Disability Rights New Mexico

“The by-laws were amended in september 2015.”

“The form 990 is prepared by the independent auditor, and the draft is reviewed by the executive director, the office manager, and all board members prior to filing with the irs.”

“The conflict of interest policy is reviewed every year in january. Board members are required to complete and/or update the conflict of interest form at that time. Potential conflicts of interest are reviewed and discussed at board meetings, as applicable.”

“The board of directors periodically reviews and documents compensation levels for ceos of other similar organizations as part of due diligence with respect to compensation and benefit levels. Compensation levels for other staff are determined by the ceo, not the board, pursuant to organizational policy. However, information on salaries and benefits paid for comparable agencies is periodically reviewed and staff salaries are occasionally adjusted based on such review.”

“The organization's governing documents are available upon request. Financial information is included in the form 990, which is also available upon request. Basic information about the organization, its services, and funding sources is provided through the organization's website, www.drnm.org.”

“The board of directors serve in a volunteer capacity.”

“Services to persons in the developmental disabilities waiver program. The court-approved agreement means that service plans will be truly individualized to meet the needs of the participants, and not arbitrarily limited by a budget cap or a narrow range of services based on an assessment test score. In addition, we successfully pushed the state to resolve the problem of lengthy delays in approving budgets and service plans that were causing significant service disruptions to persons with disabilities. We intervened in over 40 individual cases to address these problems and worked with the state to get the issue resolved at a systemic level. We provided information to legislators about the needs of persons with disabilities, such as the number of persons on the waiting list for dd waiver services and the length of time on the waiting list before services begin, the use of seclusion and restraint on children with disabilities in the public schools, and the benefit of establishing savings accounts for individuals with disabilities as now allowed by federal law.”

“Albuquerque police department, particularly with respect to individuals with mental illness, and drnm now serves on the advisory committee working to implement the settlement agreement. We are working with city and county representatives crafting a plan to significantly expand services to persons with mental illness in the albuquerque area. Drnm conducted an extensive investigation that substantiated complaints on the use of restraints and excessive force, as well as peer-on-peer violence, at a children's residential treatment facility in southern nm ("the peak"). The ensuing report (released in december 2015) was corroborated by a similar investigation by a state agency and has led to major changes in personnel and practices at the facility. Drnm conducted forums in southern nm to assess the nature and extent of problems caused by the turnover in agencies providing community-based services. We provided information to legislators about the needs of persons with mental illness, including the benefits and cost-effectiveness of supportive housing and wrap-around services, the benefit of continuing or obtaining eligibility for medicaid while in jail or prison, and problems related to proposed legislation that would authorize court-ordered mental health treatment for persons who are competent to make their own decisions and who are not dangerous to themselves or others and not accused of a crime. Drnm staff participated on a task force that developed recommendations for alternate placements for persons with mental illness in jail awaiting disposition of their cases, and on the state supreme court's mental health rules committee, addressing the process for determining competency in criminal proceedings.”

“Attendant services, but the assessment and planning process fails to provide meaningful access to the wide array of other services that are available on paper but rarely if ever actually provided. Drnm staff in this program also educated policymakers about the benefits of medicaid services for persons with disabilities and the favorable economic impact of medicaid eligibility expansion. More than 220,000 individuals (over 10% of the state's population) are newly covered due to this expansion.”

“Client assistance program civil legal services protection and advocacy for beneficiaries of social security protection and advocacy for voting access protection and advocacy for traumatic brain injury protection and advocacy for assistive technology”