Protection & advocacy for individuals with mntl illness

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded $739,350 to Oficina De Proteccion Y Defensa De Personas Con Impedimentos De PR on October 1, 2025, under the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) program (CFDA 93.138).

The recipient pursues administrative, legal, and other remedies to address complaints of abuse, neglect, and rights violations affecting adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances in Puerto Rico. The organization enforces constitutional, federal, and state statutes protecting these populations through advocacy, legal services, and systems change efforts. Service priority extends to individuals at risk for abuse or neglect while residing in care or treatment facilities, as well as those in community settings, including individuals in the process of admission to facilities, in transit to facilities, or involuntarily confined in municipal detention facilities, jails, or prisons.

The award obligates $739,350 for a 24-month period of performance ending September 30, 2027, with place of performance in Puerto Rico. The recipient organization serves as the designated Protection and Advocacy system for individuals with disabilities in Puerto Rico and carries responsibility for the full scope of PAIMI services across the territory.