The Georgia Advocacy Office (GAO) provides a wide range of services to persons with disabilities in Georgia. Some examples are:
- Information and referral
- Technical assistance, advice and support in self advocacy
- Assistance in advocacy, negotiation, or mediation on behalf of individuals
- Investigation of allegations of abuse, neglect, or violations of rights
- Public information and education regarding the needs and rights of people with disabilities
- Multicultural outreach to unserved or underserved groups of persons with disabilities
- Identification of problems in the system of service delivery and advocacy for systemic change
- Legislative monitoring and technical assistance
- Technical assistance to attorneys on disability law
Cases GAO Does Not Accept
Annual priorities are established by the GAO Board of Directors for each program. You can read the priorities for each progam on the home page [ HOME] and your input is welcome throught the year. Our priorities specify the types of cases we may accept and, by omission, those we may not accept. The following are various types of cases that do not fall within the priorities of GAO because they are commonly accepted by legal services, the private bar, and court-appointed counsel or because the primary issue is often not based on discrimination due to disability or the person has already retained legal counsel:
- Social Security applications
- Food Stamp applications/claims
- Criminal proceedings
- Divorce, custody, and child support
- Ad litem representation of children in parental rights termination cases
- Drafting of wills, trusts, and estate planning
- Malpractice cases
- Workers Compensation, issues related to collective bargaining agreements, unemployment compensation
- Product liability cases
- Bankruptcy matters
- Personal injury cases
- Consumer protection issues
- Tax issues
- Pension, ERISA issues
- Property disputes
- Guardianship proceedings (in most cases)
- Commitment proceedings
GAO does not represent the interests of care providers, families, or guardians unless that interest is consistent with the interest of the individual with a disability, and GAO is also representing the individual with a disability (the individual with a disability may be a "Jane Doe").
GAO Grievance Procedure
If you have a grievance with the services you receive from the Georgia Advocacy Office you have the right to resolve your complaint utilizing the grievance procedure.
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