Beldock Levine & Hoffman LLP, Attorneys at Law

Partner

Henry Dlugacz

Henry Dlugacz joined the firm as a partner in 2009. His practice focuses on mental health-related matters, with a particular emphasis on the monitoring and mediation of complex class action lawsuits involving correctional systems, forensic hospitals, reentry planning, and community-based systems of treatment. He represents hospitals in mental health matters such as civil retentions, medication-over-objection hearings, and guardianship proceedings, as well as in the negotiation of clinical trial, residency training and other agreements. He is appointed by courts as a neutral evaluator in guardianship proceedings. He is also a licensed social worker and is active nationally and internationally in training the next generation of attorneys, physicians and mental health professionals.

Practice Description

Court-appointed Monitoring of Class Action Litigations, Mental Health, Corrections, Healthcare, Alternative Dispute Resolution, International Human Rights

Education

Queens College (B.A. cum laude 1979)

Hunter College School of Social Work (M.S.W. 1981)

New York Law School (J.D. cum laude 1991), Notes & Comments Editor, Human Rights Journal

Bar Admissions

Admitted to bar: New York, U.S. District Courts, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York

Professional Activities

Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, New York Medical College (1997-present)

Court Evaluator and Guardian, New York State (1997-present)

Mediator, United States District Court, for the Eastern District of New York Mediation and Arbitration Panel (2000-present)

Adjunct Professor of Law, St. John’s University School of Law (2001-present)

Adjunct Professor of Law, New York Law School (2006-present)

Founding Co-Chair, New York State Bar Association’s Health Law Section, Committee on Mental Health Issues (2002-2008)

Recent Publications

H. A. Dlugacz, Ed., Re-Entry Planning for Offenders with Mental Disorders: Policy & Practice,2010,Civic Research Institute

M.L. Perlin & H.A. Dlugacz, It’s Doom Alone That Counts: Can International Human Rights Law Be An Effective Source of Rights in Correctional Conditions Litigation? Behav. Sci. Law. 2009; 27(5): 675-94 (2009)

H.A. Dlugacz, Out-Patient Commitment: Some Thoughts on Promoting a Meaningful Dialogue 53 New York L. Sch. L. Rev. 79 (2009)

M. L. Perlin & H. A. Dlugacz,Mental Health Issues in Jails & Prisons,2008, Carolina Academic Press

M. Perlin, P. Champine, H. A. Dlugacz & M. Connell, Competence in Criminal & Civil Law: From Legal Theory to Clinical Applications, 2008, John Wiley

M. Perlin, K. Gould, Cohen, H. Dlugacz & R. Friedman, Lawyering Skills in the Representation of Persons with Mental Disabilities,2006, Carolina Academic Press

H. A. Dlugacz & J. Y. Low, Liability Management and the Correctional Psychiatrist: A Review of Key Considerations, in Correctional Psychiatry: Practice Guidelines and Strategies (O. J. Thienhaus & M. Piasecki, Eds.) 2007, Civic Research Institute

H. A. Dlugacz, N. Broner & S. S. Lamon,A Continuum of Care for Adults with Mental Illness Leaving Jail & prison: A review of essential reentry elements, in Correctional Psychiatry: Practice Guidelines and Strategies (O. J. Thienhaus & M. Piasecki, Eds.) 2007, Civic Research Institute

H. A. Dlugacz & E. Roskes, Clinically Oriented Reentry Planning in Correctional Settings, in Handbook of Correctional Mental Health (C. L. Scott & J. B. Gerbasi, Eds. (2d Ed.)) 2009, American Psychiatric Publishing

E. Roskes, C. Cooksey,S.Lipford & H.A. Dlugacz, The Criminal Justice System & Offenders Placed in an Outpatient Setting,in Handbook of Correctional Mental Health (C. L. Scott & J. B. Gerbasi, Eds. (2d Ed.)) 2009, American Psychiatric Publishing

Special Editor, New York State Bar Association Health Law Journal, Special Issue on Mental Health, Spring 2006

Representative Professional Activities:

Coleman vs. Schwarzenegger, 912 F. Supp. 1282 (E.D. Cal. 1995), United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, Expert member of special master's monitoring panel in remedial phase of class-action lawsuit involving mental health care for entire State of California correctional system (2007-present)

Brad H. et al.v. City of New York et al., 117882/99, Supreme Court, State of New York, One of two Court-appointed Compliance Monitors in remedial phase of class action lawsuit involving reentry planning for inmates with mental illness discharged from New York City Correctional system (2003-present)

Bravo et al. v. Board of County Commissioners for the County of Dona Ana et al., No. 08-CV-10 Untied States District Court for the District of New Mexico, Expert consultant for plaintiffs in class-action lawsuit alleging constitutional and statutory violations related to jail-based mental health care and reentry practices (2007-2010)

Hadix v. Caruso, No. 4:92-CV-00110-RAE, United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Consultant to the Office of the Independent Medical Monitor, Monitoring of mental health aspects of remedial phase of class action lawsuit involving portions of Michigan's correctional system (2007-2009)

Pierce County et al v. State of Washington et al 03-2-00918-8, Superior Court, Thurston County, Washington State, Successfully co-mediated settlement of complex class action lawsuit with multiple public and private parties involving funding, discharge planning, and community mental health treatment issues (2005-2006)

Rust et al. v. Western State Hospital et al., C00-5749, United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, Lead expert for plaintiff class and one of two Court-appointed monitors in remedial phase of class-action litigation involving Washington State's forensic hospital (2001-2005)

Duran et al v. King et al., 77-721, United States District Court for the District of New Mexico. Lead Court-appointed expert and mediator in remedial phase of mental health portions of class action litigation involving entire New Mexico prison system. Successfully co-mediated termination of case (1993-2000)

European Court of Human Rights/ Mental Disability Advocacy Center/ Council of Europe, Strasbourg, France, Expert Trainer (2005)

New York Law School, Under grant from U.S. Department of State co-developed and taught course for Nicaraguan judges, lawyers, physicians and advocates (2003-2004)

PricewaterhouseCoopers, Expert inspector of correctional facilities, contract with Department of Justice, Marshall Service and Immigration and Naturalization Service (2001-2002)

Council of State Governments, Expert consultant to Consensus Project Correctional workgroup (2001-2002)

Mental Disabilities Rights International, Expert Consultant, Inspected facilities for developmentally disabled in Mexico; provided training (2001)

Saint Vincent's Hospital Correctional Health Program, Director of Mental Health Services, New York Directed and developed all aspects of multi-site accredited correctional mental health program (1988-1997)