In 1973, the Massachusetts Legislature established the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee (MHLAC) to secure and protect the legal rights of persons involved in mental health and intellectual and developmental disabilities programs in the Commonwealth. The MHLAC Board, appointed by the justices of the Supreme Judicial Court, consists of 14 lawyers knowledgeable and experienced in mental health law.
The work of MHLAC staff seeks to make full use of the law to ensure that the rights of persons who are or may be regarded as mentally disabled are recognized and protected.
The advocacy work of MHLAC reaches to individuals and families denied access to care in the community and who may be discriminated against on the basis of disability as well as to persons in public and private facilities who require legal advice about commitment and discharge and the rights to receive or refuse treatment. The Act to Protect the Six Fundamental Rights charges all programs and facilities doing business with the Department of Mental Health to ensure access to the attorneys and advocates of MHLAC and other legal service organizations.
MHLAC’s legal staff provides legal referral, information and advice to individuals, lawyers, mental health professionals and the general public. MHLAC develops, sponsors and contributes to a wide range of education and training for judges, lawyers and others to maintain quality legal representation and improve the administration of justice when issues related to mental health and disability are presented.
For a historical account of MHLAC and its work, see Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee: The First 35 Years.
MHLAC welcomes media inquiries regarding our efforts to advance social and economic justice for people with mental health concerns. Contact Phillip Kassel at 617.338.2345 for more information
Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action
Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee is committed to providing fair and equitable opportunities for internship, employment and promotion to qualified persons. It is the goal and intent of the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee to ensure that no person shall for reasons of race, color, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, disability, or Vietnam era veteran status, be excluded from fair and equitable consideration in any employment practice, including but not limited to hiring, transfer, promotion, training and compensation.