Welcome to ADAP

The Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program (ADAP) is part of the nationwide federally mandated protection and advocacy (P&A) system. ADAP's mission is to provide quality, legally based advocacy services to Alabamians with disabilities in order to protect, promote and expand their rights. ADAP's vision is one of a society where persons with disabilities are valued and exercise self-determination through meaningful choices, and have equality of opportunity.

Trainings

Medicaid Waiver Training - ADAP will hold a workshop on Alabama's Medicaid waivers on June 8, 2012 from 1- 3:30 pm. at UCP in Birmingham. The training is free but you must pre-register.On a first come basis, limited funds are available to assist with travel expenses for family members or consumers who want to attend. To register, click here or contact Anita Davidson at 205-348-5107 or email akdavidson@adap.ua.edu.This training is underwritten by a grant from the Alabama Council for Developmental Disabilities.

Work Supports for Older Youth - The Social Security Administration (SSA) is hosting a webinar on Wednesday, May 23 for young adults who are preparing to enter the workforce. The webinar will review the Ticket to Work and Work Incentive basics and offer information on special supports for young adults. SSA experts will explain the benefits of the student earned income exclusion and dispel myths about working while receiving disability benefits. The 90-minute webinar will start at 2 PM Central.  You must register ahead of time. Click here to register or by calling 1-866-968-7842 (V) or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY/TDD).

RAISING THE STANDARDS - Improving Outcomes for Children with Disabilities Parents and Teachers Together - June 15, 2012 Registration 7:30am, Sessions 8:30am to 3:00pm

Alabama Parent Education Center's PTI project is hosting a statewide conference for families of children with disabilities, educators, and professionals working with families.Conference sessions are designed to give participants increased knowledge and understanding of:Alabama's Special Education System and Services, Standards Based Education and the New Common Core Standards, Legal Trends and Issues in Special Education.

Sessions will be transmitted live via video conferencing at 4 Alabama locations:
Madison City Schools- Central Office, Board Room, Mobile County Board of Education-Board Room, Auburn University at Montgomery-Goodwyn Hall Rm 115, Glenwood Autism Center- Harper Chapel.

For More Information
www.alabamaparentcenter.com

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Save the Date!
Alabama Family Ties
11th Annual Family Conference
June 22-23, 2012
Shocco Springs, Alabama
Tracks include: Family, Youth, Leadership and Youth Activity
For additional information, click here

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"What's Next?" Transition Training was completed on March 6, 2012. To access the"What's Next" training materials, click here. These trainings were sponsored by ADAP, Family Voices of Alabama and Children's Rehabilitation Services (CRS) with grant support from the Alabama Council for Developmental Disabilities.

 

Partlow News

The W.D. Partlow Developmental Center, which was home for thousands of intellectually disabled residents, closed December 28, 2011 after 88 years in operation in Tuscaloosa. For complete story, click here.

ADAP is monitoring the transition of all Partlow residents as they move into the community.You can view the forms that ADAP will be using in this monitoring.There are two protocols: one for residents and one for community program staff. Click here to see a copy of the Community Monitoring Interview form, Staff Interview form or Staff Specific Client Interview form.

Close Partlow Rally
To view the photographs from the "Close Partlow Rally" in Montgomery on March 22 in, please visit and become a Facebook friend to "Alabama Disabilities"

ADD/NDRN Community Monitoring Project ( THE LONG WAY HOME), February - September 2011,click here

ADAP Advocacy News

Governor Bentley Details Long-Term Plan for Alabama Department of Mental Health On April 6, 2012 Governor Robert Bentley detailed long-range plans for the treatment of patients within the Alabama Department of Mental Health.The Governor was joined by Mental Health Commissioner Zelia Baug. To read more, click here.

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ADAP E-News is now available to you! We will be publishing a new issue monthly. If you are not on our mail list and would like to receive a copy, please click here, or call our office at 1-205-348-4928.

  • April 12, 2012 - Governor Bentley Details Long-Term Plan for Alabama Department of Mental Health, Stakeholders & Public Officials Joined Governor Bentley at Proclamation signing in Montgomery, Rembering the "Right To Treatment"The American Journal of Psychiatry, Report Finds Government Dollars Used to Degregate and Exploit Workers with Disabilities, List of Training's around the state,read more
  • March 22 - Stakeholders & Public Officials Join Governor Bentley at Proclamation Signing Hour for Ricky Wyatt Day in Alabama, Does your group need a training?, Medicaid Road Show, Anti-Bullying Summit , Alabama Parent Education Center (APEC) , read more

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Remembering the "Right to Treatment" The American Journal of Psychiatry, April, 2012 When I read about the recent passing of Ricky Wyatt, I felt a sense of grief and a need to reflect on the news. Mr. Wyatt was a state hospital patient in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who in 1970 became the lead plaintiff in Wyatt v. Stickney, one of several landmark "right to treatment" federal lawsuits, in which state hospital patients, for the first time in history, joined together as a class and turned to our legal system to protest their inhumane treatment. Though I never met Mr. Wyatt, my own history is intertwined with him, as my father, the late Dr. Morton Birnbaum, served as his legal co-counsel in the Wyatt case. We can pay tribute to the state hospital patients of the past by remembering the legal battle to improve their standard of care. To read more, click here.

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Polling Place Accessibility Checklist - ADAP and the League of Women Voters of Alabama have partnered to create a one-page survey that can be used to access polling locations for common barriers to accessibility. The  survey is based upon federal accessibility standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act and voting system standards under the Help America Vote Act. The survey may be printed and mailed directly to ADAP. Click here, for a copy of the Checklist.

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New Study Urges Closure of  Alabama's Juvenile Girls Facilities - In a just-released report, two national juvenile justice experts concluded that delinquent girls committed to facilities run by the Department of Youth Services (DYS) would fare better in their own communities where they could receive more targeted and individualized rehabilitative services. The study reveals that these girls are low-risk, high-needs youth who have endured multiple traumas in their lives - including sexual and/or physical abuse, family disruptions, domestic violence, and school failure. Many of the girls studied by the experts had experienced repeated psychiatric hospitalizations. The study recommends closing two DYS facilities and creating alternative programs that emphasize trauma-informed systems of care that bring together families and community supports while, at the same time, keeping communities safe.  The report was underwritten with support by ADAP, the Center for Public Representation (www.centerforpublicrep.org) and the Southern Poverty Law Center ( www.splcenter.org) under a generous grant from the Public Welfare Foundation, an organization dedicated to ensuring fundamental rights and opportunities for people in need (www.publicwelfare.org). 

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Advocacy Priorities - ADAP has developed its advocacy priorities for the 2012-2014 fiscal years. These priorities were identified after reviewing months of public comment received through surveys, focus groups and meetings.ADAP welcomes your ongoing input into the work we do.To share your ideas, click here.

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Medicaid Waivers - To learn how to apply for a Medicaid waiver for persons with intellectual disabilities, click here