Disabilities Rights Center

The DRC is working toward increased empowerment and choice for individuals with mental health issues and improving the adequacy of children's mental health services in schools and in the community.

The Disabilities RightsCenter provides information, advice, referrals, or representation to individuals with significant mental illness or emotional impairments who reside in institutions or live in the community. The DRC investigates matters of abuse and neglect and other complaints within institutions, and works with individuals to ensure appropriate access to mental health services.

The DRC is authorized to access clients and records for the purpose of conducting independent investigations to redress and prevent abuse, neglect and rights violations in public and private facilities such as hospitals, schools, board and care homes; supervised or semi-independent apartments, halfway houses, or other community group residences; foster care homes; nursing homes; prison forensic units; homeless shelters; jails, correction and detention facilities; interim care facilities; general hospitals, etc.

Under the the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness Act (PAIMI), State P&A systems are also authorized to access public and private residential facilities, residents and resident records while investigating reports of abuse, particularly incidents involving the inappropriate use of seclusion and restraint, neglect, and civil rights violations in these facilities, and related fatalities, that either provide care or treatment to these individuals.

Brochures about your rights from the DRC

Join our PAIMI Advisory Committee

Obligation of facilities to report to the DRC concerning resident deaths

Questions and answers about involuntary commitment

Coalition for Family Law and Mental Health
DRC, as part of a coalition with private and public agencies, lawyers and consumers is addressing discrimination against persons with mental illness in family law matters e.g. child custody and visitation. Activities include: training of lawyers, guardian ad litems, judges, and mental health practitioners; creating system change through legislation, and designing a direct service model in which consumers can obtain representation in family matters, and developing and disseminating an objective (bias free) parental assessment tool to be used in judicial proceedings.

• Pointers for Legal Professionals Regarding Family Law Issues and Parents with Physical or Mental Illness (pdf)

• Best Practice Standards for Adequate Assessment of Parenting Competency (pdf)

Last updated: 5/2/08

The Law: Statutes, Regulations:

• In the Matter of B.T., NH Supreme Court decision concerning standard for involuntary commitment. Issued 2-15-2006
• RSA 135:C: New Hampshire Mental Health Services System
• 11-04: Changes to rules concerning service planning at Community Mental Health Centers
• He-M Rules for Services for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities
• The NH Board of Mental Health Practice has posted on its website:
  • Mhp 502.02 Mental Health Bill of Rights
• RSA 330:A, Mental Health Practice

Other Resources:

• Affording Mental Health Care, from Health Care Coach.com
• The Center for Reintegration
• American College of Mental Health Administration
• The Center for Mental Health in Schools
• Community Mental Health Centers in NH
• DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)
• Evidence-Based Practices: Information and resources
• Facing Us Clubhouse, from The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)
• Fast Facts on Psychiatric Disabilities and Employment, from Worksupport.com
• Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health
• Mary Ellen Copeland's website on mental health recovery self-help strategies
• Mental Health America (formerly National Mental Health Association)
• National Association of Rights Protection and Advocacy
• New Hampshire Alliance on Mental Illness
• NAMI - "The Nation's Voice on Mental Illness"
• National Consumer Supporter Technical Assistance Center, providing technical assistance to mental health consumers throughout the country
• National Empowerment Center
• National Institute of Mental Health
• National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse
• National Working Group on Evidence-Based Health Care
• National Research and Training Center on Psychiatric Disability: a good resource on Self-Directed Care
• National Resource Center on Psychiatric Advance Directives
• NH Mental Health Commission Report: Fulfilling the Promise: Transforming NH's Mental Health System
• History of Consumer-Operated Services in the United States, from HSRI. This also has many good links to resources for consumer operated services
• Peer Support Programs in NH (from DHHS)
• Restraint and seclusion information
• UPenn Collaborative on Community Integration - the RRTC on community integration of individuals with psychiatric disabilities
• STAR Center: Support Technical Assistance Resource Center. To enhance self-help in diverse communities to promote recovery
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services
  • SAMHSA's National Mental Health Information Center
• Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
• Handling Your Psychiatric Disability in Work and School, the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation