Protection & advocacy for individuals with mntl illness

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded Georgia Advocacy Office, Inc. $1,409,238 on October 1, 2025, under the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) program (CFDA 93.138).

Georgia Advocacy Office, Inc., the designated Protection and Advocacy system for Georgia, 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. The organization investigates rights violations, provides legal representation, offers information and referral services, conducts systemic advocacy and investigations, provides benefits counseling, and educates individuals and communities about disability rights and protections.

The award obligates $1,409,238 over a 24-month period of performance from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027. Place of performance is Decatur, Georgia. The PAIMI program prioritizes service to individuals with significant mental illness and severe emotional impairment who are at risk for abuse, neglect, or civil rights violations while residing in care or treatment facilities, and extends to individuals in community settings as determined by the state system's priorities and available resources. Eligible recipients under this formula grant program are the systems established in states and territories to protect and advocate for the rights of persons with developmental disabilities under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000.