Advocacy Groups

Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint – They are a small, but fierce, team of parents, advocates, educators, and other working to effect change, but we have a lot of work ahead of us. Their mission is to educate the public and connect people who are dedicated to changing minds, laws, policies, and practices so that restraint and seclusion are reduced and eliminated from schools across the nation (and beyond).  They believe children must be treated with dignity and respect. Children must not be humiliated, manipulated, exploited, or subjected to harsh forms of punishment, such as restraint, seclusion, and corporal punishment.  Such treatment negatively impacts a child’s feelings of dignity, value, and self-worth.

Alliance to Prevent Restraint, Aversive Interventions, and SeclusionThe Alliance to Prevent Restraint, Aversive Interventions, and Seclusion (APRAIS) is a coalition of organizations and advocates who dedicate their time and resources to ending restraint and seclusion abuse in U.S. schools and work together in support of this Vision: All children with disabilities should grow up free from the use of restraint, seclusion, and aversive interventions to respond to or control their behavior, and from the fear that these forms of behavior management will be used on themselves, their siblings or their friends.  

American Association of People with Disabilities – The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which advocates for the legal rights of people with disabilities. One of the primary purposes of the AAPD is to further the implementation of the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. As a national cross-disability rights organization, AAPD advocates for full civil rights for the 50+ million Americans with disabilities by promoting equal opportunity, economic power, independent living, and political participation

American Civil Liberties Union – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 “to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.” The ACLU works in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country. In the past, the ACLU has been involved in cases against troubled teen programs such as Provo Canyon School and were able to achieve additional rights for children through litigation.

Autistic Self Advocacy Network – The Autistic Self Advocacy Network is an American 501 nonprofit advocacy organization run by and for individuals on the autism spectrum. ASAN advocates for the inclusion of autistic people in decisions that affect them, including: legislation, depiction in the media, and disability services.

Autistic Woman & Nonbinary Network – The mission of Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network (AWN) is to provide community, support, and resources for Autistic women, girls, transfeminine and transmasculine nonbinary people, trans people of all genders, Two Spirit people, and all others of marginalized genders. AWN Network  is dedicated to building a supportive community where we can share our experiences in an understanding, diverse and inclusive environment. AWN is committed to recognizing and celebrating diversity and the many intersectional experiences in our community.

Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law – They employ cutting-edge litigation to effect progressive systemic change and impact public policy. They secured early legal precedents creating basic civil rights for people with mental disabilities—including the rights to a public education, receive services in community-based settings instead of institutions, and make decisions about one’s own care. The Center was instrumental in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (1990) and played a key role in the historic case of Olmstead v. L.C. (1999), in which the Supreme Court found that needless segregation of people with psychiatric disabilities violates the ADA.

Campaign for Youth Justice – The Campaign for Youth Justice (CFYJ) is a national campaign in the United States dedicated to ending the practice of trying, sentencing, and incarcerating children under age 18 in the adult justice system. Founded in 2005, CFYJ has become a national clearinghouse on the issue of trying youth in adult court. It is also one of the leading advocates for the reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. CFYJ is an advocacy group with nonprofit status.

Center for Public Representation – CPR is dedicated to enforcing and expanding the rights of people with disabilities and others who are in segregated settings. CPR uses legal strategies, advocacy, and policy to design and implement systemic reform initiatives to promote their integration and full community participation. Working on state, national and international levels, CPR is committed to equality, diversity and social justice in all its activities.

CenterLink – CenterLink is an American LGBT organization which was founded in 1994 as a member-based coalition to support the development of strong, sustainable, LGBTQ community centers. A fundamental goal of CenterLink’s work is to strengthen, support, and connect LGBTQ community centers, and to help build the capacity of these centers to address the social, cultural, health, and political advocacy needs of LGBTQ community members across the country. CenterLink plays a vital role in addressing the challenges centers face by helping them to improve their organizational and service delivery capacity, access public resources, and engage their regional communities in grassroots social justice movements.

Children’s Rights – Every day, children are harmed by America’s broken child welfare, juvenile justice, education, and healthcare systems. Through relentless strategic advocacy and legal action, they hold governments accountable for keeping kids safe and healthy. Children’s Rights has made a lasting impact, protecting hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children and we are poised to help millions more.

Children’s Advocacy Institute – The Children’s Advocacy Institute (CAI), founded at the nonprofit University of San Diego School of Law in 1989, is an academic, research, and advocacy law firm. CAI represents the interests and rights of children and youth in impact litigation, legislative and regulatory advocacy, research and public education projects, and public service programs. CAI’s academic component trains law students and attorneys to be effective child advocates. Active at both the state and federal levels, CAI’s advocacy program seeks to improve the status, health and well-being of children and youth in all areas of their lives, with special emphasis on improving the child protection and foster care systems and enhancing resources that are available to youth aging out of foster care and homeless youth.

Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates – The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates is an independent national American association of parents of children with disabilities, attorneys, advocates, and related professionals who protect the legal and civil rights of students with disabilities and their families.

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund – The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), located in Berkeley, California, and Washington, DC, USA is a national cross-disability civil rights law and policy center directed by individuals with disabilities and parents who have children with disabilities. Founded in 1979, DREDF advances the civil and human rights of people with disabilities through legal advocacy, training, education, and public policy and legislative development.

Disability Rights Legal Center – Founded in 1975, Disability Rights Legal Center (DRLC) is a 501C-3 non-profit, public interest advocacy organization that champions the civil rights of people with disabilities as well as those affected by cancer. DRLC is a leader in bringing cutting-edge cases to court and in winning victories to protect and to expand the rights of people to help eliminate discrimination and other legal barriers.

Domestic Violence Legal Empowerment And Appeals Project – DV LEAP makes the law work for survivors of domestic violence by challenging unjust trial outcomes; advancing legal protections through expert pro bono advocacy; training lawyers, advocates, and judges on best practices; and spearheading domestic violence litigation in the Supreme Court.

Encircle – Encircle is a 501 nonprofit organization that provides support and counselling for LGBTQ+ students and their families at multiple locations in Utah

End the TTI – The mission here at End the TTI is to help end the programs that for years have taken advantage of desperate families and desperate youth that are struggling with substance abuse or mental health issues along with supporting survivors of these programs in healing from damage caused by these programs.

Family Focused Treatment Association – FFTA works to advance best practices and advocate for policies that support families in their care and treatment for children. Treatment Family Care (formerly treatment/therapeutic foster care) is therapeutic treatment care for children and youth with special medical, psychological, emotional and social needs who can accept and respond to the close relationships within a family setting, but whose special needs require intensive or therapeutic services. Treatment Family Care is the least restrictive form of out-of-home therapeutic placement for children with severe emotional disorders. TFC keeps children out of in-patient hospitals, congregate care, and group homes, which are more expensive for State budgets to fund.

Human Rights Campaign – The Human Rights Campaign envisions a world where every member of the LGBTQ+ family has the freedom to live their truth without fear, and with equality under the law. We empower our 3 million members and supporters to mobilize against attacks on the most marginalized people in our community.

Impact Fund – The Impact Fund was founded in December 1992, and their mission is to provide grants, advocacy, and education to support impact litigation on behalf of communities seeking economic, environmental, racial, and social justice. They do this by (1) making grants to support cases that affect large numbers of people and aim to change a larger system or lead to significant legal reform; (2) providing training for public interest law practitioners on a wide range of issues relating to public interest litigation including in-person presentations, brown bag lunches, webinars, their annual Class Action Conference, and their three-day intensive Class Action Training Institute; and (3) pursuing an active and diverse docket of impact civil rights cases, maintaining an active amicus program, and providing pro bono advice to civil rights litigators on a range of complex issues. Their vision is a more equitable world where everyone can achieve justice.

International Coalition Against Restraint and Seclusion (ICARS) – ICARS champions the human rights of all children, globally. Every child deserves to feel safe in every environment. School is where they spend much of their time. Educational staff and faculty ought to provide them with opportunities to learn and grow without fear and without harm. The use of restraint and seclusion in schools, worldwide, is a danger and threat to all of our children. The parent-led, volunteer advocates of ICARS are focused upon securing and protecting the fundamental human rights of our youth, everywhere.

Juvenile in Justice – Juvenile-in-justice.com has put the face on juveniles in the justice system. They work with educational institutions and non-profits to better understand and/or explain the needs, policies, strategies, and resources required to facilitate better outcomes for the 53,000+ children in custody every day. Their work humanizes cold statistics by exploring the lifeworlds of children in the system.

Lambda Legal – Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, better known as Lambda Legal, is an American civil rights organization that focuses on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities as well as people living with HIV/AIDS (PWAs) through impact litigation, societal education, and public policy work.

Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, or simply the Lawyers’ Committee, is a civil rights organization founded in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy. The Lawyers’ Committee has many opportunities for law firms and lawyers to provide pro bono assistance on civil rights matters. While most matters are litigation oriented, opportunities do exist for transactional lawyers and for those interested in public policy issues. Assistance is also needed for smaller litigation oriented matters such as amicus briefs and general legal research.

National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities – NACDD is the national association for the 56 Councils on Developmental Disabilities (DD Councils) across the United States and its territories. The DD Councils receive federal funding to support programs that promote self-determination, integration and inclusion for all people in the United States with developmental disabilities.

National Center for Lesbian Rights – The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) is a non-profit, public interest law firm in the United States that advocates for equitable public policies affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, provides free legal assistance to LGBT clients and their legal advocates, and conducts community education on LGBT legal issues. It is headquartered in San Francisco with a policy team in Washington, DC. It is the only organization in the United States dedicated to lesbian legal issues, and the largest national lesbian organization in terms of members.

National Center for Transgender Equality – The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) is a nonprofit social equality organization founded in 2003 by transgender activist Mara Keisling in Washington, D.C. The organization works primarily in the areas of policy advocacy and media activism with the aim of advancing the equality of transgender people in the United States. Among other transgender-related issue areas, NCTE focuses on discrimination in employment, access to public accommodations, fair housing, identity documents, hate crimes and violence, criminal justice reform, federal research surveys and the Census, and health care access.

National Center for Victims of Crime – The National Center for Victims of Crime is a nonprofit organization that advocates for victims’ rights, trains professionals who work with victims, and serves as a trusted source of information on victims’ issues. After more than 35 years, we remain the most comprehensive national resource committed to advancing victims’ rights and helping victims of crime rebuild their lives. The National Center is, at its core, an advocacy organization committed to — and working on behalf of — crime victims and their families. Rather than focus the entire organization’s work on one type of crime or victim, the National Center addresses all types of crime.

National Center for Youth Law – National Center for Youth Law believes in the incredible power, agency, and wisdom of youth. Driven by their voices and experiences, they have worked for more than 50 years to transform government agencies and public systems, so that they Center Youth with equity, dignity, and care. NCYL works to ensure children and youth in foster care benefit from a positive and stable home-like environment. They dismantle practices that harm children in foster care, ensure youth in foster care have access to health care and education, and promote youth-, community-, and family-centered policies that preserve families and reduce reliance on the foster care system. NCYL works to transform the youth justice system so that it better embodies true justice and equity for children. They advance community-based, health-centered alternatives to harmful system practices and build towards a culture in which the system treats children as children.

National Child Abuse Coalition – The Coalition seeks to prevent child abuse and neglect well before families come to the attention of the child welfare system by strengthening families and communities. We also work to protect and support children and families that do come to the attention of CPS by improving the systems that respond to abuse and neglect.

National Coalition for LBGTQ Health – The Coalition is committed to improving the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals through federal and local advocacy, education, and research. The Coalition strives to address the entire LGBTQ+ community, including individuals of every sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, and age regardless of disability, income, education, and geography. The Coalition is an initiative of HealthHIV, a national nonprofit focused on health equity.

National Disability Rights Network – The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) is the nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and the Client Assistance Programs (CAP) for individuals with disabilities. As the national membership association for the P&A/CAP network, NDRN has aggressively sought federal support for advocacy on behalf of people with disabilities, and expanded P&A programs from a narrow initial focus on the institutional care provided to people with intellectual disabilities in facilities to include advocacy services for all people with disabilities no matter the type or nature of their disability. P&As and CAPs work to improve the lives of people with disabilities by guarding against abuse; advocating for basic rights; and ensuring access and accountability in health care, education, employment, housing, transportation, voting, and within the juvenile and criminal justice systems.

National Juvenile Justice Network – The National Juvenile Justice Network leads a membership community of 60 state-based organizations and numerous individuals across 42 states and D.C. They all seek to shrink our youth justice systems and transform the remainder into systems that treat youth and families with dignity and humanity. Their work is premised on the fundamental understanding that our youth justice systems are inextricably bound with the systemic and structural racism that defines our society; as such they seek to change policy and practice through an anti-racist lens by building power with those who are most negatively affected by our justice systems, including young people, their families and all people of color. They also recognize that other vulnerable populations – including LGBTQIA+, those with disabilities and mental illness, girls and immigrants – are disparately and negatively impacted by our justice systems, and thus they also seek to center their concerns in their policy change work.

National Network for Youth – The National Network for Youth (NN4Y) is dedicated to preventing and eradicating youth homelessness in America. We work in communities with youth who have experienced homelessness, service providers, and systems to help accelerate the community’s progress in ending homelessness and human trafficking among young people. Together, we envision a future in which all young people have a safe place to call home with endless opportunities to achieve their fullest potential.

National Network to End Domestic Violence – NNEDV projects address the complex causes and far-reaching consequences of domestic violence. Through cross-sector collaborations at the state, national and international level, we’re changing the way our society deals with domestic violence.

National Youth Rights Association – NYRA is the nation’s largest organization fighting for the rights of all young people. The National Youth Rights Association, or NYRA (NYE-ruh), was formed in 1998 by a group of young people who wanted to challenge the age discrimination and prejudice they were experiencing. Realizing that ageism is similar to other forms of oppression, they started NYRA as a youth-led civil rights organization in the hope of emulating other successful rights organizations that have pushed us to a more just world.

Neuroclastic – They follow a unique model of interdependence, leveraging the passions, skills, and specializations of contributors to create a living repository of information cataloging the autistic experience. They aim for a future that is more accepting, accommodating, and empowering for autistic people. Their organization platforms autistic voices, prioritizing those who are underrepresented in autistic self-advocacy, and their contributors create free, accessible resources for autistic people and non-autistic parents, educators, service providers, partners, and other people who interact with autistic people.

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) – PFLAG is the United States’ first and largest organization uniting parents, families, and allies with people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+). PFLAG National is the national organization, which provides support to the PFLAG network of local chapters.[1] PFLAG has over 400 chapters across the United States, with more than 200,000 members and supporters.

Prevent Child Abuse America – Evidence shows that children’s early experiences impact them throughout life—positively and negatively. Kids raised in safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments are more likely to enjoy good physical and mental health and succeed academically and socially. Children who grow up happy and healthy also go on to contribute to economic prosperity for everyone.

SIA Organization – SIA is a family-centered survivor and advocacy support non-profit organization. They are Survivors of Institutional Abuse, supporting survivors in healing and advocacy to raise awareness against Institutional Child Abuse for over 10 years. They are survivors #UnitedWithOneVoice sharing their experiences, healing together, and advocating for the protection of children.

Southern Poverty Law Center – The Southern Poverty Law Center is an American 501 nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation. The SPLC stands up for the powerless, the exploited and other victims of discrimination and hate. For more than four decades, they won landmark cases that brought systemic reforms in the Deep South including a lawsuit that led to the closure of an abusive program.

TASH – TASH is an international leader in disability advocacy. Founded in 1975, TASH advocates for human rights and inclusion for people with significant disabilities and support needs – those most vulnerable to segregation, abuse, neglect and institutionalization. TASH works to advance inclusive communities through advocacy, research, professional development, policy, and information and resources for parents, families and self-advocates. The inclusive practices TASH validates through research have been shown to improve outcomes for all people.

The Hotline – 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, the National Domestic Violence Hotline provides essential tools and support to help survivors of domestic violence so they can live their lives free of abuse. They answer the call to support and shift power back to those affected by relationship abuse.

The National Federation of Families – The National Federation of Families, a national family-run organization, serves as the national voice for families of children who experience emotional, behavioral, and mental health and/or substance use challenges – across the lifespan. They advocate at the national level for the inclusion of family voice in all aspects of services and supports across clinical, educational and community settings and promote effective partnerships among families, professionals, and policymakers at the local, state, and national level.

The Sentencing Project – The Sentencing Project advocates for effective and humane responses to crime that minimize imprisonment and criminalization of youth and adults by promoting racial, ethnic, economic, and gender justice. Their policy priorities envision the full inclusion in society of people with criminal records and an end to extreme punishments. Their aim is to center the leadership, voices, vision, and experience of those directly affected by mass incarceration to make the rationale for systemic change vivid, credible and compelling. For three decades the organization, with a small staff and funding from foundations and individuals, has regularly produced nonpartisan reports and research used by state and federal policymakers, administrators, and journalists as they consider crime and punishment.

The Trevor Project – The Trevor Project is an American nonprofit organization founded in 1998. It focuses on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth. Through a toll-free telephone number, it operates The Trevor Lifeline, a confidential service that offers trained counselors.

Think of Us – Think of Us operates as a Research and Development Lab for child welfare, transforming the system so that people with Lived Experience are at the center of designing, imagining, and building. The Child Welfare system is failing, causing greater trauma for the youth and families it is meant to serve. More than 70% of siblings are separated, 20,000+ youth age out each year, and 36%+ of aged out youth experience homelessness. Riddled with systemic racism, private interest money, and the criminalization of poverty, there is a devastating human cost to the gap between the goals of child welfare and its outcomes.

U.S. Alliance to End The Hitting of Children – The U.S. Alliance is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2011 that brings together individuals, groups, and organizations to create a unified voice calling for, and working toward, an end to corporal punishment – an antiquated and dangerous form of disciplining a child – especially in schools and homes. The Alliance, through education and legal means, seeks to end all social justifications and legal authorizations of corporal punishment. Achieving these goals will give children the same protection from this sort of physical violence that is already enjoyed by adults under state and federal law.

We Warned Them – They are a national coalition that consists of survivors of the TTI, activists, advocates, like-minded organizations and allies. They are showing up to hold elected officials accountable for the continued civil rights violations, exploitation and abuse that at-risk youth are forced to endure in under-regulated residential programs. Their campaign is also about amplifying minority voices of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, those who are neurodivergent, disabled, or differently-abled.

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