Advocacy & Assistance

Results: 22

• Advocacy (9)
  FP-0500

  Advocacy

  FP-0500
  
  Programs that intercede on behalf of individuals and/or groups to ensure that they receive the benefits and services for which they are eligible and that organizations within the established service delivery system meet the collective needs of the community; that attempt to marshal public support for a particular issue or cause; or that seek to influence legislation, local ordinances or administrative rulings in order to benefit specific interest groups or achieve specific social, political or environmental goals.
• Aging in Place Membership Organizations/Networks (1)
  PH-0360

  Aging in Place Membership Organizations/Networks

  PH-0360
  
  Programs that provide access to a set of service options that help older adults in a particular apartment building, high rise or other housing complex or a particular neighborhood remain safely and independently in their homes as they age. Services may be provided by paid staff, volunteers and/or paid vendors and vary over time to ensure that they meet the changing needs of participants. Included are Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC) programs that involve public-private partnerships that unite social services, health care and housing providers and community residents; and village model programs that older adults can join as members, in most cases for a fee. Services available to participants in both types of programs may include transportation, companionship, social activities, opportunities for community involvement, and help with home chores.
• Benefits Assistance (2)
  FT-1000

  Benefits Assistance

  FT-1000
  
  Programs that provide assistance for people who are having difficulty understanding and/or obtaining grants, payments, services or other benefits for which they are eligible. The programs may help people understand the eligibility criteria for benefits, the benefits provided by the program, the payment process and the rights of beneficiaries; provide consultation and advice; help them complete benefits application forms; negotiate on their behalf with benefits administration staff; and/or represent them in administrative processes or judicial litigation. Included are benefits counseling organizations that offer a range of advocacy services and legal aid programs that offer more formalized legal assistance.
• Case/Care Management (17)
  PH-1000

  Case/Care Management

  PH-1000
  
  Programs that develop plans for the evaluation, treatment and/or care of individuals who, because of age, illness, disability or other difficulties, need assistance in planning and arranging for services; which assess the individual's needs; coordinate the delivery of needed services; ensure that services are obtained in accordance with the case plan; and follow up and monitor progress to ensure that services are having a beneficial impact on the individual. Case management is a collaborative process characterized by communication, advocacy and resource management to promote high quality, cost-effective interventions and outcomes.
• Child Advocacy Centers (1)
  FT-3000.1450

  Child Advocacy Centers

  FT-3000.1450
  
  Programs that operate centers which facilitate a multidisciplinary approach to the investigation and treatment of child abuse cases. Services generally include videotaped interviews of child abuse victims in safe, child-friendly surroundings to avoid multiple interviews, reduce the trauma of disclosure and preserve statements for court purposes; crisis intervention and emotional support for victims and non-offending family members; forensic medical examinations; psychotherapy services including play therapy, family therapy and individual counseling for parents; support groups; case management; and interdisciplinary review of cases by teams of professionals including law enforcement, children's protective services, prosecution, medical, mental health, victim assistance, and child advocacy personnel.
• Community Action/Social Advocacy Groups (1)
  TD-1600

  Community Action/Social Advocacy Groups

  TD-1600
  
  Organizations whose members have joined together on a voluntary basis to promote a particular cause or work for the realization of a specific social or political goal.
• Comprehensive Information and Referral (1)
  TJ-3000.1500

  Comprehensive Information and Referral

  TJ-3000.1500
  
  Programs that maintain information about the full range of human services and which function as the primary source of information about and linkage to human service providers in the community.
• Crime Victim Safety Planning (2)
  FN-1900.2000

  Crime Victim Safety Planning

  FN-1900.2000
  
  Programs that help people who are experiencing abuse, exploitation, harassment or are otherwise at risk of violence develop and adapt a personalized, practical plan that can help them anticipate and avoid dangerous situations and know the best way to react when they find themselves in danger. Some programs may target special populations such as victims of domestic violence or human trafficking.
• Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Issues (1)
  YZ-2500

  Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Issues

  YZ-2500
  
  Programs that provide information and/or services that deal with the topic of GLBT individuals and their interests. The GLBT population includes gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender individuals, intersexed individuals, gender questioning youth and others with gender identity issues.
• General Benefits Assistance (1)
  FT-1000.2500

  General Benefits Assistance

  FT-1000.2500
  
  Programs that focus broadly on helping individuals who are having difficulty understanding and/or obtaining grants, payments, services or other benefits for which they are eligible rather than offering more specialized services relating to a particular type of benefit.
• Home Barrier Removal Grants (4)
  BH-3000.3520

  Home Barrier Removal Grants

  BH-3000.3520
  
  Programs that provide cash assistance for qualified people with disabilities who want to install ramps or elevators, widen doorways, install grab bars in showers and bathrooms, lower kitchen and other cabinets or make other modifications in their homes in order to make them more accessible.
• Homebuyer/Home Purchase Counseling (2)
  BH-3700.3000

  Homebuyer/Home Purchase Counseling

  BH-3700.3000
  
  Programs that help people who want to purchase a home evaluate their readiness for homeownership, shop for housing that meets their needs, resolve potential credit problems, analyze specific home purchase offers, obtain a mortgage loan with advantageous interest rates and an affordable monthly payment, and complete the paperwork to close the loan and complete the sale. Also included are programs that provide assistance for people who want to refinance a home.
• Housing Discrimination Assistance (1)
  FT-1800.3000

  Housing Discrimination Assistance

  FT-1800.3000
  
  Programs that provide assistance for people who believe that they have been denied an opportunity to purchase, lease or rent the home or apartment of their choice due to their age, gender, family composition (including families with children under the age of 18 and pregnant women), race or color, nationality, religion, disability, sexual orientation or marital status, actions that are prohibited by the federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 and the federal Fair Housing Act Amendments Act of 1988 in the U.S. Federal fair housing law also extends limited protection to recovering alcoholics who actively and regularly participate in a medically based treatment or AA program, and people with a drug use disorder including those who have prior convictions for illegal drug use (but not for drug dealing or manufacture). Assistance may also be available to other individuals who are protected from housing discrimination by state or local laws with a broader set of protected categories, or which cover properties that are exempt from federal fair housing laws but are protected under state law.
• Housing Search Assistance (1)
  BH-3900.3100

  Housing Search Assistance

  BH-3900.3100
  
  Programs that assign a staff member to assist people who are looking for housing to survey the available residences and to choose and obtain the most suitable option.
• Protection and Advocacy for Individuals With Disabilities (11)
  FT-1000.6600

  Protection and Advocacy for Individuals With Disabilities

  FT-1000.6600
  
  Programs that provide assistance for individuals with disabilities who are having difficulty understanding and/or obtaining the full benefits and services to which they are entitled by law. Included are federally mandated programs that are part of the formal protection and advocacy system which includes Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PADD), Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI), Protection and Advocacy for Individual Rights (PAIR) and the Client Assistance Program (CAP); and independent organizations that provide the same types of services. Protection and advocacy programs provide legal representation and other advocacy services, under federal and state laws, for all people with disabilities and endeavor to ensure full access to inclusive educational programs, financial entitlements, health care, accessible housing and productive employment opportunities. The programs maintain a presence in facilities that care for people with disabilities where they monitor, investigate and attempt to remedy adverse conditions. CAP agencies (many of which are housed within protection and advocacy offices) provide information and assistance for individuals seeking or receiving vocational rehabilitation services under the Rehabilitation Act, including assistance in pursuing administrative, legal and other appropriate remedies.
• Senior Advocacy Groups (1)
  TD-1600.3100-800

  Senior Advocacy Groups

  TD-1600.3100-800
  
  Organizations that support the passage and enforcement of laws and other social measures that protect and promote the rights and interests of older adults.
• Specialized Information and Referral (4)
  TJ-3000.8000

  Specialized Information and Referral

  TJ-3000.8000
  
  Programs that maintain information about community resources that are appropriate for a specific target group or human services sector (for example, youth programs or addiction services) and which link individuals who are in need of specialized services with appropriate resources and/or which provide information about community agencies and organizations that offer specialized services.
• Veteran Education Benefits (4)
  HL-8000.1800-900

  Veteran Education Benefits

  HL-8000.1800-900
  
  Programs administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or other organizations that provide educational financial assistance for veterans and service personnel and their eligible dependents. Veterans and service personnel who served on active duty between January 31, 1955 and January 1, 1977 for specified periods of time are eligible for a variety of education benefits under the GI Bill including a stipend for tuition assistance at approved educational institutions. Veterans and service personnel who entered active duty after January 1, 1977 may participate in a voluntary contributory plan in which the individual's savings for a future education are administered and augmented by the government. Partial educational assistance is also available to the survivors of deceased or disabled veterans whose death or permanent and total disability was service-connected; and to the spouses and children of servicemen and women who have been listed for more than 90 days as missing in action, captured in the line of duty or forcibly detained by a foreign power.
• Weatherization Programs (1)
  BH-3000.1800-950

  Weatherization Programs

  BH-3000.1800-950
  
  Programs that provide assistance in the form of labor and supplies to help people improve the energy efficiency of their homes and protect them from the elements. The program provides ceiling insulation, attic venting, double glazed windows, weather-stripping, minor housing envelope repairs, low-flow showerheads, evaporative cooler vent covers, water heater blankets, pipe wrap, duct wrap, switch and outlet gaskets, caulking, and other related energy conservation measures. Weatherization programs may have age, income, disability or other eligibility requirements.
• Welfare Rights Assistance (1)
  FT-1000.9500

  Welfare Rights Assistance

  FT-1000.9500
  
  Programs that provide assistance for prospective or current public financial assistance recipients who are having difficulty understanding and/or obtaining the full benefits to which they are entitled by law under various income support entitlement programs. The programs may help people understand the eligibility criteria for benefits, how much they can work without affecting their benefits (for some programs), the benefits provided by the program, the payment process and the rights of beneficiaries; provide consultation and advice; help them complete benefits application forms; negotiate on their behalf with public assistance benefits staff; and/or represent them in administrative hearings or judicial litigation. Included are welfare rights organizations that offer a range of advocacy services as well as legal aid programs that offer more formalized legal assistance. Entitlement programs include (but are not limited to) General Relief (GR), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Food Stamps/SNAP, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
• Winter Clothing Donation Programs (1)
  TI-1800.1500-870

  Winter Clothing Donation Programs

  TI-1800.1500-870
  
  Programs that accept new or secondhand coats, gloves, hats, scarves and other winter clothing, repair the items if necessary, and keep the clothing for use in their own programs, donate it to shelters and other community-based organizations for distribution to the people they serve, or sell it to raise money for agency programs.
• Women's Advocacy Groups (2)
  TD-1600.3100-950

  Women's Advocacy Groups

  TD-1600.3100-950
  
  Organizations that support the passage and enforcement of laws and other social measures that protect and promote the rights and interests of women.