LEGAL

Know Your Discharge Planning Rights From Massachusetts Licensed Psychiatric Units-1.20

The Legal Advocacy and Resource Center (LARC) has operated a free legal hotline in support of its mission to help low-income Massachusetts residents with legal problems by providing quality legal information and advice, and by making referrals to legal and social service agencies. LARC also completes intake screenings for Greater Boston Legal Services and the Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association, as well as, family law intake screenings for Community Legal Services And Counseling Center and limited intake screening for MetroWest Legal Services http://www.larcma.org/

LARC provides concrete legal information on a wide range of legal issues. We can, however, be most helpful to people calling about the following types of cases:

• Housing, including Evictions, Public Housing, Repairs, Foreclosure;
• Family Law, including Divorce, Child Support, Custody, Guardianship, Visitation, Restraining Orders;
• Public Benefits, including SSI, Social Security, Food Stamps, TAFDC;
• Employment Issues, including Unemployment Benefits, Wage and Hour Claims, Family Medical Leave Act questions;
• Consumer Issues, including Utilities, Bankruptcy and Debt Collection issues;
• CORI issues;
• Veterans.

We do not provide information about Criminal, Immigration, Personal Injury or Workers’ Compensation matters or about cases taking place outside of Massachusetts.  Our hotline number (for brief advice and referrals):  617-603-1700 or 1-800-342-LAWS. You can also apply for legal services online.

The Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association (VLP) provides free civil legal assistance to low-income residents of Greater Boston, primarily through the pro bono services of private attorneys. VLP makes access to justice possible for people who cannot afford a lawyer. http://www.vlpnet.org/

The Volunteer Lawyers Project serves clients living in the following cities and towns in Massachusetts: Acton, Arlington, Ashland, Bedford, Bellingham, Belmont, Boston, Braintree, Brookline, Cambridge, Canton, Carlisle, Chelsea, Cohasset, Concord, Dedham. Dover, Everett, Foxborough, Framingham, Franklin, Hingham, Holbrook, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Hull, Lexington, Lincoln, Malden, Marlborough, Maynard, Medfield, Medford, Medway, Melrose, Millis, Milton, Natick, Needham, Newton, Norfolk, Norwell, Norwood, Plainville, Quincy, Randolph, Revere, Scituate, Sharon, Sherborn, Somerville, Stoneham, Stow, Sudbury, Wakefield, Walpole, Waltham, Watertown, Wayland, Wellesley, Weston, Westwood, Weymouth, Winchester, Winthrop, Woburn, Wrentham.

VLP handles cases in the following areas: http://www.vlpnet.org/need-legal-help/

• Landlord/Tenant
  Homeownership
  Foreclosure Prevention
  Family Law
  Guardianship
  Probate (Wills & Estates)
  Bankruptcy
  Unemployment Insurance
  Masshealth (Medicaid) Prior Approval
  Criminal Record Sealing
  Consumer
  Assistance to Non-Profit Organizations

Mass. Housing Courts by County: http://www.mass.gov/courts/courtsandjudges/courts/housingcourt/index.html#county Frequently Asked Questions prepared by the Mass. Housing Court for Tenant/Landlord Disputes including Mediation as an option: http://www.mass.gov/courts/courtsandjudges/courts/housingcourt/housingquestions.html#19

Mental Health Legal Adisors Committee (MHLAC) created the DYS Project to provide legal information, advice, and representation to youth involved with the Department of Youth Services , as well as to their families, and advocates. The Project provides legal representation on civil matters to post-dispositional DYS-involved youth with a focus on access to quality mental health care and special education services for those confined or in the community. Intake Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Intake Phone Numbers : 617-338-2345 ext.20 or toll free 1-800-342-9092 ext. 20  http://www.mass.gov/mhlac/dys.html

Know your rights, from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA):
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/ken98-0051/default.asp

Massachusetts Network of Information Providers Fact Sheet, Legal Resources: http://www.disabilityinfo.org/MNIP/DB/FSL/FactSheet.aspx?id=95

The ADA is not the only federal law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities . Learn about other disability rights laws. http://www.ada.gov/cguide.htm

The Disability Law Lowdown Podcasts, provides information on disability laws and other subjects available to download and listen to, as well as podcast transcripts to read. Information covered includes the Americans with Disabilities Act , the Air Carrier Access Act , the Ticket to Work program, the Fair Housing Act and other laws and programs that support the rights and independence of people with disabilities . This information is also available in Spanish . Disability Law Lowdown ASL videos are on YouTube .
http://english.disabilitylawlowdown.com/showlist.php

ADA Information Line, talk to a U.S. Department of Justice ADA specialist in confidence or order DOJ publications. http://www.ada.gov/infoline.htm

The Housing Court Department has jurisdiction of the use of any real property and activities conducted thereon as such use affects the health, welfare, and safety of any resident, occupant, user or member of the general public and which is subject to regulation by local cities and towns under the state building code, state specialized codes, state sanitary code, and other applicable statutes and ordinances.
http://www.mass.gov/courts/courtsandjudges/courts/housingcourt/

Disability Rights Legal Center , provides legal information, direct representation and referrals for disability-related legal issues. Services are free to consumers, and training is available to businesses as well.
http://www.disabilityrightslegalcenter.org/

brochure_rogers_guardian (PDF) Authorizing the Use of Antipsychotic Medications, Questions and Answers

Your Rights Regarding Medication in Mass (Word)

The NAMI Legal Center provides lawyer referrals as a service to our members and the general public.  We require attorneys on our Lawyer Referral Panel to complete questionnaires regarding their specialties, fees, education and liability insurance.  Communications to the center remain confidential, as does our attorney information.  Are you interested in receiving a general lawyer referral (civil commitment, civil rights, criminal law, family law, health law, insurance, medical malpractice, SSI/SSDI)? Elder Law and Estate Planning Lawyer Referral Panel– Are you interested in obtaining information and/or representation related to Estate Planning for a loved one with mental illness? You may contact the NAMI Legal Center by email or by calling 800-950-6264.  Please furnish full name, address with zip code and telephone number to help us find legal aid in your area.

Dept. of Mental Health complaint form This Complaint Form was created by the Department of Mental Health (DMH) and may be downloaded from the table below and completed by anyone wanting to make a complaint about dangerous, illegal, and/or inhumane conditions or treatment experienced by a DMH client or anyone receiving services from a program or facility licensed or operated by DMH or contracted with DMH. For further action, please mail the completed Complaint Form to the following address:

Department of Mental Health
Central Office of Investigations
25 Staniford St., Boston, MA 02114

If you have any questions regarding this form, please call Cherylanne Mealhow, DMH Administrative Services Manager, at (617) 626-8108 or the DMH Central Office Information and Referral Specialist at 1-800-221-0053 (during regular business hours only, Monday through Friday, 8:45am – 5:00pm).

American Bar Association – Commission on Mental & Physical Disability Law, promotes the rule of law for persons with mental, physical and sensory disabilities and their full and equal participation in the legal profession. http://www.abanet.org/disability/

The Lawyers Clearinghouse provides pro bono legal services to nonprofit organizations,  groups seeking nonprofit status, and guests of area homeless shelters . We offer lawyers meaningful and rewarding pro bono opportunities. We also provide educational programs for nonprofit organizations and lawyers: http://www.lawyersclearinghouse.org/

2008 edition of Legal Tactics: Tenants’ Rights in Massachusetts . This handbook provides practical information about tenants’ rights in private housing—housing that is owned by an individual or a privately owned company. In each chapter, reference is made to sample letters and court forms. To get these forms see the list below or go to Self Help Forms where these same forms are organized by topic. If you live in public housing , go to the Public Housing section. You may also purchase Legal Tactics from Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education by calling 1-800-966-6253 :
http://www.masslegalhelp.org/housing/legal-tactics1

Student education records are official and confidential documents protected by one of the nation’s strongest privacy protection laws, theFamily Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). FERPA, also known as the Buckley Amendment. http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Family/School/privacy/Ferpa.pdf

Campus Mental Health: Know Your Rights! A guide for students who want to seek help for mental illness or emotional distress. Produced by the Leadership21 Committee of the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law. Chapters include: You are Not Alone, Seeking Help, Privacy, Academic Accomaodations, Discipline, Involuntary Leave of Absence, Going to a Psychiatric Hospital, Forced Medication, Resources: http://www.bazelon.org/l21/rightsguide.htm

Parenting & Child Custody Issues Toolkit for People with Behavioral Health Problems. The UPenn Collaborative on Community Integration has developed a free tool kit for parents with serious mental illnesses. Research indicates that mothers with serious mental illnesses are almost three times more likely than mothers without such illnesses to have been involved in the child welfare system or to have lost custody of their children. The tool kit helps parents who have lost custody or are at risk of losing custody of their children, helps parents in recovery from mental illnesses with parenting issues, and offers guidance for professionals as well. The tool kit, “Helping Behavioral Health Clients with Parenting & Child Custody Issues,” may be downloaded at:
http://www.upennrrtc.org/resources/view.php?tool_id=185

Mass. Trial Court Law Libraries, Forms etc. for grandparent visitation, healthcare proxy, etc.
http://www.lawlib.state.ma.us/subject/forms/formsf-l.html

Dial-A-Lawyer, free legal advice is available on the first Wednesday of each month. Attorneys volunteer at the MBA’s Boston headquarters by providing free, basic legal information by phone to callers from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. , to assist anyone and everyone, but particularly those who are not eligible for free legal services or cannot afford to hire a lawyer.
To use Dial-A-Lawyer, call (617) 338-0610:

Legal aid services throughout the state.
http://www.masslegalservices.org/perl/services.cgi

Know your rights, various brochures from the Mental Health Legal Advisory Committee (tenant rights, patient rights, DMH complaint process, etc.)

Criminal Records and Applying for a Job. Prepared by Western Massachusetts Legal Services With Assistance of a Grant from the Union Community Fund of the Pioneer Valley 7/2004  http://www.masslegalhelp.org/cori/applying-for-jobs

Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD):
http://www.mass.gov/mcad/

Disability Law Center (DLC) of Massachusetts . DLC is a private, non-profit organization responsible for providing protection and advocacy for the rights of Massachusetts residents with disabilities:
http://www.dlc-ma.org/

The Disability Law Center (DLC) has numerous legal publications and information resources available for download at the Disability Law Center Information Resources. The Resource Topics include: General, Accessibility, Benefits, Consumer, Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI), Education, Elder, Employment, Health, Housing http://www.dlc-ma.org/Resources/index.html

Center for Public Representation, dedicated to serving individuals with disabilities http://www.centerforpublicrep.org/our-organization/what-we-do

Massachusetts Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service:
http://www.massbar.org/public-and-community-services/need-a-lawyer

Prisoners’ Legal Services (formerly Massachusetts Correctional Legal Services), the office focuses on four issues: health and mental health care, guard-on-prisoner violence, physical conditions of confinement, and segregation and isolation, (they do not provide criminal defense services): http://www.mcls.net/

Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), Hotline in English and Spanish M-F 1:30-4:30pm , HIV related protections, Gay/Straight Alliances, transgender issues and helps with harassment: http://glad.org

American Bar Association, Lawyer Referral & Information Service, Massachusetts :
http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/lris/directory/main.cfm?id=MA

Parents, educators, advocates, and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities: http://www.wrightslaw.com/

Committee for Public Counsel (CPC), Mental Health Litigation Unit, provide trial and appellate representation to indigent persons against whom are filed petitions seeking commitment to public or private psychiatric facilities or judicial authorization to administer or terminate certain types of treatment (e.g., antipsychotic medication, aversive behavior modification, life-support mechanisms). The CPC also trains, and is available to assist, criminal defense attorneys in respect to mental health issues that arise in the criminal justice context (e.g., competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility).
http://www.publiccounsel.net/Practice_Areas/Mental_Health/civil_mental_health_index.html

Committee for Public Counsel (CPC), Children and Family Law (CAFL) Program provides legal representation to children and indigent parents in child welfare matters, including care and protection proceedings, children in need of services cases (CHINS), actions to terminate parental rights, state agency-sponsored guardianships, and any other child custody proceeding where the Department of Social Services (DSS) is a party or where the court is considering granting custody to DSS. In Massachusetts , both children and indigent parents have a right to representation by counsel in child welfare cases: http://www.publiccounsel.net/Practice_Areas/cafl_pages/civil_cafl_index.html

Find a lawyer in your area http://lawyers.findlaw.com/?DCMP=KWC-GOOGLAWYER0804;KWC-GOOGLAWYER0804&DNAid=19827,8,84207,28315503,243009809,1213310535,,0,0

FindLaw for the Public, thousands of articles and resources in scores of categories to help the public with a wide range of legal issues, from bankruptcy to landlord/tenant law to selecting a lawyer:
http://public.findlaw.com/

The Youth Advocacy Project offers legal representation and advocacy to children under 17 years old who are charged as delinquents or youthful offenders. The Youth Advocacy Project provides these services at a number of stages. The Youth Advocacy Project can offer advice and consultation on general delinquency issues. http://www.youthadvocacyproject.org/

Minority Law Resources: http://www.aalam.org/links

Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI).The CORI Reader, (38 page PDF prepared by Mass. Law Reform Institute) can be downloaded from this site: http://www.masslegalhelp.org/cori

Mass. Executive Office of Public Safety & Security, Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI):
http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eopssubtopic&L=4&sid=Eeops&L0=Home&L1=Crime+Prevention+%26+Personal+Safety&L2=Background+Check&L3=Criminal+Offender+Record+Information+(CORI)

Mass. Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Find a Lawyer:
http://www.macdl.com/Default.aspx?pageId=184691

Tenant’s Rights: What Tenants in Forclosed Properties Need to Know:
http://www.mass.gov/Eoca/docs/foreclosure/tenantpamph.pdf

Your Medical Record Rights Mass (PDF)

Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts, providing direct representation to low income children in Eastern Massachusetts, and technical assistance and training to lay and professional communities throughout New England on issues affecting children’s education, civil rights, custody, health and welfare.: http://www.clcm.org/

Massachusetts Advocates for Children, non-profit organization dedicated to being an independent and effective voice for children who face significant barriers to equal educational and life opportunities. http://www.massadvocates.org/