Care Folder
When you or a loved one is in a psychiatric crisis, navigating the system can feel overwhelming. Having the right advocacy and legal support can mean the difference between empowerment and helplessness. This appendix provides a curated list of national and state-based organizations that offer support, legal help, crisis intervention, and advocacy. These resources are ideal for: - Individuals recently hospitalized or at risk - Family members who feel shut out - Anyone navigating complex mental health, legal, or disability issues
Every U.S. state has a Protection and Advocacy (P&A) system mandated to defend the rights of people with disabilities, including those with psychiatric conditions. You can find your state office via:
• State mental health ombudsman offices may help address complaints and mediate concerns related to psychiatric treatment, especially in inpatient or state-funded facilities. These programs vary by state but can often be found via:
• State Departments of Mental Health
• State health and human services websites
• Investigating violations and abuse
• Filing formal grievances or legal complaints
• Providing legal referrals or representation in certain cases
• Offering tools for self-advocacy and systemic reform
🕊️ “Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty, truth, and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world would do this, it would change the earth.” — William Faulkner
Sections and individual appendices with checklists and other tools are available as both PDFs and interactive HTMLs at
themisfittoyproject.com.
The website offers features the book cannot — such as the ability to create a personalized
Care Folder
to share with healthcare professionals, psychiatrists, advocates, loved ones, or hospital teams.
These tools help capture important needs, concerns, and patterns — especially when memory is impacted by illness. Bringing a companion or using these tools during appointments can help ensure symptoms and questions are addressed effectively.
Tools will be updated regularly based on feedback from readers, professionals, advocates, and families. Suggestions, corrections, or collaborations can be submitted via the Contact page.
These materials are adapted from The Misfit Toy – A Long Winding Story to Get Help and Healing! by Ted Livernois. While the author does not hold clinical credentials, the insights shared come from lived experience with bipolar disorder and neurodivergence.