Lobbying
& Fundraising
DDM's Lobbying and Fundraising on your behalf benefits the rights and treatment of individuals with developmental disabilities and mental illnesses. Our lead team's twenty-five years of case management, legal data science, and philanthropic writing expertise can play a crucial role in helping you shape public policy, securing funding, and ensuring access to appropriate services. Key roles and contributions DDM consultants can provide to assist you are:
1. Advocacy for Policy Change
Influencing legislation at the local, state, and federal levels to improve quality of life for individuals with developmental disabilities and mental illness. This can include advocating for better access to healthcare, education, housing, and employment opportunities.
2. Securing Funding and Resources
Working to secure funding for programs that support individuals with disabilities and mental health conditions. This includes advocating for increased federal and state funding for healthcare programs like Medicaid, mental health services, and disability support services.
3. Raising Public Awareness
Helping to raise awareness about the issues facing people with developmental disabilities and mental illness. By providing education to lawmakers and the public, DDM consultants working on your behalf can foster greater understanding and reduce stigma surrounding these conditions.
4. Strengthening Coalitions
Building coalitions of advocacy groups, organizations, and stakeholders to amplify their impact. This can involve uniting different groups (such as those focused on autism, intellectual disabilities, or mental health) to speak with a unified voice on key issues.
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5. Monitoring Legislation/Regulations
Tracking legislative developments, proposed regulations, and judicial rulings that affect their constituency. They ensure that any new laws or regulations do not harm people with developmental disabilities or mental illness and, ideally, improve their access to necessary services.
6. Testifying and Providing Expertise
Testifying to legislative committees, share data and research on best practices, and highlight the challenges and needs of the community. This helps shape informed policymaking.
7. Creating/Supporting Services Access
Advocating for the creation and expansion of programs that support community integration, mental health care services, residential programs, vocational training, and educational support.
8. Ensuring Legal Protections
Campaigning to ensure laws protecting individuals with disabilities, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), are enforced and expanded as needed to safeguard against discrimination and promote equal opportunities.
9. Promoting Self-Advocacy
Furthering the cause to empower people with developmental disabilities or mental illness to become advocates for their own rights, ensuring that their voices are heard in policy discussions.
Summary
DDM's endorsement of your needs and concerns are centered around advocacy, policy change, funding allocation, and protecting rights of people with developmental disabilities and mental illnesses. Our work on your behalf will improve your funding eligibility, expand your access to programs and services, reduce industry stigma, and foster a more inclusive society.