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.

NH Mental Health System in Crisis The US Department of Justice conducted an investigation of NH's mental health system and found systemic failure in the state's provision of services to people with mental illness.

December 2010: DRC Investigation into the death of a client of Riverbend Community Mental Health Center

Information about your rights from the DRC

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.

The State Health Authority Yardstick (SHAY) was designed by a group of mental health researchers and implementers who were interested in assessing the facilitating conditions for the adoption of Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) created by the state’s (mental) health authority.

State Health Authority Yardstick (SHAY) Report: Evaluation of Illness Management and Recovery Evidence-Based Practice in NH

Winter 2005: Mental Health Care in the Granite State, accessible PDF Version

Join our PAIMI Advisory Committee

Obligation of facilities to report to the DRC concerning resident deaths

Questions and answers about involuntary commitment

Family Law and Mental Health resources

• 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: 12/12/11

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
• 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
• The Center for Mental Health in Schools
• Community Mental Health Centers in NH
• DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)
• 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
  • MHA Centers for Technical Assistance
• National Association of Rights Protection and Advocacy
• New Hampshire Alliance on Mental Illness
• NAMI - "The Nation's Voice on Mental Illness"
• 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 Community Behavioral Health Association
• 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
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services
• Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
• Living Well with a Psychiatric Disability in Work and School, the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation