ADRC Agency-Referral Tool

101 Advocacy helps families navigate through the special education and Section 504 process.

An ombudsman: Helps identify resources for residents inside or outside of long-term care facilities; Identifies, investigates, and resolves complaints by or on behalf of residents of long-term care facilities; complaints such as neglect, abuse, and exploitation of vulnerable residents. Provides information about long-term care facilities, eligibility criteria, and other services for the elderly and their family caregivers; Provides information to residents, staff, and family members about resident rights and nursing facility requirements; Advocate: works with residents, families, and staff to resolve complaints and concerns. The Ombudsman Program relies heavily on volunteers to respond to and investigate resident complaints. Ongoing training and support is provided for volunteers. Persons interested in volunteering should contact the managing local ombudsman for more information. Complaints accepted from any source, including anonymous sources.

Assists HIV/AIDS clients with case management, mental health and substance abuse counseling, meals, medical transportation, assessments/referrals for other programs. Also provides housing location assistance, vocational assistance, legal services, assistance in filling Social Security and Food Stamp applications, health education, and referrals to hospice programs.

An advocacy organization that promotes the independence, dignity, and advancement of blind and visually impaired individuals. Organization primarily comprised of persons who are blind or visually impaired. ACB is an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind of Texas and of the American Council of the Blind national organization.

Offers care consultation by phone or in person to caregivers; lending library of books and videos; Quarterly Newsletter to caregivers and health professionals; Advocacy Network for rights of victims and their families; information and referral; education and training; monthly support groups. Safe Return program: MedicAlert® + Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return® is a 24-hour nationwide emergency response service for individuals with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia who wander or have a medical emergency. Provides 24-hour assistance, no matter when or where the person is reported missing. {Cost of system as of 6/13: $62.} Education: several educational programs, free of charge, such as Stress Busting Program for Caregivers.

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is the largest national nonprofit cross-disability member organization in the United States, dedicated to ensuring economic self-sufficiency and political empowerment for the more than 50 million Americans with disabilities. AAPD works in coalition with other disability organizations for the full implementation and enforcement of disability nondiscrimination laws, particularly the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. We are more than 50 million strong people with disabilities in America, plus our families and friends. We see the need for one unifying membership organization to leverage the numbers of people with disabilities and their families and friends to access economic and other benefits to form an organization which will be a positive private-sector force to achieve the goal of full inclusion in American society.

A service of the U.S. Department of Justice, ADA specialists provide information on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including answers to specific technical questions, free ADA materials, or information about filing a complaint.

An ombudsman: Helps identify resources for residents inside or outside of long-term care facilities; Identifies, investigates, and resolves complaints by or on behalf of residents of long-term care facilities; complaints such as neglect, abuse, and exploitation of vulnerable residents. Provides information about long-term care facilities, eligibility criteria, and other services for the elderly and their family caregivers; Provides information to residents, staff, and family members about resident rights and nursing facility requirements; Advocate: works with residents, families, and staff to resolve complaints and concerns. The Ombudsman Program relies heavily on volunteers to respond to and investigate resident complaints. Ongoing training and support is provided for volunteers. Persons interested in volunteering should contact the managing local ombudsman for more information. Complaints accepted from any source, including anonymous sources.

Recruits and trains volunteers to become certified to advocate for abused children who have been removed from their homes by Child Protective Services and placed into the legal justice system.

The mission of Child Advocates San Antonio (CASA) is to recruit, train, and supervise court-appointed volunteer Advocates who provide constancy for abused and neglected children and youth while advocating for services and placement in safe and permanent homes.

Guardian House is dedicated to protecting children of divorce, separation, and family conflict throughout all of San Antonio, and beyond. Our mission is to embrace the best interest of every child by teaching families how to build strong, positive relationships. Services offered include monitored exchanges, parenting/shared parenting classes, counseling, and supervised visitations.

IKOR is a national firm that provides advocacy and guardianship services for seniors and those with special needs due to catastrophic injuries and/or developmental disabilities. IKOR provides Life Management services for clients of all ages and provide total person assessment (medical, pharmacy, psychosocial, environmental, educational, vocational, etc.), living arrangements, development of a personalized strategic plan, care/case management, personal rights protection, Telemedicine services, Bill Pay and Bank Reconciliation Services, POA up to Guardianship services. Ensures that clients are treated with dignity and respect as IKOR helps them navigate the complex healthcare delivery system.

Parkinson’s disease support group.

Provides education on leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkins disease, & myeloma. Provides support services for patients & their families through patient based programs such as First Connection, Patient Aid, Family Support Groups, & free educational materials and seminars.

Created to help raise awareness of the Amputee Coalition of America as well as the advocacy for adequate prosthetic coverage in the state of Tennessee as well as across the nation. A law is needed so amputees can live full independent lives. Yearly events will be held to raise money to assist amputees in paying for prosthetics not covered by insurance. Mending Limbs Organization is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. * Funding Application: Are you an amputee that needs assistance with prosthetic cost? Or do you know someone who does? Please click Funding Application & fill out the application online to see how Mending Limbs can help.

Self-help, support & advocacy organization of consumers, families, caregivers, & friends of people with severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, schizo-affective, bipolar disorder, major depression, obsessive-compulsive/anxiety disorders, pervasive developmental disorders, attention deficit disorders, severe & persistent mental illnesses, that affect the brain. Works to promote equitable services & treatment for consumers & families living with mental illnesses. Variety of programs. Support groups; compiles lists of both licensed & unlicensed housing and of many locally available support groups. Maintains a book and video library on mental health issues.

To accommodate the unique issues older adults and people with disabilities face in accessing and using transportation options, NADTC promotes: Engaging older adults and people with disabilities before new transportation options are created and using their insights and experiences to improve transportation programs, design new programs and ensure that services are of the highest quality. Ensuring that older adults and people with disabilities know about the transportation choices available in their community and understand how to access these options. Offering one-on-one assistance to assist older adults and people with disabilities select the best transportation options to meet their needs and use the transportation options available in the community. Providing safe, efficient, predictable, and reliable transportation services that older adults and people with disabilities are comfortable using. Following the ADA to ensure that people with disabilities are able to stay connected to their communities.

Paralyzed Veterans of America works to maximize the quality of life for its members and all people with SCI/D (spinal cord injury and dysfunction), as a leading advocate for health care, SCI/D research and education, veterans benefits and rights, accessibility and the removal of architectural barriers, sports programs, and disability rights. The Paralyzed Veterans of America, a congressionally chartered veterans service organization founded in 1946, has developed a unique expertise on a wide variety of issues involving the special needs of our membersveterans of the armed forces who have experienced spinal cord injury or dysfunction. Paralyzed Veterans will use that expertise to be the leading advocate for quality health care for our members, research and education addressing spinal cord injury and dysfunction, benefits available as a result of our members military service, civil rights and opportunities which maximize the independence of our members.

SAILS has an Advocacy Program that provides information and assistance for people with disabilities and their families in accessing support systems and promoting changes that enhance full access to the community. Provides education on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and information about disability rights. SAILS has support groups that offer opportunities to interact and share information with peers through four support groups: People with Disabilities; Family Members of People with Disabilities; Young People with Disabilities; and Alliance for the Mentally ill. All meetings are held at SAILS. SAILS provides individualized Social Security benefits planning. Provides opportunities for persons with disabilities to participate in various community activities. SAILS provides transition assistance from nursing facilities to the community. Provides information, assistance and training for adaptive telecommunication devices. Provides assistance to persons who are deaf/hard of hearing and deaf & blind. The SAILS Gateways to Abilities Program fills the gaps in the safety net for persons with permanent disabilities waiting benefits. Must be pending Social Security Disability benefits; reside within the City of San Antonio limits; and have no income to qualify. * Also a selected site for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) sponsored by the City of San Antonio.

Advocates for and provide superior service to veterans that will significantly improve the quality of life for all Texas veterans, their families, and survivors.