Seema Nikila Kadaba

The Federal Government Must Guarantee Education for Children with Disabilities

The Federal Government Must Guarantee Education for Children with Disabilities

In recent years, we have made some major strides in advancing the rights of students with disabilities. The unanimous decision by the Supreme Court ensures a promise for a bright future for children with disabilities. Iustitia Legal Center urges Ms. DeVos and the Department of Education to consider this forceful decision that urges meaningful compliance with IDEA. The Department must continue to invest in strong public education systems across the country, and uphold the rights guaranteed to students with disabilities under IDEA, as educational services are necessary to ensure continued support of individuals with special needs.

LET THEM SPEAK: WHY TEACHERS AND SCHOOL EMPLOYEES NEED MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING

LET THEM SPEAK: WHY TEACHERS AND SCHOOL EMPLOYEES NEED MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING

Imagine you are a student in university. You are facing the challenges all students experience. The stress from schoolwork. The stress to make friends. The stress of trying to fit in. But on top of it all, you have been battling anxiety and depression. At some point, you break and think “I just cannot do this anymore.” The suicidal thoughts take over your entire being and all you want to do is talk to someone about your emotions and fears, so you reach out to teachers or administrators. Then you receive this message from your university. “It is important that you refrain from discussing these issues with other students and use the appropriate resources. If you involve other students in suicidal or self-destructive thoughts or actions you will face disciplinary action.” 

Afraid to Leave: A discussion of the mental health consequences experienced by survivors of domestic violence and their families

Afraid to Leave: A discussion of the mental health consequences experienced by survivors of domestic violence and their families

Domestic violence is experienced across genders, races, ages, and sexual orientations. Mental health and domestic violence are inextricably linked. Survivors of domestic violence often experience an array of mental health issues including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, substance abuse, anxiety, personality disorders, sleeping disorders, eating disorders, and social dysfunction. The effects of domestic violence on the entire family can have dramatic legal and educational consequences, and subsequently break up families, if they are not dealt with vigilantly and compassionately.

Diagnosis and Services: Autism Doesn't Only Affect White Children

Diagnosis and Services: Autism Doesn't Only Affect White Children

Parents of autistic children face many challenges, but those of African-American decent encounter even greater obstacles. African-American children are statistically far less likely to receive an autism diagnosis. Further complicating matters are the complex racial divides in the United States today. For example, imagine attempting to teach your autistic black son how to interact with police and having absolutely no guidance. 

Transgender Rights: Why We Should All Be Like Denmark

Transgender Rights: Why We Should All Be Like Denmark

As of January 2017, Denmark will be the first country in the world to declassify “being transgendered” as a mental illness. This move is monumental for transgendered people in Denmark. However, it also opens the path for other nations to uphold transgendered rights and enables the international community to take a stand. Denmark hopes this move will help to decrease the institutionalized stigmatization of trans people.

Intellectual Disability and Death Row in Texas: Why Lennie Should Not Be the Standard

Intellectual Disability and Death Row in Texas: Why Lennie Should Not Be the Standard

In Atkins v. Virginia, the Supreme Court issued a momentous ruling stating that it is a violation of the Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment to execute inmates with intellectual disabilities. This statement seems straightforward. However, the Court failed to establish a specific test or define under what circumstances it considers individuals to be intellectually disabled for purposes of capital punishment. Thus, in practice, states are left to determine what standard to utilize. 

Mental Health Courts: Part of the Problem or Solution?

Mental Health Courts: Part of the Problem or Solution?

Congress empowered the Bureau of Justice Assistance, in coordination with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), to establish the Mental Health Courts Program. This program seeks to implement collaborative efforts that bring improvements to the treatment of criminal offenders with mental disabilities or illnesses. Mental health courts, a relatively recent phenomenon, involve a partnership between judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys to deal with nonviolent offenders who have been diagnosed with a mental illness or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorder. The goal of these courts is to provide courts with resources to improve social functioning of clients with disabilities by offering treatment as an alternative to the prison system.

Human Trafficking and PTSD: Why Survivors Deserve Dignity

Human Trafficking and PTSD: Why Survivors Deserve Dignity

Section 7105 of Title 22 of the U.S. Code, the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), a provision enacted in 2005 to specifically protect trafficking victims, entitles individuals to education and training for trafficked persons, promotes safe integration into appropriate communities, and provides physical and legal assistance, including immigration benefits.