Protection & advocacy for individuals with mntl illness

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy's Protection and Advocacy Division $632,033 in formula grant funding on October 1, 2025, under the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) program (CFDA 93.138).

The award funds legal advocacy and rights protection services for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbance across Kentucky. The division pursues administrative and legal remedies to address complaints of abuse, neglect, and rights violations, and protects and advocates for the enforcement of constitutional, federal, and state statutes on behalf of eligible populations. Service priority extends to individuals at risk for abuse or neglect while residing in care or treatment facilities, and to individuals living in community settings, including those in the process of admission to facilities, being transported to facilities, or involuntarily confined in detention facilities, jails, or prisons.

The award runs through September 30, 2027, with place of performance in Frankfort, Kentucky. The division administers the grant with no sub-awardees listed and operates as Kentucky's designated protection and advocacy system under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000. The allotment obligation period is 24 months, with payments made through electronic transfer.