Mental Health Services
Advocacy Organizations
The following organizations throughout Vermont can assist you in finding helpful information and in reaching out to another person who has experienced a similar situation. You may also consider contacting your faith community.
- Casey Family Services promotes a stable family for children in need through family advocacy and support, post-adoption services, and long-term foster care.
Phone: White River Junction office: 1-800-607-1400
Winooski office: 1-800-244-1408
Website: www.caseyfamilyservices.org
- Center for Crime Victim Services (CCVS) is a statewide organization that provides advocacy and information to victims of crime
Phone: 1-800-750-1213
Website: www.ccvs.state.vt.us
- Family, Infant and Toddler Project of Vermont (FITP) is a family-centered statewide system of early intervention services for infants and toddlers who have a delay in their development or a health condition that may lead to a delay in development, and their families.
Phone: 1-800-870-6758 voice/TTY
Website: www.dcf.state.vt.us/cdd/programs/prevention/fitp/families.html
- National Alliance on Mental Illness of Vermont is composed of individuals and families dealing with severe mental illness.
Phone: 1-800-639-6480 or 802-244-1558
Website: www.namivt.org
- Outright Vermont provides information, support, referral, and education services for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (GLBTQ) youth and the people who work with them.
Phone: 1-800-GLB-CHAT or 1-800-452-2428
- Parent Child Centers around the state provide assistance and education to young families at low or no cost. For information about family education and support programs existing in local areas call the Vermont Parent Child Center Network Office or see Appendix B for a complete list of local programs.
Phone: 802-388-3171
Website: www.vermontfamilyresource.org/PCCNetwork/Home.html
- Parent-to-Parent of Vermont provides a network of support and information for families whose child has a chronic illness or disability or has been born prematurely.
Phone: 1-800-800-4005
Website: www.partoparvt.org
- Prevent Child Abuse - Vermont is an umbrella organization of educational services to the families of Vermont, including:
- Parents Together
- The Nurturing Program
- Shaken Baby Syndrome Program
- Kindred Connections
- Understanding and Responding to Sexual Behavior in Children and Adolescents
- Sexual Abuse Free Environment for Teens (SAFE-T)
- Vermont Parents' Home Companion & Resource Directory
Parents' Stress Line: 1-800-CHILDREN or 1-800-244-5373;
Website: www.pcavt.org
E-mail: pcavt@together.net
- Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE) a national self-advocacy organization for people with disabilities
Phone: n/a
Website: www.sabeusa.org
- STOP IT NOW! Vermont is a confidential help-line to help prevent child sexual abuse. Information is available to everyone, including abusers, family members and friends who may want to confront an abuser, parents of adolescent abusers, and people who care about children and want to learn more.
Phone: 1-888-PREVENT or 1-888-773-8368
- Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children (VAEYC) provides advocacy, coordinates the Week of the Young Child, has a catalog of resources and services, and hosts an annual conference.
Phone: 802-985-2697
- Vermont Association for Mental Health is a statewide citizens' organization working to promote mental health and mental health services. Focus is on public education and advocacy.
Phone: 1-800-639-4052
Website: www.vamh.org
- Vermont Center for Independent Living is a private non-profit organization operated by and serving Vermonters with disabilities.
Phone: 1-800-639-1522 voice/TTY
- Vermont Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Sexual Abuse is a state program designed to address the treatment needs of both sexual abuse victims and offenders. It provides a resource center and referral service to prevent and treat sexual abuse.
Phone: 1-802-651-1663
- Vermont's Children's Aid Society is a comprehensive program to improve children's well-being, including pregnancy counseling, referral services and financial planning assistance, adoption planning and counseling, and foster care services.
Phone: 1-800-479-0015 or 802-864-9883
- Vermont Children's Forum does advocacy work, produces a legislative agenda with updates, publishes The Vermont Kids Count Data Book, and hosts an annual conference. They also sponsor the Vermont Community Leadership Training Program, a free community-based training program for adult community members who are committed to making positive change in communities.
Phone: 802-229-6377
- Vermont Coalition for Disability Rights is a statewide coalition of disability advocacy organizations that works closely with its member organizations to empower people with disabilities and assist them to directly participate in legislative decision-making.
Phone: 1-802-223-6140 voice/TTY
- Vermont Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health is a family-run organization supporting families whose children are experiencing or are at risk to experience emotional, behavioral, or mental health challenges.
Phone: 1-800-639-6071
- Vermont Foster/Adoptive Family Association (VFAFA) is a volunteer parent organization dedicated to strengthening foster and adoptive families through training, peer support, advocacy and other services.
Phone: 1-800-746-7000
- Vermont Law Help is a non-profit legal website for non-lawyers. It explains laws that affect Vermonters in an easy-to-read format. It's target audience is low-income Vermonters. They provide legal information, referrals to free legal help, the courts, and social service agencies. They also provide guided links to court forms on the Judiciary's website.
Website: www.vtlawhelp.org
- Vermont Legal Aid is a non-profit law firm organized into specialized projects serving clients from six offices located throughout Vermont. It helps Vermonters with non-criminal legal problems if they have low incomes, are elderly, or have a disability.
Phone: 1-800-889-2047
- Vermont Migrant Education Program at the Rural Education Center focuses on educational services including advocacy for children and youth of agricultural workers who move frequently across school district lines.
Phone: 1-800-639-2023
- Vermont Parent Information Center provides families of children who have special needs with information and support regarding their child's disability, the education process, and community resources.
Phone: 1-800-639-7170
Website: www.vtpic.com
- Vermont Protection and Advocacy works with individuals who are labeled mentally ill and are receiving mental health treatment in a residential facility or hospital, or were recently discharged from a hospital or other residential facility. It investigates: complaints of abuse (physical or sexual assault, verbal abuse, restraint and seclusion, forced treatment, and harassment;) and of violations of individual rights (the right to refuse treatment, right to privacy, access to medical records, confidentiality).
Phone: 1-800-834-7890
- University of Vermont's Center on Disability and Community Inclusion provides services, supports and education to families, schools and communities and advocacy for the legal and civil rights of individuals with disabilities.
Phone: 802-656-4031 voice/TTY
Website: www.uvm.edu/~cdci/
- University of Vermont's I-Team (Interdisciplinary Team for Intensive Special Education) assists local teams of families, educators, and other service providers to deliver quality educational services to students with intensive educational needs through technical assistance, professional development, and family support.
Phone: 802-656-4031
Other Sources of Information
Information is important in understanding your child's situation, your rights, and how you can help. In addition to the resources and their websites listed above, there are many other ways to get information, such as libraries, newsletters for specific disabilities, conferences, workshops, training events, and the Internet.
Additional Websites:
- Vermont 2-1-1 Community Information Specialists provide the human touch, help solve problems, and link callers throughout Vermont with government programs, community-based organizations, support groups, volunteer opportunities, donation programs, and other local resources. Dial 2-1-1 or visit their website.