) found that LIA, a faith-based homosexuality treatment program housed at a Raleigh church, was treating mentally ill patients without a license to do so.
“These are people who have what are commonly known as mental illnesses like schizophrenia, depression, or bipolar disorder,” said department spokesperson Lola Potter. “The state does not assume that homosexuality is a mental illness.”
Potter says LIA has been operating as a supportive living facility where medication is administered and a patient’s ability to leave is restricted. As such, the program must have a license from the state.
The findings come after earlier investigations by the Department of Children’s Services and the Department of Health, both of which found no evidence of wrongdoing.
A letter issued in late August told LIA the group needed to either apply for a license or make changes in their program. Last Wednesday, LIA and the state reached an agreement that would give the organization until Friday to comply.
Representatives for LIA would not comment on their plans or on whether the group knew they needed a license to treat mentally ill patients.
“Several activist groups contacted the state with different reasons as to why the state should look into what LIA was doing,” says Rachel Lassiter, the governor’s deputy press secretary. “That’s when we started taking a look.”
