Protection & Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness

PROTECTION & ADVOCACY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH

MENTAL ILLNESS

Contents

People We Serve
PAIMI Priorities
Facilties Covered
Other PAIMI Services
Know Your Rights!
How To Contact ULS-PAIMI

The Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) program was established by Congress in 1986. The purpose of PAIMI is:

To protect and advocate the rights of persons with mental illness
To investigate reports of abuse and neglect of persons with mental illness
To maintain and operate a protection and advocacy system in the District of Columbia for persons with mental illness

People We Serve

The Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness staff serves individuals who meet all of the following criteria:

Persons who have a significant mental illness or emotional impairment as determined by a mental health professional
Are or were patients, residents, or clients of facilities providing 24-hour mental health care and treatment
Who, during his or her stay at the facility or within 90 days of discharge, request help for problems related to care and/or treatment

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PAIMI Priorities

The ULS-PAIMI staff is not authorized or able to represent everyone. Requests for assistance are assessed on a case-by-case basis using the following priorities:

Allegations of abuse and neglect
Rights protection issues
Information and referral

Facilities Covered

Private psychiatric hospitals
Foster care homes
Specialized foster care
Mental health group homes
Personal care homes
Nursing homes

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Other PAIMI Services

Provide public information and education about the rights of persons with mental illness
Monitor private and public psychiatric hospitals and facilities in the District of Columbia
Identify problems in the mental health services system and work to provide solutions through advocacy

Know Your Rights!

As an individual, you have the:

Right to appropriate treatment
Right to placement in the least restrictive environment
Right to participate in your own mental health program
Right to refuse treatment
Right to freedom from inappropriate restraint or seclusion
Right to a safe, healthful, and human environment in facilities
Right to confidentiality
Right to privacy
Right to appeal commitments
Right to assert grievances
Right to due process of law
Right to be free from physical, sexual, or verbal abuse

How To Contact ULS-PAIMI

To request ULS-PAIMI assistance for yourself or someone you know, call (202) 547-0198 or 1-877-221-4638, or e-mail us at advocacy@uls-dc.org . The office is located at 220 I Street, N.E., Suite 130, Washington, D.C. 20002.

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SATISFACTION

ULS-PAIMI makes every effort to provide effective rights-related advocacy for meritorious cases. However, if any individual is not satisfied with ULS-PAIMI's actions, he or she has the right to bring a complaint to the Executive Director of ULS. A copy of the agency's greivance policy is available. This policy tells what must be done to file a complaint.

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Last revised on January 28, 2007