Protection and Civil Rights
Subject Area 1: Abuse & Neglect
GOAL #2
Persons with disabilities have access to appropriate legal services, integrated and safe housing options, and social services necessary to prevent domestic violence and/or caretaker or service provider abuse or neglect.
Frequently Used Interventions
Case Level Interventions
Represent a limited number of persons with disabilities in legal and/or administrative proceedings to obtain protective orders or file criminal charges to ensure that non-disabled persons will not abuse or neglect them in the future.
Provide referrals for persons with disabilities to obtain appropriate pro bono legal representation and support services when AI is conflicted out of the case. (i.e., when the victim and perpetrator are both persons with disabilities).
Assist persons with disabilities to self advocate for and obtain accommodations in violence prevention shelters and modifications from service providers.
Policy Interventions
Conduct E&Ts for social service agencies and shelters concerning accessibility and accommodation requirements for persons with disabilities under state and federal law.
Outcome
Provide technical assistance and training to attorneys and DAs representing persons with disabilities in domestic violence or abuse/neglect cases concerning federal and state protections for persons with disabilities.
Develop pro bono attorney and service referral lists for individuals with disabilities who need to seek protection from other persons with disabilities.
File complaints with funding sources of service providers whose agents or representatives have engaged in abuse or neglect of persons with disabilities to ensure that in the future caretakers are properly screened, trained and supervised when dealing persons with disabilities.
Measures
Case Level Outcome Measures
Protective orders and criminal charges are entered or accepted on behalf of a majority of clients with disabilities that AI represented in legal or administrative proceedings to prevent future abuse or neglect.
A majority of AI clients report via client satisfaction survey or interview that domestic, service provider and/or caretaker violence, abuse or neglect has ceased.
A majority of the AI clients who were assisted with self advocacy strategies obtained the accommodations or modifications that they needed and/or were allowed to remain in non-restrictive, residential settings.
Policy Level Outcome Measures
AI evaluation tools demonstrate that attendees at E&Ts found the disability related information helpful.
AI evaluation tools demonstrate that attendees at E&Ts found the disability related information helpful and that AI's technical assistance was also helpful.
AI's referral list for pro attorneys and service providers who assist persons with disabilities who are victims of domestic violence or neglect are increased by 20%.
A majority of the complaints filed with funding source agencies resulted in improved screening, training, and supervisory practices by agencies employing caretakers for persons with disabilities, and in a decreased number complaints by persons with disabilities of caretaker abuse, neglect or violence.