March 16, 2017
Everyone already uses supporters to help make important, and even mundane, decisions. I consult my fiancée about literally everything, and when it’s a bigger decision my family gets involved too. We all engage in this scenario on a daily basis without giving it much thought. Because of this, I couldn’t understand the need to pass SDM legislation. If everybody was already doing it, what was the need?
February 28, 2017
According to the Brain Injury Association of America, each year an estimated 2.4 million children and adults in the United States sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI), and another 795,000 individuals sustain an acquired brain injury (ABI) from nontraumatic causes. To raise awareness of traumatic brain injury, the Brain Injury Association of America recognizes National Brain Injury Awareness Month every March.
February 23, 2017
Service animals play crucial roles in their owner’s lives. For Tricia Griggs, a DRT advocate for almost 15 years, she explains that the relationship between owner and service animal extends much deeper than the exchange of a service.
February 21, 2017
For the majority of his life Greg Burt has been a protector, both in his military service and as a firefighter and emergency medical technician for the City of Murfreesboro. When Greg learned that he was experiencing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), he turned toward man's best friend for help.
January 17, 2017
Too often schools, which can play a critical role in identifying and treating mental health conditions, are not adequately prepared to address this issue. Lisa shares how DRT responds to this problem by working with individual students and their families and with school systems in the state to implement a systemic approach to ensure that students receive needed services.
January 12, 2017
Eric, a second-grade student, rarely lasts longer than an hour in his classroom before making the trek to the behavior lab, the designated refocusing tool by school officials. Unfortunately, for Eric, the lab has evolved into a place of daily isolation and discipline.
October 26, 2016
This year DRT honored Joey Hassell and Martie Lafferty as part of the 3rd Disability Employment Awareness Luncheon held on October 20, 2016.
September 8, 2016
Between 80,000 and 100,000 inmates are currently segregated in prison cells nationwide for 22-24 hours per day, for days, months, years, and in some cases decades at a time. A new report outlines the advocacy efforts undertaken on behalf of inmates with mental illness in segregation by the P&A network, and calls for greater national prison reform measures.
August 18, 2016
Parents with limited English proficiency (LEP) experience unique barriers to accessing the resources and supports needed to be effective advocates for their child. What are schools required to do to include them as equal partners in their child’s education?