Advocacy and Assistance

Results: 20

• Advocacy (3)
  FP-0500

  Advocacy

  FP-0500
  
  Programs that intercede on behalf of individuals and/or groups to ensure that they receive the benefits and services for which they are eligible and that organizations within the established service delivery system meet the collective needs of the community; that attempt to marshal public support for a particular issue or cause; or that seek to influence legislation, local ordinances or administrative rulings in order to benefit specific interest groups or achieve specific social, political or environmental goals.
• Benefits Assistance (2)
  FT-1000

  Benefits Assistance

  FT-1000
  
  Programs that provide assistance for people who are having difficulty understanding and/or obtaining grants, payments, services or other benefits for which they are eligible. The programs may help people understand the eligibility criteria for benefits, the benefits provided by the program, the payment process and the rights of beneficiaries; provide consultation and advice; help them complete benefits application forms; negotiate on their behalf with benefits administration staff; and/or represent them in administrative processes or judicial litigation. Included are benefits counseling organizations that offer a range of advocacy services and legal aid programs that offer more formalized legal assistance.
• Charities/Grantmaking Organizations (1)
  TD-1200

  Charities/Grantmaking Organizations

  TD-1200
  
  Organizations that solicit contributions, endowments and other financial support from public and private sources which are used directly by the organization to provide human services for eligible residents of the community or which are utilized to provide the total or supplementary financial support for human service programs of community agencies and organizations. Also included are governmental and quasi-governmental entities that manage the allocation of public monies to public and private human service providers.
• Consumer Complaints (1)
  DD-1500

  Consumer Complaints

  DD-1500
  
  Programs that provide mechanisms through which consumers can register complaints regarding specific problems they are having with consumer goods and services, and obtain assistance in achieving a satisfactory resolution.
• Consumer Education (1)
  DD-1800

  Consumer Education

  DD-1800
  
  Programs that utilize a wide variety of informational materials and techniques to increase the public's awareness of their rights and responsibilities as consumers of goods and services. The services may include information concerning federal and state consumer protection laws and regulatory agencies; advice regarding comparison shopping, use of consumer reports and buying guides, and other practices that help consumers make informed decisions and avoid problems before they occur; and education regarding the steps that need to be taken to resolve problems with unfair credit practices, defective products, shoddy repairs or workmanship or incompetent services.
• Consumer Protection Agencies (1)
  DD-2100

  Consumer Protection Agencies

  DD-2100
  
  Agencies established by federal, state, county or city officials, business or industry associations, the media or the private sector to provide consumer education and information and/or to handle consumer complaints regarding unfair or fraudulent business or credit practices, unsafe or poor quality goods, incompetent services or other similar problems; and to provide solutions through mediation, arbitration or public pressure.
• Death With Dignity Advocacy Groups (1)
  TD-1600.3100-175

  Death With Dignity Advocacy Groups

  TD-1600.3100-175
  
  Organizations that promote death with dignity laws which support the right of terminally ill people to end their lives in a planned manner either by active means e.g., physician-assisted dying or by the removal of life support per a signed medical directive.
• Disability Rights Groups (2)
  TD-1600.3100-180

  Disability Rights Groups

  TD-1600.3100-180
  
  Organizations that support the passage and enforcement of laws or other social measures that protect the rights of people who have physical, mental, developmental or learning disabilities and maximize their ability to enjoy the same opportunities, resources and privileges as the mainstream population.
• Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Advocacy Groups (1)
  TD-1600.3100-250

  Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Advocacy Groups

  TD-1600.3100-250
  
  Organizations that support the passage and enforcement of laws and other social measures that protect and promote the rights and interests of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender individuals, intersexed individuals (people born with reproductive organs and/or genitalia that are ambiguous or atypical), cross-dressers and/or people who are in the process of coming out or are questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity.
• Health Related Advocacy Groups (1)
  TD-1600.2570

  Health Related Advocacy Groups

  TD-1600.2570
  
  Organizations that are dedicated to protecting and improving the quality and affordability of health and long term care for all individuals and advocating for changes in the health care system that will achieve these goals; or which advocate more broadly for legislation and other measures such as bans on smoking that have a positive impact on public health. Specific issues may include extending the reach of childhood immunization programs, expanding services for people with specific disabilities or health conditions, funding medical research, supporting or opposing stem cell research, establishing the liability of managed health care organizations and nursing facilities for the consequences of their decisions, providing a prescription drug benefit for the elderly, passing a powerful patient's bill of rights, advocating for universal health care or taking a position on the merits of specific medical procedures or forms of treatment.
• Native American General Assistance (1)
  NL-1000.6000

  Native American General Assistance

  NL-1000.6000
  
  Programs administered by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs or state or local entities that provide financial assistance and a variety of social services to meet the basic needs of eligible American Indians living on or near reservations or in other urban or rural settings.
• Protection and Advocacy for Individuals With Disabilities (2)
  FT-1000.6600

  Protection and Advocacy for Individuals With Disabilities

  FT-1000.6600
  
  Programs that provide assistance for individuals with disabilities who are having difficulty understanding and/or obtaining the full benefits and services to which they are entitled by law. Included are federally mandated programs that are part of the formal protection and advocacy system which includes Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PADD), Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI), Protection and Advocacy for Individual Rights (PAIR) and the Client Assistance Program (CAP); and independent organizations that provide the same types of services. Protection and advocacy programs provide legal representation and other advocacy services, under federal and state laws, for all people with disabilities and endeavor to ensure full access to inclusive educational programs, financial entitlements, health care, accessible housing and productive employment opportunities. The programs maintain a presence in facilities that care for people with disabilities where they monitor, investigate and attempt to remedy adverse conditions. CAP agencies (many of which are housed within protection and advocacy offices) provide information and assistance for individuals seeking or receiving vocational rehabilitation services under the Rehabilitation Act, including assistance in pursuing administrative, legal and other appropriate remedies.
• Refugee Resettlement Services (1)
  PH-1450.7000

  Refugee Resettlement Services

  PH-1450.7000
  
  Government-appointed nonprofit organizations, frequently associated with the faith community, that provide resettlement services through a network of local affiliates for refugee populations designated by the U.S. Department of State. These organizations take the lead in helping newly arrived refugees or refugee families make an adjustment to their new home and community. Services provided by local affiliates may include reception for arriving refugees; provision of a "welcome kit" of immediate necessities; periodic visits with the family during the early days of their transition; collection and provision of household goods; cultural orientation and ESL classes; and assistance in locating housing and employment, using public transportation and identifying other needed services.
• Representative Payee Services (1)
  DM-7000

  Representative Payee Services

  DM-7000
  
  Public agencies, nonprofit organizations, banks, relatives or other individuals who have been appointed under federal law to act as a surrogate in situations where a cognitive impairment makes it impossible for beneficiaries to manage their own Social Security and SSI/SSD payments. Representative payees are chosen and designated by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to act on behalf of financially incapable SS or SSI beneficiaries. The individuals and organizations selected by the SSA may also manage waiver funding, consumer or family support grants or other types of benefits when chosen and designated by the administrating entity to act on behalf of beneficiaries who are incapable of managing their finances.
• Special Education Advocacy (1)
  FT-8000.8000

  Special Education Advocacy

  FT-8000.8000
  
  Programs that work to ensure that children and youth with disabilities receive a free, appropriate, public education often by providing assistance for parents who need support in seeking and obtaining needed early intervention, educational, medical or therapeutic services for their children.
• Street Outreach Programs (5)
  PH-8000

  Street Outreach Programs

  PH-8000
  
  Programs that are staffed by outreach workers who spend time with people who live on the street, build relationships with them, identify and address their immediate needs (e.g., crisis intervention, food, clean clothing, hygiene kits, blankets, someone to listen) and provide information about and linkage to longer-term forms of support such as shelter, counseling, drug and alcohol detoxification and rehabilitation, care/case management and, where applicable, family reunification services. Street outreach programs may be staffed by volunteers or peers who were formerly homeless; and may target special populations such as homeless youth at risk for sexual abuse or exploitation, veterans, or people with specific medical or mental health conditions, or be available to the larger homeless population.
• Veteran Benefits Assistance (18)
  FT-1000.9000

  Veteran Benefits Assistance

  FT-1000.9000
  
  Programs that provide assistance for veterans who are having difficulty understanding and/or obtaining the full benefits and services to which they are entitled by law based on service to their country. The programs may help veterans understand the eligibility criteria for benefits, the benefits provided by the program, the payment process and the rights of beneficiaries; provide consultation and advice; help them complete benefits application forms; negotiate on their behalf with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs staff; and/or represent them in administrative processes or judicial litigation. Included are Veteran Services Officers (VSOs) who are trained and accredited by the Veteran's Administration (VA) and can be found in offices specific to each state, the county courthouse, the local VA office and local veteran's rights organizations; as well as legal aid programs that offer more formalized legal assistance.
• Veteran Burial Benefits (2)
  NS-1000.9000

  Veteran Burial Benefits

  NS-1000.9000
  
  A program of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs that provides a variety of burial benefits for eligible deceased veterans of peacetime or wartime service who have been discharged under conditions other than dishonorable and, in the case of some benefits, for their dependents. Included are burial in a national cemetery (opening and closing the grave, headstones and markers and perpetual care); headstones and markers for graves of veterans that are located anywhere in the world as well as niche markers for urns; headstones or markers for memorial plots in situations where the veteran's remains are not available for burial; Presidential Memorial Certificates; and burial flags which drape the veteran's coffin and are given to the next of kin or close associate following the funeral. Burial and funeral allowances are also available to certain veterans under specified conditions.
• Veteran Education Benefits (5)
  HL-8000.1800-900

  Veteran Education Benefits

  HL-8000.1800-900
  
  Programs administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or other organizations that provide educational financial assistance for veterans and service personnel and their eligible dependents. Veterans and service personnel who served on active duty between January 31, 1955 and January 1, 1977 for specified periods of time are eligible for a variety of education benefits under the GI Bill including a stipend for tuition assistance at approved educational institutions. Veterans and service personnel who entered active duty after January 1, 1977 may participate in a voluntary contributory plan in which the individual's savings for a future education are administered and augmented by the government. Partial educational assistance is also available to the survivors of deceased or disabled veterans whose death or permanent and total disability was service-connected; and to the spouses and children of servicemen and women who have been listed for more than 90 days as missing in action, captured in the line of duty or forcibly detained by a foreign power.
• Women's Advocacy Groups (1)
  TD-1600.3100-950

  Women's Advocacy Groups

  TD-1600.3100-950
  
  Organizations that support the passage and enforcement of laws and other social measures that protect and promote the rights and interests of women.