Protection & advocacy for individuals with mntl illness

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services) awarded $725,197 to Disability Rights Wisconsin, Inc. on October 1, 2025, under the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness program (CFDA 93.138).

Disability Rights Wisconsin delivers legal representation, advocacy services, and administrative and legal remedies on behalf of adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbance across Wisconsin. The organization pursues complaints of abuse, neglect, and rights violations and protects and advocates for the enforcement of constitutional, federal, and state statutes protecting these populations. Service priority extends to individuals at risk for abuse, neglect, or civil rights violations while residing in care or treatment facilities, and may include individuals in community settings, those in process of admission to facilities, those being transported to facilities, and those involuntarily confined in municipal detention facilities, jails, or prisons.

The award covers the period October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027, with performance in Wisconsin. As a statutorily designated Protection and Advocacy system, Disability Rights Wisconsin is the eligible recipient for this formula allotment under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000.