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Legal Specialties for Children and Adults with Disabilities and Their Families

Click on any of the substantive legal specialties below to learn more.

Publications and other resource material for families and professionals.

Robert H. Farley, Jr. writes and publishes on disability and disability law regularly. Below is a sampling of currently available articles and publications.

Click here to view more on our main publications page.

Publications and articles are available for reprint by not-for-profit agencies and parents groups; please see reprint requirements on our publications page.

Workshops, Seminars and Presentations

Robert H. Farley, Jr. is available to speak to parents groups, organizations, and agencies on a wide variety of issues related to disability advocacy and disability services. Popular topics include:

  • Adult Services for Developmentally Disabled Persons
  • Waiting List for Services: Fact or Fiction

Click here to visit our main workshops page.

Ongoing Litigation Regarding Services for Children and Adults with Developmental Disabilities

During the last eight years, ongoing litigation against the State of Illinois has resulted in many families receiving funding for day programming, in-home supports, and residential services for children with developmental disabilities, and important legal issues in the State are still being litigated. If you have been told that your son or daughter does not qualify for funding, please contact Attorney Robert H. Farley, Jr. to determine whether current litigation may effect your situation, or if you have a basis for a legal claim against the State.

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Click here to view video of Mr. Farley's presentation, Obtaining Funding or Services for Children & Adults with DD in the State of Illinois.

Children's Mental Health Services (under the age of 21)

In January 2018, a Class Action Settlement (Consent Decree) was entered in Federal Court in Chicago, Illinois, N.B. v. Norwood. Attorney Robert H. Farley, Jr. is Class Counsel in this case.

All persons who are under the age of 21 and are Medicaid eligible in the State of Illinois, who have been diagnosed with a mental health or behavioral disorder and who have received a recommendation for intensive home or community base services to address their disorders, are entitled under the Court Settlement to receive these home or community base services (residential and in-home). This Settlement will provide needed community base services to these persons who have either a mental health or behavioral disorder.

Under the terms of the Settlement, the person under the age of 21 must be "Medicaid Eligible." Every person 18+ should be Medicaid eligible if they have less than $2,000 in his or her name. For children under the age of 18, in order to be Medicaid eligible, then the child would need to qualify for Medicaid and the family income will determine whether the child qualifies for Medicaid. If the child is under the age of 18 and the family cannot obtain a Medicaid card for the child due to the family income, then please contact Attorney Robert H. Farley, Jr. as there is a legal path to secure Medicaid funding for the child's mental health or behavioral disorder.

If the person is over the age of 21 and is Medicaid eligible and the person has been unable to access either in-home services or residential services, then please contact Attorney Robert H. Farley, Jr. as there is ongoing litigation which may be able to provide the necessary funding and supports for the person over the age of 21 with a mental health condition.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call Attorney Robert H. Farley, Jr., at 630-369-0103.