Listen to DRNC on North Carolina Reading Service’s “Legal Matters”

In this episode, Casey Mason, DRNC’s Development Coordinator talks to Corye Dunn, Director of Public Policy and Tara Muller, Policy Attorney. They talk about the critical work of DRNC’s policy team.

What Does Our Policy Team Do?

We engage in policy and legislative advocacy to protect and expand the rights of people with disabilities. We educate state legislators about the diverse lives and needs of people with disabilities and how a proposed change to a policy or program may impact them. At times, we may work with lawmakers and their staff to draft legislation. We do not use our federal grant funds to pay for lobbying work.

Learn more about the important work of DRNC’s policy team

In this episode, Cas Shearin, DRNC’s Media Strategist/Senior Writer, interviews Virginia Knowlton Marcus, DRNC’s Chief Executive Officer about the overall role DRNC plays in the state of North Carolina.

About DRNC

Disability Rights North Carolina is a legal advocacy agency that fights for the rights of people with disabilities in North Carolina. We handle cases involving discrimination, abuse and other rights violations. All of our services are at no cost to North Carolinians with disabilities. We are a private, independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit and a member of the National Disability Rights Network.

In this episode, Cas Shearin, DRNC’s Media Strategist/Senior Writer, interviews Corye Dunn, Director of Public Policy and Luke Woollard, Attorney on DRNC’s prison and jails team about DRNC’s recent report.

A Disability Rights NC Report on NC’s Failure to Regulate Dangerous Jails

This report is DRNC’s first comprehensive public report examining and exposing North Carolina’s (NC’s) deeply flawed and dangerous jail regulatory system. This report builds upon our previous work analyzing the persistently dangerous conditions in our state’s jail system. DRNC’s investigation uncovered facilities that were allowed to operate despite chronic inspection failures and dangerous conditions, sometimes with deadly consequences.

In this episode, Jen Andrew, DRNC’s Communications Coordinator interviews Kishona Mimms, Supervising Investigator, and Holly Stiles, Assistant Legal Director for Litigation on DRNC’s work in PRTF’s

What are Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities?

Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs) are places for children and adolescents to go to receive long-term care. Young people are admitted to PRTFs to get mental health treatment.

Many PRTFs fail to provide mental health treatment. They are not caring or trauma-informed places. Instead, staff maintain control through strict rules and routines. Kids and youth there may be abused or neglected. And they are separated from their families. This separation makes it harder to work through family issues. PRTFs are also expensive.

Learn more about DRNC’s work in PRTF’s

In this episode, Cas Shearin, DRNC’s Media Strategist/Senior Writer, interviews Lisa Grafstein, Litigation Counsel about the  historic ruling in the Samantha R. case.

What was the recent ruling in the Samantha R case?

On Nov. 2, 2022, Superior Court Judge R. Allen Baddour entered an injunctive relief order in Samantha R., et al. v North Carolina and the NC Department of Health and Human Services. The case, which was filed in May 2017, challenged the lack of adequate home and community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (“I/DD”).

Learn more about Samantha R.’s story

In this episode, Cas Shearin, DRNC’s Media Strategist/Senior Writer, interviews Gabriella Bush, a supervising investigator with DRNC. They talk about the critical work of DRNC’s Rep Payee team. DRNC’s dedicated team of six full-time investigators and their supervising investigator partner with the SSA to oversee how representative payees across the state are managing these benefits. 

What does the representative payee team do?

The rep payee team visits all the places that disabled people may live, including: 

• Houses or apartments in the community, 
• Group homes 
• Institutions such as adult care homes, nursing facilities, and facilities for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities 
• State-operated institutions 

Iris Green, Director of Constituent Services at DRNC, and the Vice President of the NC Reading Service Board of Directors, also contributed to this show.