Advocacy Resources and Information
For Children And Families In Care With Child Mental Health Services
State Mental Health Agencies
For more information about admission, care, treatment, release, and patient follow-up in public or private psychiatric residential facilities, contact your State mental health agencies:
- For Children Services:
- Division of Child Mental Health Services Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families
1825 Faulkland Road
Wilmington, DE 19805
Phone: 302-633-2573 Fax: 302-633-2614
Website:http://kids.delaware.gov/cmhs/cmhs.shtml
- For Adult Services:
- Division of Alcoholism, Drug Abuse and Mental Health
Department of Health and Social Services
1901 North Dupont Highway
New Castle, DE 19720
Phone: 302-577-4460 Fax: 302-577-4484
Website:http://www.state.de.us/dhss/
Each of the following organizations has complaint processes in place and can provide information to families about how to make a complaint about services through the state agency system.
State Protection and Advocacy Agency
Each State has a protection and advocacy agency that receives funding from the Federal Center for Mental Health Services. Agencies are mandated to protect and advocate for the rights of people with mental illnesses and to investigate reports of abuse and neglect in facilities that care for or treat individuals with mental illnesses. These facilities, which may be public or private, include hospitals, nursing homes, community facilities, board and care homes, homeless shelters, jails, and prisons. Agencies provide advocacy services or conduct investigations to address issues that arise during transportation or admission to such facilities, during residency in them, or within 90 days after discharge from them.
- Delaware
- Brian J. Hartman, Director
Disabilities Law Program
913 Washington Street, Wilmington, DE 19801
Phone: 302-575-0660 Fax: 302-575-0840
Advocacy Organizations
Statewide consumer organizations are run by and for consumers of mental health services and promote consumer empowerment. These organizations provide information about mental health and other support services at the State level and are active in addressing and advocating for mental health system issues. For information about consumer activities in your area, contact:
- Mental Health Association Information Centers
- The National Mental Health Association maintains a referral and information center and can help you locate local chapters. These local groups have information about community services and act as advocates for people unable to represent themselves.
|
|
|
|
- The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
- NAMI maintains a help line for information on mental illnesses and referrals to local groups. The local self-help groups have support and advocacy components and offer education and information about community services for families and individuals. For information about the Alliance’s affiliates and activities in your State, contact:
|
|
|
|
- The Parent Information Center of Delaware
- Information Center of Delaware, Inc. is a private, non profit organization funded by the U.S. and Delaware Departments of Education, State of Delaware and private and corporate gifts. PIC provides: Education Advocacy Training for parents of children with disabilities, information on special education laws and processes, information on the rights and entitlements of persons with disabilities and disability awareness training for schools and communities. In addition, PIC sponsors a Parent-to-Parent Support program with support group meetings to help families cope with a disability in the family. PIC sponsors a statewide conference each year which focuses on issues and topics of interest to families of children with disabilities.
|
|
|
|
- Medicaid clients and their families may contact the following for advocacy assistance and information:
- Delaware Medicaid Consumer Hotline: 1-800-372-2022
Health Benefits Manager: 1-800-996-9969
Other Sources of Mental Health Information
There are many sources of information that you can tap. Your area mental health authorities which is generally a part of the local government, may be useful. Other branches of your city or county government also may be able to help. For example, the education office might have information about help for children, and the agency for the aging might know about services for senior citizens. In addition, you family physician or area hospital may be able to make referrals. For legal advice, contact you local bar association. Also, your local library and telephone yellow pages may have resources lists for sources of help in your community.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Mental Health Services maintains a very informative website.
The National Institute of Mental Health also may have information of interest.
The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law maintains a "Children’s Issues" section on their website which contains information which is of interests to children and their families.
The Child Mental Health Services, Delaware Children’s Department, State of Delaware website has information and links to sites of interest in this topic area.
