The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law is a national legal-advocacy organization representing people with mental disabilities in the United States. Originally known as The Mental Health Law Project, the Center was founded as a national public-interest organization in 1972 by a group of specialized attorneys and mental disability professionals who were working to help the court define a constitutional right to treatment in terms of specific standards for services and protections. In 1993, the organization changed its name to the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law to honor the legacy of Judge David L. Bazelon, whose decisions as Chief Judge of the

United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (in case citations, D.C. Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. It has the smallest geographical jurisdiction of any of the U.S. federal appellate co ...

had pioneered the field of mental health law.

Litigation

The Center's precedent-setting litigation has established important civil rights for people with mental illnesses or developmental disabilities. These include the right to treatment in '' Wyatt v. Stickney'' (decided in 1971 and successfully concluded in 1999), and the Supreme Court's 1999 '' Olmstead v. L.C. ex rel. Zimring'' decision affirming the right of people with disabilities to receive public services in the most integrated setting consistent with their needs.''Olmstead'' decision
information site at Bazelon Center, accessed online December 13, 2006.

Federal policy

The Center also engages in federal policy advocacy, working with Congress and the administrative agencies to ensure, for example, that people with mental disabilities are included under the protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act and amendments to the federal Fair Housing Act, and to generate resources such as Supplemental Security Income and

Medicaid Medicaid in the United States is a federal and state program that helps with healthcare costs for some people with limited income and resources. Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, including nursing home care and per ...

that can enable them to live and thrive in the community. In 2009, a major thrust was the integration of mental health in healthcare reform.

Publications

The Bazelon Center's publications include reports; issue papers; law, regulation, and policy analyses; advocacy manuals; and consumer-friendly guides to legal rights. These are available for free download from the center's website, or print copies may be ordered by postal mail, telephone, or email.

Funding

most of the Bazelon Center's revenue came from contributions, gifts, and grants. Notable organizations providing grant support to the Bazelon Center include the Open Society Foundations and the

MacArthur Foundation The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is a private foundation that makes grants and impact investments to support non-profit organizations in approximately 50 countries around the world. It has an endowment of $7.0 billion and p ...

. Beginning in 1978, the MacArthur Foundation has awarded multiple grants to the Bazelon Center, totaling $14,035,000

References

External links

* * {{cite web , title=Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law , website=

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, publisher=