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THE MENTAL HEALTH LEGAL ADVISORS COMMITTEE

INTAKE

The Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee provides comprehensive information and advice to individuals involved in the Massachusetts mental health system through our Telephone Intake Unit. To have a legal advocate contact you regarding an intake matter, you must leave a voice mail message during our intake hours or send us an email. We do not conduct intake on a walk-in basis.

Intake Hours
8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays

Intake Phone Numbers
617-338-2345 ext. 20 or
toll free 1-800-342-9092 ext. 20

Intake Email Address
A request for an intake response may also be sent via email to MHLAC@mhlac.org

Whether contacting us by phone or email regarding intake, please leave a brief description of the nature of the issue about which you are seeking information or advice. You will need to leave your name, address, and telephone numbers. If you are contacting us about someone other than yourself, you also need to leave the name of that person and your relationship to him or her. We cannot provide assistance to anonymous callers or emails.

MHLAC provides advice and representation only for indigent clients in civil matters on issues in which a primary factor is the mental health of the client, although a diagnosis is not essential. MHLAC’s mission is to provide phone advice and referrals as well as some direct representation of persons with mental illness decided on a case-by-case basis. Please note that we only provide assistance for problems or issues that pertain to Massachusetts.

MHLAC’s Intake Unit handles a variety of cases which include:

Access to and appropriateness of state agency services: Specifically DMH, DMR, DSS, and DYS.

Consumer: Debt collection advocacy.

Domestic relations: Representation of parents with mental illness in family law cases, including divorces involving custody and/or visitation dispute, paternity cases involving custody and/or visitation dispute, contempts and modifications, guardianship of a minor and some limited 209A cases; very limited acceptance for divorce cases which do not involve custody and/or visitation disputes, and very limited acceptance for child support only cases. Referrals to the Clubhouse Family Legal Support Project: (same priorities as listed above) with preference for clients involved with a clubhouse and/or DMH services.

Education and special education: Matters involving youth with mental health/emotional issues; discipline of youth with mental health/emotional issues.

Employment discrimination: Advise persons who are discriminated against on the basis of a mental disability. Includes eligibility for and termination of short and long-term disability benefits.

Guardianship: General information provided.

Health Care/Managed Care: Advise consumers and clinicians on obtaining coverage of mental health services from private and public insurers; assist consumers with appeals to public and private insurers.

Housing: Advise people with disabilities regarding how to maintain housing when at threat of eviction; reasonable accommodations, representation in Community Residence Tenancy law cases

Mental health facilities: Legal rights information regarding treatment (both access to and right to refuse), civil commitment, restraint, basic civil rights, at public and private mental health facilities and hospital emergency rooms.

Rights in the community: Legal rights information regarding services for people with mental health disabilities in the community, including in community based residences.

Rights of DYS-involved youth: Advice and representation on civil matters to youth adjudicated delinquent and involved with DYS including both confined youth and youth residing in the community.


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