Supreme Court declines to review Fernald case (April 6, 2009). Fernald Center parents were unusccessful in their effort to have the Supreme Court review the  First Circuit Court of Appeals' order vacating the District Court's order regarding the state's decision to close the facility. The Arc/Massachusetts and Disability Law Center brief in opposition to Supreme Court review is available here. Other briefs and court orders in the case are available by clicking here and scrolling down. SJC holds Massachusetts statute that allows extension of commitments to DYS after 18th birthday is unconstitutional. Read the opinion here and the briefs here.  Survey of Massachusetts Emergency Services Agencies: The Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership is about to choose providers to provide psychiatric community crisis services and we are trying to provide input. We are seeking feedback from people who have used these providers. Follow this link and scroll to the bottom of the page for a confidential survey. Posted Feb. 9, 2009. JEHT Foundation Closes Because of Madoff Ponzi Scheme -- CPR Loses Important Grant The Center and some of its clients are among the indirect victims of the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme.  More information is available here. Business Week and the Associated Press have described the impact on CPR and others. To help, Donate Now. Settlement of case seeking community services for people with brain injuries in Massachusetts nursing homes is subject to court approval. See a summary of the settlement, the complaint or click here for a summary of the complaint. Maryland Disability Law Center & CPR release “Maryland Citizens in Psychiatric Crisis: A Report,”  about emergency department practices and community crisis alternatives. For more information click here. Updated annotated list of reported and unreported damage cases. Prison mental health cases: The Center is co-counsel in two law suits challenging the lack of alternatives to isolation for prisoners with serious mental illness. The complaint in a case in Massachusetts is available here. A complaint in a similar case in Michigan is here.  Restraint and seclusion of children and adolescents in Massachusetts -- a new monograph on the complex laws regulating restraint of youth in Massachusetts.   © Copyright 2007 The Center for Public Representation

The Center for Public Representation is a non-profit public interest law firm providing mental health law and disability law services.   The Center seeks to improve the quality of lives of people with mental illness and other disabilities through the systemic enforcement of their legal rights while promoting improvements in services for citizens with disabilities. Based in Massachusetts, with offices in Northampton and Newton, the Center is engaged in activities both in the state and throughout the nation. Through its systemic activities during the past 30 years, the Center has been a major force in promoting improvements in services for citizens with disabilities. The Center's experienced staff of attorneys and paralegals is committed to: Promoting positive change in the systems that serve people with disabilities Protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities Providing support, consultation and technical assistance to people with disabilities and their advocates Publishing books and articles and disseminating information which influence mental health law and disability law and help to change for the better the systems which serve people with disabilities. Documents and pleadings which may be helpful to attorneys litigating or considering the litigation of disability law related cases are available by following the links in the Litigation and Consulting Services section or by using the Search function. For information about books by CPR staff click the publications page.        • The Center was selected as a 2004 charity by the Catalogue for Philanthropy. Donate Now • For information about Western Massachusetts Social Security and SSI Appeals click this link. LITIGATION AND CONSULTING SERVICES      SEARCH