Advocacy
RLC programs will partner with other DMH vendors and social service providers and funders in the DMH Site or Area that we serve to advocate for, develop and implement recovery-oriented policies and practices. Advocacy that is supported by a majority of peers affiliated with the RLC, and directed at the health and well being of peers will support systems transformation in each area, whether or not those systems or providers agree with it.
Resources:
Parents Peers Survey Link
Social Security Administration
Project Impact: Statewide Employment Services and MA Rehabilitation Commission
BenePLAN: Center for Health Policy and Research, UMass Medical School
Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS) (1-800-297-4291)
Ticket to Work (TTW) Program Manager
Benefits Management Software
MA Rehabilitation Commission (MRC)
The Transition to Adulthood Program (TAP)
MA Commission for the Blind (MCB)
Book Review About Rights and a Hospital Stay
Independent Living Centers
MA Rehabilitation Commission
MA Statewide Independent Living Coucil
Legal and Advocacy Organizations
Disability Law Center (DLC)
Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS)
MA Law Reform Institute (MLRI)
Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN)
MA Office on Disability (MOD)
Free Legal Help
Americans with Disabilities Act Document Center
Copies of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), ADA regulations, and technical assistance documents are available here.
Federal Laws Prohibiting Job Discrimination 
this information provided by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission details the protective laws that currently address employment issues. The commission interprets laws and sponsors outreach and Fair Employment Practice Agencies.
From Privileges to Rights: People Labeled with Psychiatric Disabilities Speak for Themselves 
this site contains report from the National Council on Disability that recommends self-determination, dignity, and choice as the cornerstone of public policy for people with psychiatric disabilities. It is based on testimonies of people with psychiatric disabilities at an NCD hearing in 1998.
Hands Net
a national, nonprofit promoting information sharing, cross-sector collaboration, and advocacy among individuals and organizations working on a broad range of public interest issues.
How to Help: When a Person with Mental Illness is Arrested
This handbook, a joint project of the National Alliance for the Mental Ill and the Urban Justice Center Mental Health Project, is designed for anyone concerned about a person with mental illness who is involved in the criminal justice system. Very often when mental health consumers get in trouble with the law; it is a direct result of psychiatric symptoms.
Legal Information Institute
The Legal Information Institute provides links to recent Supreme Court decisions and historic rulings.
Mental-Health-Matters.com: Advocacy and Activism Organizations
this web site provides a list of links to organizations that specialize in the advocacy and protection of people with mental health problems.
Metanoia
Metanoia is an advocacy initiative dedicated to breaking down barriers that keep people from getting good mental health help.
NAMI's: Seclusion and Restraints
this page is a part of the National Alliance on Mental Illness's web site. It explains Federal protections enacted to combat the seclusion and restraint of mental health patients, NAMI's position on these protections, and advice for what you should do if you experience seclusion and restraint in a mental health services setting.
National Empowerment Center (NEC)
The National Empowerment Center is an independent group including survivors of mental institutions, advocates, civil rights activists, mental health workers, and lawyers. It exposes abuse and promotes alternatives to the mental health system.
National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse
The National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse is a consumer-run resource center specializing in self-help and advocacy.
A Guide to Disability Civil Rights Law 
This guide, prepared by the National Council on Disability and the National Urban League, provides a summary of federal civil rights laws that ensure equal opportunity for people with disabilities. The original source for this information is the U.S. Department of Justice.
