ST. PAUL — A legislative auditor’s report says hundreds of people with mental illness in Minnesota are being kept in state-run psychiatric facilities for months or years after they are ready to leave.

The audit finds that failing to discharge patients or provide community housing options may violate patients’ rights — and likely puts the state at risk of lawsuits.

Auditors found top administrators at the Minnesota Department of Human Services failed to adequately manage programs for people with mental illness, chemical dependency and developmental disabilities.

The programs provide residential treatment for nearly 1,300 Minnesotans, ranging from group homes to the Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter.

Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson says her department agrees with the recommendations and has already begun implementing many of them.