To request help from the Advocacy Center, call 1-800-960-7705 (Voice or via 711 Relay) or 1-855-861-3577 (TTY) or email advocacycenter@advocacyla.org. Our intake specialist will contact you within 1-2 business days to discuss your issue in detail and determine if AC can help.

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Eligibility:

Louisiana residents are eligible to receive the services of the Advocacy Center if they:

  • have a physical, intellectual or mental disability OR
  • reside in the parishes of Orleans, Plaquemines and St. Tammany and are 60 years or older AND
  • have an issue that meets one of the Advocacy Center's priorities for service.

Intake - Frequently Asked Questions

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How to request help:

If you think that you or someone you know needs the services of AC, please call us.  You can speak to the secretary or leave a message, briefly describing the issue.  Be sure to include your name, the client’s name (if different from your name), and a telephone number (#) where you can be reached during business hours.

Alternately, you can email advocacycenter@advocacyla.org for assistance.

Then what?

Within 1-2 business days, an Intake Specialist will call you to discuss the problem in greater detail.   If telephone communication is difficult, we can visit in person.  The Intake Specialist will try to offer as much help as possible.  If the issue fits within the agency priorities, the Intake Specialist will make a referral to a member of the legal team.  You will be contacted within 2 weeks.  If AC cannot assist you, the Intake Specialist will provide any information possible and will make referrals to other organizations that may help.

How does the Advocacy Center choose whether to take a particular case?

The Advocacy Center has the resources to serve a limited number of clients.  In all cases accepted for legal representation, the issue in question must be directly related to the individual’s disability.  The following are also considered: whether the problem falls within one of AC’s priority areas, the merits of the claim, and the availability of AC resources.

Does the Advocacy Center provide services for friends/family members of a person with a disability?

The staff of the Advocacy Center believes that all persons, regardless of disability, should experience the highest degree of self-determination possible.  Family members, friends or professionals can call to tell us that an individual may need help from AC.  However, our client is the person with the disability or the senior, and we must honor his or her wishes. 

Is there a charge for services?

No. There is no charge for individual assistance provided by the Advocacy Center.  

Are there income requirements?

No. The Advocacy Center can provide services to any individual with a disability or a senior, regardless of income.

We may be able to assist with the following issues:

  • Abuse and neglect
  • Revocation of interdictions, limited interdictions
  • Assistive technology issues
  • Special education issues
  • Rights of patients in institutions, including nursing homes and psychiatric facilities
  • Voting rights
  • Discrimination in housing, transportation, higher education, and employment
  • Issues related to traumatic brain injuries
  • Public benefits – Medicare and Medicaid
  • Involuntary discharge from facilities
  • Vocational rehabilitation complaints
  • Access to programs and services
  • Physical accessibility
  • Assistance to people with disabilities who want to work

If you have a legal issue related to your disability and live in Louisiana, we may be able to help.  Call or email for more information.