The D.C. Mental Retardation Volunteer Advocates Association,
Inc.
The District of Columbia Mental Retardation Volunteer Advocates
Association, Inc. (DCMRVAA) was developed as a non-profit
corporation in 1981 by the Superior Court of the District
of Columbia in response to Public Law 2-137, the Mentally
Retarded Citizens Constitutional Rights and Dignity Act. Under
the law, the Superior Court is responsible for accepting petitions
(which request services) on behalf of petitioning citizens
with mental and developmental disabilities and thereafter
providing each of the respondents with a volunteer advocate.
The advocate's primary focus is to ensure that the
constitutional rights of those individuals with mental and
developmental disabilities who have cases reviewed by the
Court are protected and that those clients receive the best
service available from the District of Columbia or businesses
contracted through the District government.
Employees of the Mental Health & Mental Retardation Branch
of the Family Court, Superior Court of the District of Columbia,
work in collaboration with the association in all efforts
to recruit, train and provide an adequate number of volunteers.
The Court provides an Advocate Coordinator to act as a liaison
to the association, the court and community. The Coordinator
assists the volunteers in all aspects of their advocacy.
Mission Statement
The mission of the District of Columbia Mental Retardation
Volunteer Advocates Association, Inc. is to recruit and provide
a corps of volunteer advocates whose purpose is to assist
cognitively challenged clients who have cases reviewed by
the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Our advocates
are committed to insure that their clients' constitutional
rights are protected and that the clients are receiving appropriate
care and treatment. Our ultimate goal is to enhance the quality
of life for our mentally disabled constituents. We carry out
our mission of acting as a liaison between the client and
the community by promoting individual advocacy and by providing
effective monitoring of services received and support in collaboration
with the people we serve, their families, and communities.
More About the District of Columbia Mental Retardation
Volunteer Advocates Association, Inc.
An advocate is appointed by a court order signed by a judge.
Prior to the issuance of the court order assigning the advocate
to a client, the volunteer must undergo a Criminal History
Check.
Advocates are required to visit the residential homes and
vocational facilities of their clients to monitor the care
received on a frequent and on-going basis. Advocates interact
with a number of individuals and agencies to secure services
for their clients. Our volunteers must communicate with Judicial
Officers of the Court, court personnel, attorneys for their
clients, the Office of the Attorney General for D.C., the
Mental Retardation & Developmental Disabilities Administration
(MRDDA), social workers, facility staff, physicians, and other
individuals who provide services to their clients. The duties
and responsibilities of the volunteer advocates are extremely
important and comprehensive. Advocates must attend hearings,
conferences, and any meetings dealing with the habilitation
plan or any services received by their client. They are involved
in guiding and assisting their clients toward self-reliance
and every effort is made to facilitate habilitation of the
individual and to address the emotional, social, and personal
needs of the client.
The Mental Health/Mental Retardation Branch, in collaboration
with the DCMRVAA, is responsible for the recruitment of volunteers
through public service announcements on television and radio
and from churches, civic organizations, and other various
resources.
How to Contact Us at DCMRVAA
If you would like to contact us at DCMRVAA for more
information on the program or are interested in becoming a
volunteer advocate, please do not hesitate to come by or call.
You may contact-
Ms. Kisha Morris
Volunteer Coordinator
Family Court
500 Indiana Avenue, N.W., Room 4475
Washington, D.C. 20001
Phone: 202-879-0201
Fax: 202-879-1328
E-mail: morrisk@dcsc.gov
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