About Us

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Who We Are
Advocacy Unlimited, Inc., one of the nation's largest statewide agencies of its kind, was started in 1994 by Founding Director Yvette Sangster as the Community Advocacy Education Division (CAED), a branch of Connecticut Legal Rights Project (CLRP).

CAED was established to help all individuals in recovery from psychiatric disabilities through education in self, systems, and legislative advocacy skills. CAED became independently incorporated in the spring of 1998 and was renamed Advocacy Unlimited, Inc. Its founding mission and original vision remained unchanged. AU supports initiatives that integrate consumers of mental health and substance abuse services into community life while respecting their freedom, dignity, and self-fulfillment.

CLRP is a nonprofit agency providing legal services for individuals with or in recovery from psychiatric disabilities, whether they are in hospitals or in the community.

Now led by Executive Director Dr. Karen A. Kangas, Advocacy Unlimited is operated and controlled by persons in recovery from psychiatric disabilities or co-occurring disorders. It is an organization dedicated to promoting self-determination for these individuals. We achieve this through an in-depth Advocacy Education Course that provides extensive training in self, systems, and legislative advocacy skills, and by advocating for initiatives that further individual rights and choices. It is one of the most comprehensive education courses in the nation for people in recovery. See Advocacy Education for a complete description of this course.

Mission Statement

"The mission of Advocacy Unlimited, Inc. is to improve the quality of life for all persons with or in recovery from psychiatric disabilities or co-occurring disorders through education in self, systems, and legislative advocacy skills."

We are accomplishing this mission through our Advocacy Education Course and the grassroots network of advocates who have graduated from this training course. Our continuing success is insured by taking an active role in the service delivery system, the legislative process, public education, coalition-building, and by facilitating representation and support for people in recovery from psychiatric disabilities or co-occurring disorders.

Funding
Funding is currently provided through grants from the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addictions Services (DMHAS), SAMHSA's Center for Mental Health Services (SAMHSA / CMHS), and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. Funding also comes from agency run fundraisers as well as individual and corporate donations.

Contacting Us
We encourage your questions and look forward to providing help and support. To learn how you can reach us, see Contact Us.

More about us
Our Philosophies and Goals | Our Stand on the Issues