Human Rights Committee

Every agency and service provider serving people with disabilities in the state of Rhode Island is required by law to have a Human Rights Committee (HRC). The HRC must include people with disabilities, family members, advocates and professionals who are trained in behavioral interventions and who do not work for the agency.

The HRC is responsible for promoting human rights and reviewing, approving, and monitoring any plan that is intended to modify behavior of a person. The Office of Quality Assurance reports all incidents to the HRC.

The Trudeau Board of Directors appoints the Chairperson(s) of the Center’s HRC.
John Leidecker and Kathay Brouliard are the current co-chairs. The HRC meets bi-monthly, and more often if needed. Current members include two individuals with disabilities, a reverend, an attorney, parents of children with disabilities, and an agency worker (of an outside service provider); however past members have included a psychiatrist and psychologist, among others. Committee members are recruited from various walks of life among those who seek to insure basic human rights of individuals with disabilities. Membership is strictly voluntary.

All members of the HRC are required to sign confidentiality agreements. The Committee reviews all behavioral plans and restraint policies, any reported incidents that require medical attention, or any use of restraint of consumers. The Trudeau Quality Assurance Coordinator, acts as agency liaison to the HRC and attends each meeting, not as a member, but to inform the committee of all incident reports, and ongoing and completed investigations of abuse, neglect or mistreatment. (To contact the Quality Assurance Coordinator for any reason, please call 739-2700 x297.)

The HRC reports directly to the Trudeau Board of Directors to apprise the Board of the current status of human rights issues within the agency. The Board then decides if other action on its part is warranted. The HRC may request any individual within the agency to address an issue of concern at their meetings, whether regarding residential issues, nursing, policies, etc.

The HRC is always open to input from new members. Anyone interested in becoming a member of the Trudeau HRC will be referred to the HRC itself and asked to submit a profile to the Chairperson. The HRC recommends new members to the Board of Directors, who is then responsible for their appointment.

Anyone who may have an issue s/he would like to discuss with the Chairperson of the HRC is welcome to call 739-2700 to leave a message for the chairs.