HELPLINE

The Juvenile Rights Project HelpLine can
be reached during normal business hours:

8:30 a.m.- 12:00 noon and 1:00- 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time,
Monday – Friday (except holidays).

The HelpLine can be reached in the Portland metro area
at 503-232-2540, ext. 246.
Outside of the local calling area, call the HelpLine
toll-free at 1-866-608-1212

(Please read our Disclaimer below).

Mission: The Juvenile Rights Project strives to protect the rights of children and youth by providing information, referrals and advice on juvenile law.

The information, referral, advice and occasional brief service offered by the HelpLine cover, but are not limited to, the following subjects:

• Legal services: family mediation, courts, advice lines and legal referrals
  
• Abuse reporting
  
• Juvenile court petitions for abuse and neglect allegations
  
• College scholarships for Oregon foster children
  
• Guardianship in probate or juvenile courts in Oregon
  
• Emancipation procedures for teens
  
• Housing issues for minors
  
• Teens’ rights in foster care
  
• Public school enrollment
  
• School discipline, including suspension and expulsion
  
• Special Education law (IDEA and Section 504) and the rights of parents and children
  
• Emergency programs and services for youth
  
• Domestic violence resources and shelters
  
• Runaway resources and shelters
  
• Alcohol and drug treatment
  
• Mental health services (including Oregon Health Plan-covered services)
  
• Independent living programs
  

No e-mails to the HelpLine, please!

The Children’s Mental Health Access Project, a collaboration between the Juvenile Rights Project and the Oregon Advocacy Center, is available to help parents, guardians and others access appropriate mental health services for children enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan.  You can contact the JRP HelpLine or JRP social worker Mark McKechnie at 503-232-2540, ext. 249, to make a referral. Click here for more information about this service.

For self-help information, follow this link to the Multnomah County Bar Association’s handbook, Youth Faces the Law.

http://www.mbabar.org/docs/Juvrights.pdf

This handbook was written for youth and their families and includes information on: Student Rights; Employment for youth under 18;

How the law deals with young persons before age 18; Changes when you turn 18; Health Issues and your rights regarding your body; Immigration and Naturalization; Juvenile laws and rights when you get in trouble with the law;

Criminal Laws and Punishments; When to seek the assistance of a lawyer; Finding resources that assist youth; and a list of legal terms with definitions.

Disclaimer:The Helpline staff are not attorneys and therefore cannot give legal advice at the time of the initial call. They may, however, be able to provide the caller with other information, referral or materials. If the call requires the attention of an attorney, Helpline staff may consult with or forward the call to an attorney for more information.

It is JRP’s policy that information provided by the caller will not be revealed outside of JRP, unless we are legally required to do so. If the caller discloses information about child abuse, we are mandated to report the information to DHS.

JRP represents many children and youth. We are ethically prohibited from giving the caller information, referral or advice if the question involves another client of JRP. Before offering Helpline services, JRP will need to get the names of the people involved in the situation, so that we can check for conflicts.

Back to text.

© 2005 Juvenile Rights Project, Inc. JM Jenks