Human Rights Committees
- Mass. DDS – Standards to Promote Dignity (PDF download)
It is not only important to provide excellent services to individuals in our programs, but to safeguard their human and civil rights as well. This involves constant monitoring of services, activities, training and protocols to ensure that Vinfen staff recognize, protect, and promote the rights of individuals served.
State-funded providers like Vinfen are required by Massachusetts law to establish Human Rights Committees. Vinfen’s Human Rights Committees are facilitated by our regional directors and staffed by volunteers. Since human rights cover a wide range of categories, we’re seeking volunteers with varied backgrounds.
Prospective committee members can be a parent, guardian, an individual served by Vinfen or an advocate for individuals with disabilities.
We’re also looking for people with specific professions, such as:
- Physicians
- Nurses
- Psychologists
- Attorneys, paralegals and law students
- Master’s level practitioners with relevant experience in mental health and/or developmental disabilities.
No committee member is allowed to have an administrative or financial connection to Vinfen. Committees meet at least once per quarter for approximately two hours.
For detailed information about the roles and requirements for Vinfen Human Rights Committees, click here for a PDF file download.
There are three committees for the Developmental Services Division:
- Metro Boston – meets in Cambridge
- North Shore – meets in Salem
- South Shore – meets in Weymouth
There are eight committees in Vinfen’s Psychiatric Rehabilitation Division:
- Cambridge/Somerville – meets in Somerville
- Metro Boston – meets in Boston
- Essex North A – meets in Lawrence
- Essex North B- meets in Haverhill
- Lowell B- meets in Lowell
- MetroSuburban – meets in Weymouth
- Plymouth – meets in Plymouth
- Cape Cod – meets in Hyannis
For further information, contact Marcie Cook at 617-441-1766 or cookm@vinfen.org.