Disability Rights Vermont Inc

Protection and advocacy for individuals with mental illness program protects and advocates for the rights of indiviuals with mental illness and investigaes incidents of abuse and neglect of individuals with mental illness if the incidents are reported to the system or if there is probable cause to believe that the incidents occurred. The organization worked on 188 individual cases for 159 clients. Of cases not withdrawn by client or found to be without merit 82% were resolved favorably for the client. There were a total of 644 information and referral requests.

Protection and advocacy of individual rights program serves to assist in the establishmenet of systems for the protection and advocacy for the rights of individuals with disabilities that are beyond the scope of the prior mentioned programs. There were 123 individuals served under this program and a total of 281 information and referral requests. Of cases not withdrawn by the client or found to be without merit 73% were resolved favorably for the client.

Other program services include technology related assistance to individuals with disabilities, work to encourage participation in the electoral process by people with disabilities, and the provision of information and referral services regarding traumatic brain injury services for providers and consumers. In addition the organization provides information and advice about social security work incentives, and supports and advocates for disabled children and adults who have suffered physical, sexual, financial or emotional harm as a result of the commission of a crime. This assistance is available to victims or survivors of domestic, sexual, dating, stalking, and elder abuse as well as of financial exploitation. The vermont communicatio support project (vcsp) recruits, trains and certifies communication support specialists who can assisst people with disabilities in court, administrative hearings, and related meetings. The accomodations that are offered by a communication support specialist support communication in order to overcome barriers to effective communication caused by disability. The vcsp is the first program of its kind in the nation and offers people with disabilities equal access to the justice system and state services.