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Client Assistance Programs: A National Network of Advocacy in Rehabilitation
Client Assistance Programs (CAPs) were created in Section 112 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to help persons with disabilities obtain rehabilitation services. The stimulus that led Congress to establish CAPs came from individuals with disabilities who learned from experience that bureaucratic mazes often prevented people from understanding, receiving and using the services that could help them achieve employment and independent living. As pilot projects, CAPs assisted thousands of persons with disabilities to access services previously unavailable to them. In 1984 Congress mandated that every state and territory have a CAP to assist clients and applicants of the state's vocational rehabilitation system.
CAP provides assistance to persons with disabilities who seek or receive services under the Rehabilitation Act. Every CAP is authorized to:
- help people understand and access rehabilitation services;
- advise people about services and benefits available through rehabilitation programs and about their rights and responsibilities related to those services and benefits;
- upon request, assist people in their relationships with service providers;
- assist people in pursuing appeals and other remedies to ensure that their rights under the Rehabilitation Act are protected; and
- provide access to state and other rehabilitation programs to improve their delivery of services.
CAPs across the country carry out these activities in a variety of ways: direct client representation, information and referral, outreach, community training, development and distribution of self-advocacy materials, committee and council representation on behalf of the rehabilitation client population, public testimony and communication/advocacy to state and other agencies involved in the delivery of rehabilitation services.
The nationwide network of CAPs serve as a vital link between the community and rehabilitation programs, providing direct services to approximately 12,000 persons with disabilities every year. The approach to the provision of CAP services can vary depending on the designation of the CAP, the agency that implements the program and the use of contracts and subcontracts. Fifty percent of CAPs are implemented by the state Protection &Amp; Advocacy (P&A) system. For information about the Client Assistance Program in your area, call your state Vocational Rehabilitation agency.
Client Assistance Program (CAP) Resource List
National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems (NAPAS)
900 Second Street NE, Suite 211
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 408-9514
(202) 408-9520 (FAX)
www.napas.org
Below is a link to the NAPAS listing of Client Assistance Programs in every state and territory. Contact the CAP serving your state for copies of their brochure and any informational materials regarding how the CAP and the state rehabilitation agency operates in your state.
NAPA Listing of Client Assistance Programs: http://www.napas.org
Note: CAP offices must make their information available in alternative formats such as Braille, large print or audiotape if needed by individuals with disabilities. Also, many CAPs have information available in Spanish.
Rehabilitation Services Administration Contacts:
Program Administration Division Director Beverlee Stafford (202-205-8299)
Basic State Grants Branch Chief, RoseAnn Ashby (202-205-8719)
(202) 205-9340 (FAX)
http://www.ed.gov/programs/rsacap/index.html
The above information was prepared in 1995 by the Support and Training to Access Rights (STAR) Project. STAR was funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) as a joint project of Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans and the Protection and Advocacy Center for the State of Louisiana. The STAR Project received support from the Technical Assistance on Transition and the Rehabilitation Act (TATRA) Project to share its expertise on Client Assistance programs with other RSA funded parent training projects.
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