Who We Are

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.

What started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979 has blossomed into the nation’s leading voice on mental health. Today, we are an association of hundreds of local affiliates, state organizations and volunteers who work in your community to raise awareness and provide support and education that was not previously available to those in need of assistance in dealing with mental health.

What We Do

We educate. Offered in thousands of communities across America through our NAMI State Organizations and NAMI Affiliates, our education programs ensure hundreds of thousands of families, individuals and educators get the support and information they need about mental health, mental illness, crisis and support.

We advocate. NAMI shapes the national public policy landscape for people with mental illness and their families and provides grassroots volunteer leaders with the tools, resources and skills necessary to save mental health in all states.

We listen. Our toll-free NAMI HelpLine allows us to respond personally to hundreds of thousands of requests each year, providing free referral, information and support—a much-needed lifeline for many.

We lead. Public awareness events and activities, including Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW), NAMIWalks and other efforts, successfully combat stigma and encourage understanding. NAMI works with reporters on a daily basis to make sure our country understands how important mental health is.

Cerebral Palsy Guidance covers all aspects of cerebral palsy including symptoms, financial assistance and daily living articles. All of the information contained on the site has been thoroughly researched and cited.

Cerebral Palsy Guidance was created to provide answers and assistance to parents of a child with cerebral palsy. Our goal is to reach as many members of the cerebral palsy community as possible, building up a network of support, as well as providing necessary assistance.

We cover cerebral palsy from all angles–from symptoms, causes, and treatment, to daily living information, such as communication and transitioning to adulthood articles.

Cerebral palsy can be a great expense to families, particularly those who don’t have access to adequate insurance or the funds to get all of the supplies needed.

The government offers numerous forms of assistance that can help and your child live more qualities lives and cover medical expenses.

• Supplemental Security Income: 800-772-1213.
• Social Security Disability Insurance: To apply for SSDI, visit your local social security office or call 800-772-1213 to have an application mailed to you. Keep in mind that you’ll need to show proof of residence, your child’s birth certificate, past medical bills, and the names of numbers of any physicians that can help prove your child’s disability.
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

Lawsuits and Financial Assistance

If your child’s cerebral palsy was caused by the negligence of medical professionals, you have the legal right to file for damages against the responsible party.

Medical negligence can occur in many different ways, but the most common reasons that medical mistakes lead to a child developing cerebral palsy include:

• Failure to schedule and carry out an emergency C-section in time
• Improper use of birth-assisting tools during delivery, such as forceps or a vacuum extraction tool
• Failure to detect, diagnose, and treat infant jaundice
• Failure to detect, diagnose, and treat low blood sugar
• Failure to detect, diagnose, and treat maternal preeclampsia
• Administering too much medication or the wrong kind of medication during delivery
• Failure to monitor fetal distress and infant heart rate

If medical negligence is proven, parents or guardians of the child with cerebral palsy can receive financial compensation to help care for the child’s medical needs, including past expenses, as well as the expected cost of future expenses.

Some states also allow punitive damages if you’re cerebral palsy lawsuit is successful. Punitive damages award the plaintiff compensation in addition to the actual damages, in order to pay for things such as physical pain and suffering, emotional stress, and more.

Aging and Disability Resource Assistance

While the Aging and Disability Resources Centers (ADRC) will not help your child until he/she is an adult, it’s a great organization for elderly adults as well as people over 18 years of age who live with cerebral palsy.

ADRC provides assistance in helping people with cerebral palsy with financial assistance, as well as:

• Financial planning and assistance
• Legal help
• Job training and job search assistance
• Housing assistance
• Transportation
• Medical and dental assistance
• Prescription medication coverage
• Mental health counseling services
• Home care assistance, and more

Each states has its own set of assistance options when helping adults with cerebral palsy. For more information use the ADRC state locator tool to be taken to your state’s organization.

This web site is not intended for use as an emergency service.If you or someone you know is in a life-threatening situation, PLEASE CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY. 

Sexual Assault Support Services

Call: (775) 221-7600. We are here for you 24/7/365.

What is Sexual Assault?

Sexual Assault is any unwanted, forced, or coerced sexual act. It includes inappropriate sexual contact or fondling, acquaintance rape, date rape, stranger rape, child sexual abuse, and incest. Sexual assault is not about sex, it is a crime of violence where sex is used as a weapon, motivated by the desire to have power and control over the victim.

Sexual assault violates not only a person’s body, but also their sense of safety and control over their life. NO ONE DESERVES TO BE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED!

What if you are assaulted?

If you are a victim of sexual assault, consider doing the following:

Go to a safe place.

Seek medical care immediately. You may not be aware of injuries you have received, and you should be tested for sexually transmitted diseases. Medical care is available at any hospital emergency room. If you are considering reporting the assault to law enforcement, call the 24-hour SASS line at (775) 221-7600 or 1 (800) 992-5757 for the support that you need.

Get tested for sexually transmitted diseases. The Washoe County Health Department or Planned Parenthood perform testing and you do not have to file a police report to receive medical treatment. Nevada law requires the county in which the crime occurred to pay for initial medical costs for victims of sexual assault.

Speak with a SASS team advocate. Discuss your options and receive referrals for additional services, ask the hospital to talk to an advocate or call (775) 221-7600.

Call a supportive person, a friend or relative, or call Crisis Call Center. Crisis Call Center is available 24/7/365 at (775) 784-8090 or 1 (800) 992-5757.

To report or not to report…

Reporting the sexual assault to law enforcement is the survivor’s choice. We encourage survivors to report the crime; however, a victim’s decision should always be respected and supported, whether or not they choose to file a police report.

If you are assaulted and you are considering filing a police report, please try to follow these guidelines to preserve evidence:

*DO NOT BATHE OR DOUCHE.
*DO NOT CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES.
*DO NOT BRUSH YOUR TEETH OR USE MOUTHWASH.
*DO NOT USE THE BATHROOM.
*DO NOT EAT OR DRINK ANYTHING.
*DO NOT APPLY ANY MEDICATION.
*DO NOT DISTURB OR CLEAN UP THE CRIME SCENE.

Even if you DO THESE THINGS you can ABSOLUTELY still get an exam! Please always contact us if you have any questions or doubts.

Forensic examinations for collecting physical evidence can be conducted up to seven (7) days after an assault has occurred. You can report the crime and have a forensic examination during this time period even if you have cleaned up and/or choose not to report the incident. Please call the 24-hour crisis line at 775-784-8090 or 1-800-992-5757 for more information.

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Who are the victims of sexual assault?

Anyone can be a victim of sexual assault, regardless of age, race, socioeconomic status, cultural background, religion, marital status, physical or mental ability, gender, or sexual orientation. A person can be assaulted by their spouse.

1 of 4 girls and 1 of 6 boys will be assaulted before their 18th birthday.

1 of 6 women and 1 of 33 men will be assaulted in their lifetimes.

A Note To Survivors

You have been through a traumatic experience. It is important for you to know that no matter what the circumstances of the assault were, it was not your fault. Victims of sexual assault, child sexual abuse, and incest are not to blame. Only the perpetrator is at fault.

You may experience many different feelings and emotions after the assault. The trauma of an assault does not end when the act of violence is over. Each of us responds to crisis in our own way, and no reaction is “wrong” or “crazy”. Common feelings include fear, guilt, shame and anger. Some people will experience depression, flashbacks, anxiety, troubled sleeping and/or eating patterns, and problems re-establishing sexual relationships. Many survivors re-experience some of these feelings or problems months or years after the assault.

Your reactions are unique to you.

Others may tell you how you should feel, and when you should feel “better” or what you should do to help yourself, but you are an individual, and you are entitled to your own feelings and reactions.

It is important to allow your feelings to surface following the assault. Sexual Assault Support Services volunteers can help you access information on victims’ compensation programs; long term counseling and other services that may help you rebuild your life.