Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Americans with Disabilities Act Notice
The Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) prohibits discrimination due to a person’s disability in all aspects of employment, services, programs, and activities. DMHAS complies with state and federal laws including Title I and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
ADA Title I Employment: Title I of the ADA prohibits discrimination in employment. DMHAS provides reasonable accommodations to qualified candidates and employees with disabilities. Requests for reasonable accommodations and complaints regarding DMHAS compliance with
Title I of the ADA are submitted to:
Michelle Beeckman, DMHAS ADA Title I Coordinator
DMHAS Equal Employment Opportunity Office
860-262-5907 (TTY Relay 7-1-1), michelle.beeckman@ct.gov
Title I of the ADA is overseen by U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 131 M Street, NE Washington, DC 20507. Voice: 1-800-669-4000, TTY: 1-800-669-6820, ASL Videophone: 1-844-234-5122. Website: www.eeoc.gov
ADA Title II Services, Programs, and Activities: Title II of the ADA prohibits state and local governments from discriminating against qualified persons with disabilities (persons who are eligible to participate in programs and services regardless of having a disability) and provide persons with disabilities equal access to programs, services, and activities as other persons. For DMHAS qualified persons with disabilities include clients, patients, their companions, visitors, and guests.
Effective Communication: Persons with disabilities receiving DMHAS services and their companions, have the right to effective communication. Each DMHAS facility has a Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing (DHOH) contact person or DHOH program which can provide auxiliary aids and services including qualified American Sign Language Interpreters.
Equal Access: DMHAS provides persons with disabilities reasonable modifications on request to policies, practices, and procedures to ensure equal access to DMHAS programs, services, and activities. Each DMHAS facility has an ADA Title II contact person who addresses reasonable modification requests. Requests should be submitted as soon as possible within ten calendar days of when the modification is needed unless the request is urgent. Requests can also be submitted to the DMHAS ADA Title II Coordinator.
Education and Training: Requests for effective communication and reasonable modification of DMHAS education and training programs are submitted to DMHAS Workforce Development or the DMHAS facility’s training manager as soon as possible within ten days of the scheduled event to allow time for arrangements.
DMHAS is not required by the ADA to take action that fundamentally alters the nature of its services, programs, or activities; impose an undue financial or administrative burden or poses a direct threat to health or safety. The ADA does not require DMHAS to provide personal care services or personal use devices such as wheelchairs and hearing aids.
ADA Title II Complaints: Complaints from persons with disabilities receiving services from DMHAS or who are visitors or guests of DMHAS are submitted in in writing to the DMHAS Title II ADA Coordinator:
William Pierce, Title II ADA Coordinator
DMHAS Office of the Commissioner
410 Capitol Ave. 4th Floor PO Box 341431 Hartford, CT 06134
860-418-7000 (TTY Relay 7-1-1) william.pierce@ct.gov Fax: 860-418-6691
Title II is overseen by the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section NYAV, 950 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, D.C. 20530. Voice: 1-800-514-0301, TTY: 1-833-610-1264. Website: www.ada.gov
This notice is posted by DMHAS facilities and is available on request in other languages and formats from the DMHAS Office of the Commissioner.
DMHAS complies with federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex per Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.
Revised May 2024