The Georgia Advocacy Office (GAO) works with and for people in Georgia who have disabilities or mental health conditions, especially people who are at risk of being mistreated or overlooked. As part of our mission, we have the legal authority, under both federal and state law, to investigate when someone with a disability is abused, neglected, or dies under suspicious or harmful conditions.
Investigations
Our investigations usually focus on the most serious situations such as severe injuries, sexual abuse, or deaths. When we investigate, we aim to:
- Find and respond to situations where someone’s health or safety is in immediate danger
- Uncover patterns of serious abuse or neglect
- Prevent facilities or staff from hiding evidence or interfering with investigations
- Make sure serious incidents are reported to the right state and federal agencies
- Ensure that people living in state-run facilities can access the police and protective services
- Support safe practices for giving medications and using restraint or seclusion
- Report sexual abuse to law enforcement or the local district attorney
- File complaints with licensing boards when professionals cause serious harm
- Issue public alerts and reports with findings and recommendations to help prevent future harm
- Push for system-wide changes across agencies and service settings—such as hospitals, group homes, detention centers, and schools—to make sure serious incidents are handled quickly and properly
Monitoring
GAO also has the legal right to visit and check on people with disabilities in many different types of programs and facilities, even when there is no specific report of abuse or neglect. We monitor to make sure people are safe, receiving proper care, and know their rights.
We visit and monitor:
- Hospitals and nursing facilities
- Intermediate Care Facilities for people with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IID)
- Group homes and other community living settings
- Childcare programs and schools
- Juvenile and adult jails and prisons
- Personal care homes
- Any other facility where people with disabilities or mental health conditions live, receive services, or attend programs
Monitoring helps us make sure services are respectful, rights are protected, and problems are caught early, before harm occurs.