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Resource Advocates: On the Front Lines at WPAS
December 13, 2001
by the Resource Advocate Team
When you walk into the main office at WPAS, the first thing you notice is the telephone - It’s always ringing. Day after day, the calls keep coming in from people who need information, people who are trying to find the right resource, people who are in trouble, people who have been treated unfairly. At WPAS, it is the members of the Resource Advocate Team who return these calls.
Sometimes the caller just needs to have a question answered, or a phone number provided. Sometimes the Resource Advocates offer suggestions as to how the caller can advocate for her or himself. Sometimes, however, the Resource Advocacy Team is called upon to act under pressure when a client calls in an emergency situation.
Here are some examples of how Resource Advocates go about their jobs everyday at WPAS.
Dogged Pursuit of the Law – Human Rights Commission has a Bone to Pick with Shelter
The Resource Advocates received an emergency call recently from a woman who was staying in a shelter. She had a service dog and had been allowed in the shelter over the weekend, with no complaints about the dog. On Monday, however, she was told that unless she provided the shelter with proof of her medical condition, and some type of documentation proving that the dog was really a service animal, the dog would not be able to remain at the shelter. She had just moved to this state, was waiting to get hooked up with services through DSHS, and had nowhere to go. She was told that she had three days to get the proof that the shelter required. She called WPAS on the third day, just before she was going to be put out on the street. She felt that she was being discriminated against, and should not have to provide any personal medical information to the shelter in order for her service animal to stay with her.
There wasn’t much time, so the Resource Advocates did some quick research into the laws that apply to service animals, and began calling various resources trying to find a solution before the caller was evicted from the shelter. After a tense scramble to find the relevant information, the Human Rights Commission was finally able to answer the question. Service animals are protected under Washington State Law, and the Human Rights Commission offered to talk to the people at the shelter if it became necessary.
With the client’s permission, the Resource Advocates contacted the shelter, and explained the law. Unfortunately, the person from the shelter was not receptive to talking to WPAS or the Human Rights Commission. He admitted that the dog had been no trouble, but he had not been able to find any law saying that the shelter had to accommodate her dog, and wanted proof that it was a service animal. The caller had a prescription from her doctor stating that the dog was part of her ongoing treatment, but the man from the shelter claimed that he had no way of knowing if a doctor had actually written the prescription.
The Resource Advocates explained that according to the law, the woman does not have to provide any proof, nor explain why she needs a service animal, but the man from the shelter refused to allow her to stay.
The matter didn’t end there. The Resource Advocates called back the client and advised her to call the Human Rights Commission, and make a verbal complaint immediately, then follow that up with a written one. She was also advised to be sure to explain that it was an emergency situation. To make doubly sure that her complaint would be heard, the advocates also made a supervised referral to the Human Rights Commission to give them a "heads up" on the situation.
This story has a happy ending. The caller was given the tools she needed to advocate for herself, and several weeks later she is still in the shelter with her dog, and is making progress at getting set-up with needed services.
As a direct result of WPAS doing supervised referrals, digging for information, putting pressure on the shelter, and providing the client with resources to help her advocate for her rights, she was able to remain in the shelter with her service companion.
Mom Won’t Let Me do Anything!
The Resource Advocacy Team received a call from a concerned provider regarding a client in an Adult Family Home. This woman is in her 30s and her mother is her legal guardian. The caller felt that the guardian was being much too restrictive. She was not allowing her daughter to attend church, watch certain television shows, and go on dates, among other things. He called to get information on guardianships and to see if WPAS could help the situation.
One of the WPAS attorneys provided the Resource Team excellent technical assistance, which was passed on to the caller. Resource Advocates also provided him with information on guardianships.
Armed with technical assistance and written information, the caller was able to convince several of the woman’s providers to arrange meetings with the mother. During these meetings, they provided her with materials that spelled out what guardians can and cannot do.
As a result of WPAS technical assistance and the skill of the Resource Advocates, the caller was successfully able to get a signed statement from the mother that she would not interfere with her daughter’s personal life. Furthermore, if she maintained her meddling, she would be taken to court to remove the guardianship. The caller was very grateful for WPAS help, and has also used the materials that were sent to help inform other clients.
Mom Asserts that Juvenile Justice System Fails to Provide Mental Health Treatment
A mother contacted WPAS because her teenager with mental disabilities was not receiving appropriate mental health treatment at a Juvenile Detention Center. A Resource Advocate directed the woman to DSHS Constituent Services and the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration to get information and policies about the programs and treatment. She was also given the information about who she can contact to make complaints.
People with Disabilities Have Rights at Work
A mother called on behalf of her son with a developmental disability who sought assistance in how to address work-related issues. The Resource Advocate brainstormed ideas and discussed a strategy on how to go about addressing the problem. The Advocate provided a number of suggestions on how to effectively communicate with the supervisor. Also suggested was that it may be helpful to involve the ADA Coordinator or someone in Human Resources who works with disability-related issues. The Resource Advocate also provided information about where and how to make complaints if he felt that he was being discriminated against because of his disability.
Car was OK, the Dealership was a Lemon
A woman who described herself as having a disability, being a single-parent for a child with heart problems, and living below the poverty level contacted WPAS because she felt taken advantage of by a car dealership. Resource Advocates provided her with referrals to the Attorney General's Office, the Human Rights Commission, and suggested that she seek legal advice. A couple months later, the client informed the Resource Advocates that the Attorney General's Office, along with other entities, are investigating this car dealership.
Lender Pulls a Fast One
A caller with a disability applied for a mortgage to help pay off his bills. He soon found that the mortgage contract included language giving the lender power of attorney authorities pertaining to his home. Resource Advocates sought assistance through the pro bono network and a law firm volunteered to assist the caller in understanding the mortgage contract.
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