Georgia Advocacy Office, Inc.

Georgia Advocacy Office, Inc. is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization headquartered in Decatur, Georgia, that serves as the designated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) system for the state of Georgia. The organization has been registered to receive federal awards since August 2006 and specializes in providing comprehensive advocacy, legal support, and rights protection services to individuals with disabilities across multiple disability categories. Through its federal grant awards, Georgia Advocacy Office, Inc. delivers essential services designed to protect the civil and legal rights of vulnerable populations while promoting independence, productivity, and community integration.

Georgia Advocacy Office, Inc. has received continuous federal funding through multiple formula grant programs administered by three primary federal agencies: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living (ACL), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS). The organization's grant portfolio encompasses six distinct Protection and Advocacy program areas. Under the Developmental Disabilities (DD) Act State Protection & Advocacy Systems program, the organization provides advocacy and systems change services for individuals with developmental disabilities, including a $2.15 million award for FY2022-2023. Through the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) program funded by SAMHSA, the organization addresses complaints of abuse, neglect, and rights violations affecting adults with Serious Mental Illness and children with Serious Emotional Disturbances, receiving $350,532 for FY2026-2027. Georgia Advocacy Office, Inc. operates the Assistive Technology (AT) Act Protection & Advocacy program to help individuals with disabilities acquire and utilize assistive technology devices and services. The organization administers the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Act Protection & Advocacy program to provide information, referrals, advice, and legal representation for individuals with traumatic brain injuries. Under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Protection & Advocacy program, the organization ensures full participation in the electoral process for individuals with disabilities through education, training, and assistance with voting access. Additionally, the organization operates the Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights (PAIR) program funded by OSERS, receiving $183,472 for FY2026, to investigate abuse and neglect, provide legal representation, ensure voting access, facilitate systemic investigations, offer benefits counseling, and educate individuals about their rights. Beyond these core P&A programs, Georgia Advocacy Office, Inc. has received Project Grant awards from the Social Security Administration for the Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiary of Social Security program and the Representative Payee Review Program and Oversight by the P&A System in Georgia, providing oversight and protection services for Social Security beneficiaries. The organization's service delivery includes investigating rights violations, pursuing administrative and legal remedies, providing information and referral services, conducting systemic advocacy and investigations, offering benefits counseling, and educating individuals and communities about disability rights and protections.