District of Columbia Resources

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State Mental Health Agency
For more information about admission, care, treatment, release, and patient follow-up in public or private psychiatric residential facilities, contact your State mental health agency:

Steve Baron, Director
Department of Mental Health Services
64 New York Avenue, NE, 4th Floor
Washington, DC 20002
Phone: 202-673-7440
Toll-free: 888-793-4357
E-mail: dmh@dc.gov
Internet: http://dmh.dc.gov/dmh/site/default.asp

Spanish language assistance available

State Substance Abuse Agency
Contact your State substance abuse agency for information about treatment and care of substance abuse disorders:

DC Addiction Prevention and Recovery Administration
825 North Capitol Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
Phone: 202-442-9152
Toll-free: 888-793-4357 (24-hour hotline)
Internet: http://doh.dc.gov/doh

State Protection and Advocacy Agency
Each State has a protection and advocacy agency that receives funding from the Federal Center for Mental Health Services. Agencies are mandated to protect and advocate for the rights of people with mental illnesses and to investigate reports of abuse and neglect in facilities that care for or treat individuals with mental illnesses. These facilities, which may be public or private, include hospitals, nursing homes, community facilities, board and care homes, homeless shelters, jails, and prisons. Agencies provide advocacy services or conduct investigations to address issues that arise during transportation or admission to such facilities, during residency in them, or within 90 days after discharge from them. Contact:

University Legal Services, Inc.
220 I Street, Northeast, Suite 130
Washington, DC 20002
Phone: 202-547-0198
Toll-Free: 877-221-4638
TDD: 202-547-2657
Fax: 202-547-2662
E-mail: jbrown@uls-dc.org
Internet: www.uls-dc.org

Spanish language assistance available

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which are part of the Department of Health and Human Services, investigate some complaints about treatment facilities that receive Medicare and Medicaid funding. For further information at the national level, contact:

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
7500 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850
Phone: 410-786-3000
Toll-free: 877-267-2323
TDD: 866-226-1819
E-mail: question@CMS.gov
Internet: www.CMS.gov

You may also share your concerns with staff at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services office in your area, which is Region 3. The regional office address and telephone number are:

Philadelphia Regional Office
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Public Ledger Building, Suite 216
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Phone: 215-861-4140
Fax: 215-861-4240
Internet: www.CMS.gov/RegionalOffices/04_RO3.asp

Advocacy Organizations
Local chapters of Mental Health America (formerly the National Mental Health Association) have information about community services and engage in national and State level advocacy. For more information about the association, write or call:

Mental Health Association of Washington, D.C.
1628 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
Phone: 202-265-6363
Fax: 202-265-3265
E-mail: info@mhadc.org
Internet: www.mhadc.org

The National Alliance on Mental Illness maintains a helpline for information on mental illnesses and referrals to local groups. The local self-help groups have support and advocacy components and offer education and information about community services for families and individuals. For information about the Alliance's affiliates and activities in your State, contact:

NAMI DC
422 Eighth Street, SE, 2nd Floor
Washington, DC 20003-2832
Phone: 202-546-0646
Fax: 202-546-6817
E-mail: namidc@juno.com
Internet: http://dc.nami.org

The National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse, funded partly by the Center for Mental Health Services, promotes and helps to develop consumer-run self-help groups across the country. Technical assistance and materials are available on such topics as organizing groups, fundraising, leadership development, incorporating, public relations, advocacy, and networking. For more information, contact:

The National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse
1211 Chestnut Street, Suite 1207
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: 215-751-1810
Toll-free: 800-553-4KEY (539)
Fax: 215-636-6312
E-mail: info@mhselfhelp.org
Internet: www.mhselfhelp.org

The National Empowerment Center is a Technical Assistance Center run by mental health consumers/survivors. The Center's mission is to carry a message of recovery, empowerment, hope and healing to people who have been diagnosed with mental illness. The Center provides information and referrals to consumer/survivor resources nationwide and offers technical assistance to individuals and groups involved in consumer empowerment activities. The Center distributes recovery-related publications and sponsors education and training activities. For information on consumer/survivor activities in your area, contact:

The National Empowerment Center
599 Canal Street
Lawrence, MA 01840
Phone: 978-685-1494
Toll-free: 800-769-3728
Fax: 978-681-6426
E-mail: info4@power2u.org
Internet: www.power2u.org

The Consumer Organization & Networking Technical Assistance Center (CONTAC) funded by the Center for Mental Health Services, is a resource center for consumers/survivors and consumer-run organizations across the United States. Services and products include informational materials; on-site training and skill-building curricula; electronic and other communication capabilities; networking and customized activities promoting self-help, recovery, leadership, business management, and empowerment. For more information contact:

Consumer Organization & Networking Technical Assistance Center (CONTAC)
P.O. Box 11000
Charleston, WV 25339
Phone: 304-345-7312
Toll-free: 888-825-TECH (8324)
Fax: 304-345-7303
E-mail: usacontac@contac.org
Internet: www.contac.org

Other Sources of Information
There are many sources of information that you can tap. Your area mental health authority, which is generally a part of the local government, may be useful. Other branches of your city or county government also may be able to help. For example, the education office might have information about help for children, and the agency for the aging might know about services for senior citizens. In addition, your family physician or area hospital may be able to make referrals. For legal advice, contact your local bar association or go to www.findlegalhelp.org. Also, your local library and telephone yellow pages may have resource lists for sources of help in your community.

SRG-DC
01/07