Important Bulletins:
In Arizona:

Advocates for the Disabled, Inc
AFD Services: "Expedite requests for benefits. Educate clients on the disabilities benefits system and use of benefits.  Provide clients money guidance services
through the Representative Payee Program.  Serve as a community resource for information on the disability system.  Help people move from government
benefits to financial independence.  Endorse public changes that help persons become self-reliant."
www.advocatesforthedisabled.org

Arizona Center for Disability Law
"The Arizona Center for Disability Law is a not for profit public interest law firm, dedicated to protecting the rights of individuals with a wide range of physical,
mental, psychiatric, sensory and cognitive disabilities. " This group provides free legal services.  They provide information on legal rights, represent individuals in
negotiations or in administrative proceedings and court, investigate abuse and neglect, provide outreach and training on legal rights and self-advocacy, bring
impact litigation to remedy systemic problems, and provide technical assistance to groups and individuals on disability-related legal issues.
www.acdl.com

Arizona Disability Advocacy Coalition
"AzDAC is a coalition of disability organizations from around the state of Arizona."
www.azdisabilityadvocacy.org/

Arizona Fair Housing Center
"The AFHC focuses on eliminating housing discrimination based on federal, state and local fair housing laws."
www.azfairhousing.org/

Arizona Ombudsman Citizen's Aide
"Making government more responsive to the people of Arizona - - that's what the Arizona Ombudsman - Citizens' Aide is all about. If you feel you have been
treated unfairly by a state administrator, if you find yourself in a disagreement or dispute with a state agency, department, board or commission, or if you have
disputes with local government agencies regarding public access laws, you can turn to the Ombudsman – Citizens’ Aide."
www.azleg.gov/ombudsman/default.asp

Community Legal Services
"Community Legal Services provides high quality civil legal services to applicants whose income is near poverty level."
www.azlawhelp.org/resourceprofile.cfm?id=18

NAMI Arizona
Legislative advocacy.
www.namiaz.org

Office of Human Rights: Department of Behavioral Health Services: Bureau of Consumer Rights
"The Bureau of Consumer Rights is responsible for assisting consumers in protecting their rights with respect to receiving behavioral health services.  The
Bureau of Consumer Rights consists of the following offices:  Customer Service, the Office of Grievance and Appeals (OGA), the Office of Human Rights
(OHR), and the Human Rights Committees' Coordinator (HRC)."
www.azdhs.gov/bhs/bcr.htm

Protection and Advocacy Organization - Arizona
Arizona's P&A is the Arizona Center for Disability Law.
http://www.ndrn.org/aboutus/states/arizona.htm

Volunteer Lawyer Program
"In order to bring hope and justice to those who are less fortunate, the Volunteer Lawyers Program matches attorneys who wish to do pro bono work with low
income clients in need of civil legal assistance.  Every year, the 1,100 attorneys and law students who volunteer through the  VLP give the generous gift of time,
service, and expertise to thousands of Arizonans who would not otherwise have access to justice."
www.vlparizona.org/

Superior Court of Arizona: Mental Health Court
"In recent years, the Probate and Mental Health Department of the Court has made significant strides and improvements in its quality, efficiency and monitoring
capabilities to better serve and protect people unable to care for themselves, including the elderly, minors, mentally ill and wards of the court."
www.superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/SuperiorCourt/ProbateAndMentalHealth/index.asp

Nationally:

American Bar Association: Commission on Mental  and Physical Disability Law
"The Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law's (CMPDL) mission is 'to promote the ABA's commitment to justice and the rule of law for persons with
mental, physical, and sensory disabilities and to promote their full and equal participation in the legal profession."
www.abanet.org/disability/

American Bar Association: Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service
"The ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service is the national source of information, resources and assistance to support, facilitate, and expand
the delivery of pro bono legal assistance. The Standing Committee and its project, the Center for Pro Bono, encourage lawyers to do pro bono work and help
them connect with opportunities that meet their needs. Our programs, projects and services help pro bono programs, advocates and policymakers address the
legal needs of the poor."
www.abanet.org/legalservices/probono/

Americans with Disabilities Act Document Center
www.jan.wvu.edu/links/adalinks.htm

Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
"For three decades, the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law has been the nation's leading legal advocate for people with mental disabilities."
www.bazelon.org

Campaign for Mental Health Reform
"The Campaign for Mental Health Reform is a collaboration of 17 national health organizations, representing millions of Americans, dedicated to making mental
health a national priority and early access, recovery and quality in mental health services the hallmarks of our nation’s mental health system."
www.mhreform.org/

Center for Health Care Strategies
"The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) is a nonprofit health policy resource center dedicated to improving the quality and cost effectiveness of health
care services for low-income populations and people with chronic illnesses and disabilities. We work directly with states and federal agencies, health plans, and
providers to develop innovative programs that better serve people with complex and high-cost health care needs."
www.chcs.org/

Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities
"The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities is a coalition of approximately 100 national disability organizations working together to advocate for national public
policy that ensures the self determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society."
www.c-c-d.org/

CMHS: Protection and Advocacy
mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cmhs/p&a/

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)
"The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, founded in 1979, is a leading national civil rights law and policy center directed by individuals with disabilities
and parents who have children with disabilities."
www.dredf.org/

Freedom from Fear
A national non-profit mental illness advocacy organization.  It is an anxiety and depression resource organization since 1984.
www.freedomfromfear.org

Iowa College of Law:  Law, Health Policy and Disability Center
"The Law, Health Policy, and Disability Center is an emerging leader in law, technology, education and research. We are focused on improving the quality of life
for persons living with disabilities. Based at the University of Iowa College of Law, with offices in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere, the center concentrates on
public policy and its impact on persons with disabilities, with an emphasis on employment, self-determination and self-sufficiency."
disability.law.uiowa.edu/

MacArthur Research Network on Mental Health and the Law
"The goal of the Research Network on Mental Health and the Law is to build the empirical foundation for the next generation of mental health laws -- laws that
will assure the rights and the safety of individuals and of society. The Network has two overriding mandates: to develop new knowledge about the relationships
between mental health and the law, and to turn that understanding into improved tools and criteria for evaluating individuals and making decisions that affect their
lives."
macarthur.virginia.edu/mentalhome.html

Mental Health Advocacy Coalition
"The Mental Health Advocacy Coalition fosters education and awareness of mental health issues while advocating for public policies and strategies that provide
an effective, well-funded county mental health system that serves those in need, resulting in a stronger community."
www.mentalhealthadvocacy.org/about.html

Mental Health Advocacy Services
"Mental Health Advocacy Services, Inc. (MHAS) is a private, non-profit organization established in 1977 to provide free legal services to people with mental and
developmental disabilities. MHAS is sponsored by the Los Angeles County and Beverly Hills Bar Associations and the Mental Health Association in California.
MHAS assists both children and adults, with an emphasis on obtaining government benefits and services, protecting rights, and fighting discrimination. MHAS
also serves as a resource to the community by providing training and technical assistance to attorneys, mental health professionals, consumer and family
member groups, and other advocates. In addition, MHAS participates in impact litigation in an effort to improve the lives of people with mental and developmental
disabilities."
www.mhas-la.org/

Mental Health Matters: Advocacy
http://www.mental-health-matters.com/advocacy/

NAMI: Legal Support
www.nami.org/template.cfm?section=legal_support

NAMI: Legislation Action Center
capwiz.com/nami/home/

National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy
"Every day, behind closed doors, human rights violations are occurring on a regular basis - and Americans don't know about it. America's mental health system
is still the shame of the nation. NARPA, the National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy, works to expose abuse and to shed light on coercive and
dangerous practices. NARPA is an independent organization, solely supported by its members. It is a unique mix of people who've survived psychiatric
intervention, advocates, civil rights activists, mental health workers, and lawyers. NARPA exists to to protect people’s right to choice and to be free from
coercion, and to promote alternatives so that the right to choice can be meaningful."
www.narpa.org/

National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice
"The National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice was established in July 2001 to assist the field in developing improved policies and programs for
youth with mental health disorders in contact with the juvenile justice system, based on the best available research and practice. The Center, which is operated
by Policy Research, Inc. in Delmar, NY in partnership with the Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators (CJCA), is supported by a grant from the John D.
and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and operates current projects with funding from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and
the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The Center aims at providing a centralized national focal point that pulls together
and links the various activities and research that are currently underway, maximizing the awareness and usefulness of new products and learnings, and using
the best available knowledge to guide practice and policy."
www.ncmhjj.com/

National Consumer Law Center
"The National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) is the nation’s consumer law expert, helping consumers, their advocates, and public policy makers use powerful
and complex consumer laws on behalf of low-income and vulnerable Americans seeking economic justice."
www.consumerlaw.org/

National Consumer Supporter Technical Assistance Center
"Our purpose is to strengthen consumer organizations by providing technical assistance in the form of research, informational materials, and financial aid."
www.ncstac.org/

National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
"The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) association representing 1,300 organizations providing treatment and
rehabilitation to help people recover from mental illnesses and addiction disorders... Our job is to help members do their jobs. We advocate for policies that
ensure that people who are ill can access services. And we offer state-of-the-science education and practice improvement resources so that services are
efficient and effective."
www.thenationalcouncil.org/

National Council on Disability
www.ncd.gov/

National Disability Rights Network (NDRN)
"The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) is the nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and
Client Assistance Programs (CAP) for individuals with disabilities. Collectively, the P&A/CAP network is the largest provider of legally based advocacy services
to people with disabilities in the United States."
www.ndrn.org/aboutus/

National Empowerment Center
www.power2u.org/

National Health Law Program
"The National Health Law Program is a national public interest law firm that seeks to improve health care for America's working and unemployed poor, minorities,
the elderly and people with disabilities. NHeLP serves legal services programs, community-based organizations, the private bar, providers and individuals who
work to preserve a health care safety net for the millions of uninsured or underinsured low-income people."
www.healthlaw.org/

National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse
"The National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse, the nation's first national consumer technical assistance center, has played a major role in the
development of the mental health consumer movement. The consumer movement strives for dignity, respect, and opportunity for those with mental illnesses.
Consumers--those who receive or have received mental health services--continue to reject the label of 'those who cannot help themselves.'"
www.mhselfhelp.org/

Treatment Advocacy Center
"The Treatment Advocacy Center is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating barriers to the timely and effective treatment of severe mental
illnesses. TAC promotes laws, policies, and practices for the delivery of psychiatric care and supports the development of innovative treatments for and
research into the causes of severe and persistent psychiatric illnesses, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder."
www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/

U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission
www.eeoc.gov/
Advocacy and/or Legal
Below are links to news for affiliates that publish their news online.  If you would like to learn of news at an affiliate
where there is no link or if you desire to learn more about the news you discover on an affiliates' news site, please
contact that affiliate; contact information available at the
NAMI Arizona's Local Affiliates page.
NAMI Arizona has attempted to gather together a list of helpful links for its website.  NAMI Arizona does not endorse
any site, service,  company, or organization.  NAMI Arizona is not responsible for any information provided by these
links.  Please see
disclaimer.  If you have a suggestion for an additional link, please contact us.
Helpful Links: Advocacy and/or Legal
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Below is a list of organizations  that provide legal and/or advocacy services both
in Arizona and nationally.  The list includes the organization's title, followed by a
brief description of the organization and/or their services.  The list also includes
links to the organizations' websites.

NAMI Arizona does not endorse any site, service,  company, or organization.  
NAMI Arizona is not responsible for any information provided by these links.  
Please see
disclaimer.  

If you have a suggestion for an additional link, please
contact us.  Please also
contact us if any information is out-of-date or a link is broken.
Advocacy and/or Legal helpful links: