OFFICE OF CLIENTS' RIGHTS ADVOCACY

Protection & Advocacy, Inc.

MEMORANDUM

TO: Interested Members of the Public

FROM: Sandra Pettit, Director of Litigation, PAI, and Jeanne Molineaux, Director, OCRA

RE: Coordination Between PAI and OCRA

DATE: April 20, 1999

Members of the public may want to know the coordination between the Office of Clients' Rights Advocacy (OCRA) and Protection and Advocacy, Inc. (PAI). In other words, who takes what and when.

Outlined below is the procedure to be followed by both OCRA and PAI at the initial phone contact (called intake) with a consumer or the public.

AT THE INITIAL PHONE CONTACT (ALSO KNOWN AS INTAKE):

A. Both PAI and OCRA staff:

1. Both PAI intake and legal staff and OCRA intake and CRA will ask at initial intake if the caller has spoken with a CRA or PAI, respectively.
2. If so, a determination has to be made as to when and with whom the caller spoke.
3. If the caller indicates s/he has talked to PAI staff or OCRA staff, respectively, and no longer wants to work with that staff person, the caller's desire shall be respected. PAI or OCRA staff should conduct a new intake.
4. If the caller indicates s/he has talked to PAI or OCRA staff, respectively, and does wish to continue working with that staff person, the PAI or OCRA staff should refer the caller back to the staff person with whom s/he has already spoken.

B. For PAI staff:

If the caller indicates s/he has not talked with the CRA, the intake person will determine the caller's legal issues.

1. If the issue is NOT a PAI priority the caller will be referred to the regional center CRA.
2. If a PAI priority, the caller will be referred to PAI legal staff through the regular intake process.

C. For OCRA staff:

1. If the caller has NOT talked with PAI, the CRA or CRA assistant will proceed with the intake.

D. Each workgroup will prepare a one-page reference sheet listing its priorities.

E. OCRA will provide to PAI staff a list of priorities for each regional center.