Minnesota 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:

Department of Human Services
Mental Health Program Division
Human Services Building
444 Lafayette Road
Saint Paul, MN 55155-3828
Phone: 651-431-2225
Spanish Language Referral Line: 888-428-3438
E-mail: DHS.info@state.mn.us
Internet: www.dhs.state.mn.us

Spanish language assistance available

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

Charles Heinecke, Acting Director
Department of Human Services
Chemical Health Division
P.O. Box 64977
Saint Paul, MN 55164-0977
Phone: 651-431-2460
Fax: 651-431-7449
E-mail: DHS.Chemical-Health@state.mn.us
Internet: http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/Contcare/chemicalhealth

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:

Minnesota Disability Law Center
430 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401-1780
Phone: 612-332-1441
Toll-free: 800-292-4150 (Statewide)
TDD: 612-332-4668
Fax: 612-334-5755
E-mail: mndlc@midmnlegal.org
Internet: www.mndlc.org

Spanish language assistance available

The Office of the Ombudsman is an independent state agency appointed by and reporting to the Governor. It receives and reviews complaints about the service delivery system for persons with mental disabilities, and also reviews deaths and serious injuries of persons receiving services.

Roberta Opheim, Ombudsman
State Office of the Ombudsman for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities
Metro Square Building
121 East 7th Place, Suite 420
St. Paul, MN 55101-2117
Phone: 651-296-3848
Toll-free: 800-657-3506
Fax: 651-296-1021
E-mail: ombudsman.mhdd@state.mn.us
Internet: www.ombudmhmr.state.mn.us

Family Support
The Center for Mental Health Services awards grants to statewide, family-run networks to provide support and information to families of children and adolescents with serious emotional, behavioral, or mental disorders. For more information, contact:

Paula F. Goldberg, Executive Director
PACER Center, Inc.
8161 Normandale Boulevard
Minneapolis, MN 55437-1044
Phone: 952-838-9000
Toll-free: 800-537-2237 (Statewide)
TDD: 952-838-0190
Fax: 952-838-0199
E-mail: pacer@pacer.org
Internet: www.pacer.org

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 5. The regional office address and telephone number are:

Chicago Regional Office
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
233 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 600
Chicago, IL 60601-5519
Phone: 312-886-6432
Fax: 312-353-0252
Internet: www.CMS.gov/RegionalOffices/06_RO5.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 Minnesota
2021 East Hennepin Avenue, Suite 412
Minneapolis, MN 55413-2726
Phone: 612-331-6840
Toll-free: 800-862-1799
Fax: 612-331-1630
E-mail: info@mentalhealthmn.org
Internet: www.mentalhealthmn.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 Minnesota, Inc.
800 Transfer Road, Suite 7A
Saint Paul, MN 55114
Phone: 651-645-2948
Toll-free: 888-473-0237
Fax: 651-645-7379
E-mail: nami-mn@nami.org
Internet: www.namimn.org

Statewide consumer organizations are run by and for consumers of mental health services and promote consumer empowerment. These organizations provide information about mental health and other support services at the State level and are active in addressing and advocating for mental health system issues. For information about consumer activities in your area, contact:

Maureen Marrin, Executive Director
Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Network of Minnesota
1821 University Avenue West, Suite S-160
Saint Paul, MN 55104-2803
Phone: 651-637-2800
Toll-free: 800-483-2007
Fax: 651-637-2777
E-mail: csnaa@uslink.net
Internet: www.mhcsn.net

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: 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-MN
01/07