Louisiana Resources

State Mental Health Agency
For more information about admission, care, treatment, release, and patient follow-up in public or private psychiatric residential facilities, contact your State mental health agency:

Dr. Cheryl Bowens-Stephens, Assistant Secretary
Department of Health and Hospitals
Office of Mental Health
P.O. Box 4049, Bin No. 12
Baton Rouge , LA 70821-4049
Phone: 225-342-2540
Fax: 225-342-5066
Internet: www.dhh.state.la.us/offices/?ID=62

Street address for United Parcel Service and Federal Express delivery:

1201 Capitol Access Road, Fourth Floor
Baton Rouge , LA 70802

Spanish language assistance available

State Protection and Advocacy Agency
Each State has a protection and advocacy agency that receives funding from the Federal Center for Mental Health Services. Agencies are mandated to protect and advocate for the rights of people with mental illnesses and to investigate reports of abuse and neglect in facilities that care for or treat individuals with mental illnesses. These facilities, which may be public or private, include hospitals, nursing homes, community facilities, board and care homes, homeless shelters, jails, and prisons. Agencies provide advocacy services or conduct investigations to address issues that arise during transportation or admission to such facilities, during residency in them, or within 90 days after discharge from them. Contact:

Advocacy Center
225 Baronne Street, Suite 2112
New Orleans , LA 70112-2112
Phone: 504-522-2337
Fax: 504-522-5507
Toll-free: 800-960-7705 (Statewide )
Internet: www.advocacyla.org

Spanish language assistance available

Family Support
The Center for Mental Health Services awards grants to statewide, family-run networks to provide support and information to families of children and adolescents with serious emotional, behavioral, or mental disorders. For more information, contact:

Louisiana Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health
5627 Superior Drive , Suite A
Baton Rogue, LA 70816
Phone: 225-293-3508
Fax: 225-293-3510
Toll-free: 800-224-4010 (Statewide)
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.laffcmh.com

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which are part of the Department of Health and Human Services, investigate some complaints about treatment facilities that receive Medicare and Medicaid funding. For further information at the national level, contact:

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
7500 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850
Phone: 410-786-3000
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.CMS.gov

You may also share your concerns with staff at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services office in your area, which is Region 6. The regional office address and telephone number are:

Dallas Regional Office
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
1301 Young Street, Suite 827
Dallas , TX 75202
Phone: 214-767-6401
Fax: 214-767-0323
Internet: www.CMS.gov

Advocacy Organizations
Local chapters of the National Mental Health Association have information about community services and engage in national and State level advocacy. For more information about the association, write or call:

Yakima Black, Director
Mental Health Association of Louisiana
263 Third Street
Suite 103
Baton Rouge, LA 70801
Phone: 225-343-1921
Toll-Free: 1-800-241-6425
Fax: 225-343-1983
Internet: www.MHAL.org

The National Alliance on Mental Illness maintains a helpline for information on mental illnesses and referrals to local groups. The local self-help groups have support and advocacy components and offer education and information about community services for families and individuals. For information about the Alliance's affiliates and activities in your State, contact:

Jennifer N. Jantz, Executive Director
NAMI Louisiana
P.O. Box 40517
Baton Rouge , LA 70835
Phone: 225-292-6928
Fax: 225-368-0055
Toll-free : 888-343-5864
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: la.nami.org

Meaningful Minds of Louisiana
11762 South Harrell’s Ferry Road, Suite D
Baton Rouge, LA 70816
Phone: 225-292-6928
Fax: 225-368-0055

The National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse, funded partly by the Center for Mental Health Services, promotes and helps to develop consumer-run self-help groups across the country. Technical assistance and materials are available on such topics as organizing groups, fundraising, leadership development, incorporating, public relations, advocacy, and networking. For more information, contact:

The National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse
1211 Chestnut Street, Suite 1207
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: 215-751-1810
Fax: 215-636-6312
Toll-free: 800-553-4KEY (539)
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.mhselfhelp.org

The National Empowerment Center is a Technical Assistance Center run by mental health consumers/survivors. The Center's mission is to carry a message of recovery, empowerment, hope and healing to people who have been diagnosed with mental illness. The Center provides information and referrals to consumer/survivor resources nationwide and offers technical assistance to individuals and groups involved in consumer empowerment activities. The Center distributes recovery-related publications and sponsors education and training activities. For information on consumer/survivor activities in your area, contact:

The National Empowerment Center
599 Canal Street
Lawrence, MA 01840
Toll-free: 800-769-3728
Fax: 978-681-6426
TDD: 800-TTY-POWER (7693)
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.power2u.org

The Consumer Organization & Networking Technical Assistance Center (CONTAC), funded by the Center for Mental Health Services, is a resource center for consumers/survivors and consumer-run organizations across the United States. Services and products include informational materials; on-site training and skill-building curricula; electronic and other communication capabilities; networking and customized activities promoting self-help, recovery, leadership, business management, and empowerment. For more information contact:

Consumer Organization & Networking Technical Assistance Center (CONTAC)
P.O. Box 11000
Charleston , WV 25339
Phone: 304-345-7312
Toll-free: 888-825-TECH (8324)
Fax: 304-345-7303
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.contac.org

Other Sources of Information
There are many sources of information that you can tap. Your area mental health authority, which is generally a part of the local government, may be useful. Other branches of your city or county government also may be able to help. For example, the education office might have information about help for children, and the agency for the aging might know about services for senior citizens. In addition, your family physician or area hospital may be able to make referrals. For legal advice, contact your local bar association. Also, your local library and telephone yellow pages may have resource lists for sources of help in your community.

SRG-LA
Updated 12/05

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