ProgRam UPDATE

Advocacy Update

Legal Clinic: PWDF continues to hold a monthly Legal Clinic for Social Security beneficiaries (SSDI & SSI) with post-entitlement / eligibility issues. The clinic is usually held on the fourth Thursday of each month.  The next clinic will be held on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 from 10:00-12:00. Please see our website for additional future dates.

Attorneys will be available to answer a wide range of client questions, from work reviews and SSI continuing eligibility reviews including earned and unearned income and resource limits to the effect of marriage on claimant benefits. Please call us at (415) 931-3070 to make an appointment.

Updates: PWDF continues to pursue its lawsuit against the SSA, filed in June 2015. PWDF’s filing of this lawsuit is in response to SSA’s withholding of attorney fees owed to PWDF.  SSA repeatedly refuses to pay PWDF fees approved by the Commissioner, insisting such fees must be paid to individual staff attorneys employed at PWDF. The SSA’s position violates its obligations under the Social Security Act, as amended by the Omnibus Reconciliation Act (OBRA) 1990, and is inconsistent with IRS rules related to 501(c)(3) corporations.  Specifically, IRS Revenue Procedures state:  “Attorney fees must be paid to the organization not to individual staff attorneys.  Staff attorneys and employees must be compensated by a straight salary that does not exceed reasonable amounts and is not established in connection with case fees received for cases handled.”  (Rev. Proc. 92-59, 1992-2 C.B. 411.)

PWDF continuously re-evaluates all operations to ensure they are in optimal furtherance of our mission to facilitate the integration of individuals with mental and/or developmental disabilities into the whole of society. Our Legal Director, Steven Bruce, will allocate more of his time to PWDF’s public awareness/education program than to advocacy while still being mindful of the benefits of hands-on interaction with our population.

PWDF Advocacy Outreach: PWDF staff continue to attend various outreach events to forge community connections and provide information about PWDF’s services.  The most recent outreach events we attended are listed below:

On December 16, 2015, PWDF attended the 60th Project Homeless Connect (PHC) at the San Francisco Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. PHC enables nonprofit medical, social service, and other providers to serve homeless San Franciscans with comprehensive services.

On March 12, 2016, Laurence Jones, PWDF’s Program Coordinator for Public Awareness and Education, attended the 2016 Alameda County Transition Faire, where he highlighted PWDF’s mission and services.  The Transition Faire is a collaborative event that is inclusive of all agencies that serve individuals with developmental disabilities. The target audience for the Transition Faire includes students aged 14-22 with developmental disabilities and their families, regional centers and school district staff. People With Disabilities Foundation appreciates the opportunity to a participating agency at the Transition Faire.   

PWDF Profile

Who We Are

People With Disabilities Foundation is an operating501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California, which focuses on the rights of the mentally and developmentally disabled.

Services

Advocacy: PWDF advocates for Social Security claimant’s disability benefits in eight Bay Area counties. We also provide services in disability rights, on issues regarding returning to work, and in ADA consultations, including areas of employment, health care, and education, among others. There is representation before all levels of federal court and Administrative Law Judges. No one is declined due to their inability to pay, and we offer a sliding scale for attorney’s fees.

Education/Public Awareness: To help eliminate the stigma against people with mental disabilities in society, PWDF’s educational program organizes workshops and public seminars, provides guest speakers with backgrounds in mental health, and produces educational materials such as videos.

Continuing Education Provider: State Bar of California MCLE, California Board of Behavioral Sciences Continuing Education, and Commission of Rehabilitation Counselor Certification.