Mental Health & Developmental Disability
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What Parents Need to Know About Continuing Tutorship
Continuing Tutorship is a legal process in which a court decides that your child will not be competent to make decisions after he or she reaches 18 years old, the legal age of majority. Instead another person will have the legal authority to make all business and legal decisions for the child just as if he or she were still under age 18.
Office of Citizens with Developmental Disabilities (OCDD)
OCDD gives information and services for Louisiana residents with a developmental disability, defined as a severe chronic disability caused by mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, or autism.
Find Substance Abuse and Mental Health Treatment
Treatment locator and list of national toll-free hotlines. Call to get mental health information, referrals, or crisis counseling.
Brain Injury Alliance of Louisiana
BIALA and United Spinal Association, LA Chapter provides information and support to survivors of brain and spinal cord injuries, their caregivers and professionals. BIALA and United Spinal Association, LA Chapter provides access to numerous support groups throughout the state for those dealing with brain and spinal cord injuries.
Disability Rights and The Olmstead Supreme Court Decision in a Nutshell
Information about the most important civil rights decision for people with disabilities from the U.S. Supreme Court, the 1999 "Olmstead" case. The Court held that people with disabilities have the qualified right to receive state-funded supports and services in their community rather than an institution when a three-part test is met. Includes link to legal advocacy tools from Olmstead Rights.
How to File a Discrimination Complaint with the Office for Civil Rights
Anyone who believes that an education institution that receives federal financial assistance has discriminated against someone on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age, or who believes that a public elementary or secondary school, or state or local education agency has violated the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act, may file a complaint. The person or organization filing the complaint need not be a victim of the alleged discrimination but may complain on behalf of another person or group.
Louisiana Behavior Healthcare, including Mental Health and Treatment Services
The Office of Behavioral Health provides statewide authority and accountability for all behavioral healthcare, including mental health treatment services, for Louisiana citizens. This includes coordinating between other agencies and partnering entities that deliver and manage components of care for the behavioral health population, both insured and uninsured (e.g., Medicaid, human services districts/authorities, etc.). Legislation mandates that the local administration of the Louisiana behavioral healthcare system, including both community and residential services, is operated by independent health care districts or authorities (also referred to as local governing entities or LGEs). The Office of Behavioral Health maintains two state psychiatric hospitals at Central Louisiana State Hospital (CLSH) in Pineville and the Eastern Louisiana Mental Health System (ELMHS) in Jackson.
Supporting Students with Disabilities
This information covers strategies for each step of the process for students with disabilities, from identifying the disability, to developing goals for instruction in an IEP, specialized student supports and related services, and effective implementation of the IEP.