Your Advocacy Guide

A COFAR Advocacy Guide to Families and Guardians

This guide is intended to help you advocate for the best possible care and services for your wards or family members with mental retardation.  It's designed to help if you are feeling overwhelmed by the complexities of the DMR system in Massachusetts, or if you simply want more information about matters relating to the care of your family member or ward in the system.   You will find both tips and advice on, and summaries of, applicable DMR and federal regulations on care and services, eligibility issues, Individual Support Plans, guardianship, and other issues.

COFAR has constructed this guide as part of our mission of providing advocacy information and advice to families and guardians of those with mental retardation, wherever they may live.  We've divided up this guide into the following six sections:

• Part 1: Advocating Effectively on Behalf of Your Family    Members and Wards
  

• Part 2: Getting Services (Determining Your Eligibility)
  

• Part 3: Protections for Ricci Class Members and non-Class Members
  

• Part 4: Individual Support Plans
  

• Part 5: Guardianship
  

• Part 6: Other Resources
  

Click on the link for each section for the latest information we've been able to collect on these topics of vital importance and interest to all families who are coping with the DMR system.  We welcome your questions and any feedback or suggestions you might have.

Helping families help themselves

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