Investigating and monitoring facilities is one of the primary jobs of a Protection and Advocacy Agency (P&A). *Those locations include, but are not limited to, schools, group homes, day programs, adult care homes, nursing homes, psychiatric hospitals, and residential treatment facilities.
What is monitoring?
Monitoring is when DRNC visits the places where people with disabilities live or work. We can also visit schools. When we visit, we will talk to you and your peers. We can answer your questions. We can help you speak up for yourself. We look for things that could hurt someone. And we talk to staff about what we see.
What is investigating?
DRNC has special power to investigate if you are hurt. Maybe your worker slapped you. Maybe a nurse yelled at you. Did you get hurt during a hold or restraint? Did a worker take your money? We can look into that!
There are lots of ways we investigate. We can ask questions about what happened. We can look at your records. We might watch videos or look at pictures. We try to understand what happened to you. Then we ask people to make changes so no one else gets hurt.
Resources
Your Basic Rights in Residential Facilities
You have the right to:
- Be treated with dignity and respect
- Not be abused, neglected or exploited
- Contact your attorney or advocate
- Contact your private medical or behavioral health professionals
- (For minors only) Contact your parent or guardian
- Make and receive private phone calls
- Send and receive unopened mail
- Receive visitors
- Be outside daily
- Participate in religious worship
- Keep and spend a reasonable amount of your own money
Contact us if you have a concern
If you have a concern about possible abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a person with a disability, please contact us. You do not have to give your name. But if you do, we are required by federal law to keep your identity confidential.