Iowa Protection and Advocacy Services, Inc. (Iowa P&A) helps people with disabilities, including mental illness, deal with discrimination. Help is provided in several ways, depending on the priorities set by Iowa P&A's Board of Directors. Problems Iowa P&A deals with may include abuse, neglect, education, employment, housing, or denial of services.
People who call Iowa P&A are helped according to the annual priorities set by the Board. All calls go through the same intake process.
Callers receive different levels of help depending on the problem and how it fits into the annual priorities. If Iowa P&A is not able to provide direct help, we will refer the caller to another agency which can help. This type of assistance is called Information and Referral.
Iowa P&A always tries to solve problems at the lowest level of resolution. In addition to providing direct help, Iowa P&A advocates are trained to also help callers work through problems. By doing this, we teach callers how to advocate for themselves.
Administrative and legal help are used when other strategies have not worked, and the issue fully meets the annual priorities set by the Board.
All Iowa P&A services are free. Issues must relate to the disability or mental illness. If you would like information about Iowa P&A's priorities, please call our office. We have meetings throughout the state each year to help our Board decide what our priorities should be for the following year. Establishing annual priorities helps us focus our limited resources.
Although specific priorities may change from year to year, we are always dedicated to helping people with disabilities and mental illness.