Mental Health Services for the Deaf in Florida

To:  Florida Legislators

To: Florida legislators
CALLING FOR LEGISLATIVE CHANGE IN THE DELIVERY OF SERVICES FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA AGENCY FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES


The following petition calls for legislative changes pertaining to the State’s delivery of services to individuals that are deaf consumers who require mental health services and are entitled to receive those same services from the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD). Currently the agency (APD) is not providing communication accommodations for these Deaf consumers and instead is authorizing, financing and facilitating placements into community group home settings without the benefit of American Sign Language and/or forms of communication accommodations. The situation thereby effectively eliminates any opportunities for these individuals to effectively communicate and actively participate in their behavioral supports and programs. Furthermore, to be forced to live in environments that cannot accommodate their unique communication needs, the current situations render it practically impossible for these individuals to ever achieve the maximum level of independence that the State of Florida has expressed as being optimal and is described in several sections of Florida Statutes as it relates to mental health and developmental disabilities.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Mental Health Services for the Deaf in Florida Petition to Florida Legislators was created by and written by Kimberly M. House (kimhouse2004@yahoo.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.