PROGRAMS
VOPA services are funded through one state and
eight federal programs. These programs are:
- Virginians with Disabilities Act
Program (VDA)
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The Virginians with Disabilities Act makes
it illegal to discriminate against individuals on the basis of
disability in employment, voting, programs or activities conducted by
the Commonwealth of Virginia, education, access to public places,
transportation, and housing.
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- Developmental Disabilities Program (DD)
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The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and
Bill of Rights Act funds this program to provide legal and advocacy
services to assist children and adults
with severe, lifelong disabilities who require special care, housing,
treatment, and services and who have been abused, neglected, or
discriminated against, due to their disability. Problems related
to education, residential care, training centers, community
rehabilitation programs, infant programs, and activity centers are
handled under this program. The most common DD issues
include: special education services; abuse and/or neglect of
persons in special programs; the right to live, learn, and work in the
most integrated setting; assistive technology and assistive technology
services to support independence; freedom to make independent
decisions whenever possible; and access to programs and services.
- Protection and Advocacy for Individuals
with Mental Illness Program (PAIMI)
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The Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with
Mental Illness Act funds this program to provide legal and advocacy
services for people with mental illness who live in a hospital or
other facility providing care and treatment for their illness.
People who have problems while being taken to or from a facility,
getting admitted to a facility, or within 90 days of leaving a
facility may also be eligible for PAIMI services. Depending on
federal funding levels, persons with mental illness who live in the
community independently or with family or friends may also be
eligible. PAIMI protects the right to: obtain
appropriate services; make complaints about services or treatment; ask
questions of anyone who is supposed to provide services or treatment;
be safe from harm; make decisions about services received; keep records private; and have a written plan in place
before leaving a mental health facility.
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- Client Assistance Program (CAP)
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The Client Assistance Program was established as
part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to explain and protect the
rights of and benefits to persons who are clients of or applicants for
services provided by the Department of Rehabilitative Services,
Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired, Centers for
Independent Living, or programs funded under the Rehabilitation Act of
1973, as amended. VOPA can assist eligible individuals to help
resolve problems with a client's counselor or case manager, mediate
disagreements about services, provide information on additional
resources, and represent clients who are denied services or provided
inappropriate services.
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- Assistive Technology Program (AT)
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The Assistive Technology Program assists
individuals with disabilities seeking access to assistive technology
devices and services, with emphasis on obtaining funding from
vocational rehabilitation and special education providers, and
Medicaid or Medicare. Assistive technology is any device,
adaptive equipment, or service which enables people with disabilities
to accomplish a task that would otherwise not be possible. VOPA can help people learn about the great potential of assistive
technology and help them find funding assistance. VOPA provides
advocacy and legal representation services to persons who have been
denied funding for assistive technology services or devices.
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- Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights
Program (PAIR)
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The Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights
Program allows VOPA to expand its services to individuals with
disabilities in the community who are not eligible for other advocacy
programs. An individual with a disability who requires
information or services to overcome discrimination, barriers to living
independently, or barriers to accessing benefits and services may be
eligible for VOPA assistance under the PAIR Program.
Additionally, individuals who need access to goods or services
provided by private businesses may be eligible for legal advocacy or
representation by VOPA. Individuals may be eligible for services
under the PAIR Program only if they are not eligible for DD or
PAIMI and are not receiving services under CAP.
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- Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries
of Social Security Program (PABSS)
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Funded by the Ticket to
Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999, the Protection and
Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security Program is funded by the
Social Security Administration. The Ticket to Work system provides eligible SSI and SSDI beneficiaries with a "ticket"
that they can use to obtain vocational rehabilitation (VR), employment
services, and other support services from an Employment Network (EN)
of their choice. Currently, under this program, VOPA is
providing assistance and representation to Social Security
beneficiaries with disabilities who have: experienced employment
discrimination based on disability; or have been inappropriately
denied Medicaid (1619b status) benefits and are at-risk of losing
their job due to a loss of Medicaid benefits or are unable to take a
job because of the denial of 1619b status.
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- Traumatic Brain Injury Program (TBI)
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The Traumatic Brain Injury Program (TBI)
is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Traumatic
Brain Injury Program as part of a range of activities to help prevent
and rehabilitate persons from the impact of TBI. The role of VOPA
and other Protection and Advocacy Systems agencies is to improve access
to comprehensive, high quality services for people with TBI and to
reduce the incidence of discrimination against individuals with TBI.
VOPA will work through the TBI grant to help Virginians with TBI and
their families know their rights, have barriers reduced to becoming
eligible for community services, and to have access to quality health
care, rehabilitation, and other services.
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- Help America Vote Act Program (HAVA)
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Congress passed the Help America Vote
Act of 2002 to improve the administration of elections in the United
States. States are provided funding to replace outdated voting
systems and are to create minimum standards to follow in key areas of
election administration. Among other things, these key areas
include voting systems, voting accessibility, statewide computerized
voter registration lists, provisional voting, voter education, and voter
registration by mail. VOPA monitors the way the Act is carried out
with regard to persons with disabilities. VOPA surveys polling
sites across the state to make sure they are accessible for persons with
visual, sensory, and mobility impairments; provides voting rights
information to persons with disabilities; provides voter registration
materials to the public; and provides technical assistance, legal
advocacy, and legal representation to persons who have been
discriminated against in the voting process.
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Virginia
Office for Protection and Advocacy