Connecticut State Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services

Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and DMHAS

Blue ADA Logo

The Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).   

All DMHAS Facilities post a copy of the DMHAS ADA Notice.

About the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Under the ADA, a person has a disability when they:

  • Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity,
  • Has a record of such impairment, or  
  • Is regarded as having the impairment. 

The ADA has 5 Titles:

Title I: Employment.  Employers provide reasonable accommodations on request from a person with disabilities who is qualified for a job with or without disabilities 
Title II: State and Local governments.  Title II 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 to provide equal access to programs, services and activities as other persons.  
Title III: Places of Public Accommodation, businesses and non-profits which provide services and goods to the public including websites. Places of public accommodation are required to remove barriers to access when readily achievable. 
Title IV: Telecommunications including telephonic relay and closed captioning.   
Title V: Miscellaneous provisions 

ADA Title I - DMHAS Employees

ADA Title I, protects the rights of persons with disabilities to reasonable accommodations when they are members of the DMHAS workforce or applying to work for DMHAS. 

DMHAS compliance with ADA Title I is through the DMHAS Equal Employment Opportunity Office: Equal Employment Opportunity

Contact the DMHAS Equal Employment Opportunity Office if:

  • You are a DMHAS employee with a disability and you need a reasonable accommodation, or
  • You are applying for employment at DMHAS and you need a reasonable accommodation, or 
  • You have a complaint DMHAS did not provide you a reasonable accommodation.

DMHAS Equal Employment Opportunity Office
171 Bow Lane (Cottage 20) Middletown, CT
Phone: 860-262-6886 Fax: 860-262-5197

Regulations regarding Title I of the ADA are overseen by the U.S. Equal Employment Office.

ADA Title II - DMHAS Clients, Patients, Visitors and Guests

ADA Title II covers persons with disabilities receiving services from DMHAS operated sites and programs or who are seeking services from DMHAS or who are companions or visitors and guests with disabilities. 

Persons with disabilities who are otherwise qualified to participate in a DMHAS program, service or activity are provided effective communication and reasonable modifications of policies, programs and procedures on request. 

Requesting Reasonable Modifications

A person with disabilities, who needs a reasonable modification should make their request as soon as possible at least 10 calendar days before a program or activity to allow time for a review and arrangements.

  1. Reasonable modification requests can be made:

  2. Informally to the DMHAS staff person organizing the activity or program.
  3. Informally or in writing to the DMHAS facility’s ADA Title II Contact Person. Contact the DMHAS site where the program is located for the name of the ADA Title II Contact Person.
  4. Informally or in writing to the DMHAS ADA Title II Coordinator

Requests can be for modifications of a program service or activity or for auxiliary aids, such as sign language interpreters, printed material in alternate formats.

DMHAS is not required to provide personal use items (such as hearing aids, wheelchairs or service animals) or personal care services.

Written requests should include: 

DMHAS may ask the person making the request to provide information and answer questions necessary to address the request. 

DMHAS is prohibited from asking individuals or their authorized representatives to disclose the person’s disability.

DMHAS will not deny a person reasonable modifications because the person refused to answer questions. 

  1. If the modification cannot be provided at the time it is requested, the DMHAS facility’s ADA Title II Contact Person will notify the person in writing whether the modification will be provided as requested and when, another modification will be offered, or the request cannot be addressed.

 

  • Name and contact information of the person making the request and the requested modification.
  • The DMHAS program, service or activity where the modification is needed.
  • Date and time the modification is needed.
  • The reason the request is a reasonable modification.
  •  A request cannot be addressed if it is determined:
    • The request fundamentally alters the program, service or activity or poses an undue burden and an equally effective alternative modification will be provided or
    • The requested modification directly affects the safety of the person or other individuals.
    • The request was not for a reasonable modification that directly accommodates the person’s disability.
    • The request was not made by or on behalf of a person with disabilities.

Requests are confidential and shared on a need to know basis to make sure the request is addressed unless disclosure is required honor the request or required by law.

Effective Communication

DMHAS Deaf, Deafblind and Hard of Hearing (DHOH) Services

DMHAS facilities offer Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHOH) to clients, patients, visitors and guests of who are Deaf, Deafblind or Hard of Hearing.

Each DMHAS facility has a DHOH contact person who works with the person to provide effective communication.  Contact the DMHAS site where effective communication is needed for the name of their DHOH contact person. 

DMHAS and Service Animals.

The ADA defines Service Animals as dogs specifically trained to work for or provide a task for the person with disabilities using the animal. 

Service animals are allowed anywhere the public is allowed to go unless:

  • It can be demonstrated the service animal would fundamentally alter the nature of the service, program, or activity
  • The animal poses risk of safety or health
  • The animal is not under control of the person with disability handling it

If the animal’s use is not evident the person can be asked two questions:

  1. Is the animal a service animal required for the person’s disability?
  2. What is the task the animal is specifically trained to accomplish?

Service animals cannot be denied access to a public place due to other people’s concerns, fears, allergies or disabilities.

The ADA does not require service animals to wear vests or ID badges which identify them as service animals.  The animal’s user is not required to provide proof that the animal has been trained or certified by any organization. 

The person using the service animal is responsible for its care and the animal must be in harness or leash unless controlled by command. 

The person using the animal may be directed to remove the animal when it is not under their control or it is determined the animal poses a threat to health and safety or has a history of being a threat to safety. 

If an animal is removed the person is provided a reasonable modification to continue the program, service or activity. Service animals can be allowed to return once the reason for the removal is resolved.

The ADA does not recognize animals in training as service animals.  However, Connecticut statute requires places of public accommodation to allow animals being trained by a representative of an organization that trains service animals. 

DMHAS and Assistance Animals

DMHAS residential programs observe Housing and Urban Development regulations regarding Assistance Animals.  According to HUD regulations assistance animals are either service animal (a dog trained to perform a task or work for a person with disabilities) or an Emotional Support or Comfort Animal. 

Residents who use assistance animals can submit a request to the housing provider for a reasonable modification of a no-pet or pet fee policy regarding their assistance animal at any time. 

The housing provider can ask the person provide documentation from their clinician regarding the reason the animal is an assistance animal (unless the use of a dog as a service animal is evident).

A housing provider may deny the request or reverse their decision if:  

  • The animal fundamentally alters the nature of the service, program, or activity or presents an undue burden.
  • The animal poses risk of health, safety or property or has a history of such behavior. This includes requiring the animal to be vaccinated.
  • The animal is not under the resident’s control.
  • The person cannot care for the animal even with outside assistance.

Complaints

Clients, visitors, and guests of DMHAS state operated programs may submit a complaint to the DMHAS ADA Title II Coordinator, Office of the Commissioner.  

Complaints should be submitted to the ADA Title II Coordinator as soon as possible to when the complaint occurred.  The Coordinator has 21 calendar days to address the complaint and issued a written response. If the person does not agree with the response, the complaint will be reviewed on request by a designee of the DMHAS Commissioner.  

DMHAS Title II ADA Coordinator:
William Pierce, DMHAS Office of the Commissioner
410 Capitol Avenue, 4th Floor PO Box 341431
Hartford, CT 06134
Phone 860-418-7000 (TTY Relay 7-1-1) Fax: 860-418-6691
william.pierce@ct.gov

Regulations regarding Title II of the ADA are overseen by the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section-NYAV 950 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, D.C. 20530 (1-800-514-0301).

Regulations regarding Assistance Animals are overseen by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development  Assistance Animals | HUD.gov

For more information contact a statewide advocacy organization or seek legal advice.

Resources

ADA Resources

Statewide Advocacy Programs

This information is available in other formats on request from the DMHAS Office of the Commissioner. 

DMHAS and other federally funded healthcare providers complies with federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Section 1557).

REVISED:  December 2025