197 organizations
How disability services work in Georgia
Two honest truths up front: real help exists, and the waits for some of it are long — so start applications early and use the faster doors meanwhile.
Independent living: centers like disABILITY LINK in Atlanta are run by and for people with disabilities — practical help with housing searches, benefits, equipment, and peer support, usually free and without waitlists. Home- and community-based waivers (NOW/COMP for developmental disabilities, others for physical) pay for real support at home, but Georgia's waitlists run years — apply now regardless. Income: SSI/SSDI denials are normal the first time; appeal, and get a disability attorney — they only get paid if you win, from back pay.
What to expect when you call: be ready to describe daily-life impact ("I can't stand long enough to cook"), not just diagnoses — services are matched to function, and plain descriptions work best.
Claratel Behavioral Health is the public nonprofit formerly known as DeKalb Community Service Board. It helps people in DeKalb County with mental health care, substance use treatment, crisis help, services for people with developmental disabilities, child and teen services, and some residential support.
15 services
Claratel Behavioral Health is the new name for DeKalb Community Service Board. They help people in DeKalb County with mental health care, substance use treatment, crisis care, developmental disability services, and residential support.
12 services
Daughters of Both Suns is a nonprofit based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, that serves nationwide. It helps Black and Latina women, families, and underserved communities find mental health support, crisis text support, therapy referrals, resource navigation, disability and autism support, healing workshops, and financial education.
7 services
Mindset Care helps people apply for Social Security disability benefits, including SSI and SSDI. They help with online forms, appeals, SSA calls, medical records, case updates, and representation during the benefits process.
4 services
Brain Tumor Network gives free help to people in the United States who have a primary brain tumor and to their caregivers. Nurse and social work navigators help people understand the diagnosis, look at treatment and clinical trial options, get second opinions, manage medical records, and find practical support.
8 services
ACLU of Georgia is a statewide civil rights group. It uses lawsuits, advocacy, voter rights work, public education, and volunteer action to protect civil liberties for people in Georgia. It does not usually provide direct legal aid for individual cases, but people can share rights violations and use its legal resource list.
10 services
Marcus Autism Center is part of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and serves children with autism and their families. It provides autism evaluations, medical care, feeding care, behavior treatment, skill-building therapy, family support, research studies, camps, and workshops.
10 services
Empowerline is the Atlanta Regional Commission's aging and disability resource connection for metro Atlanta. They help older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers find services like care at home, meals, transportation, health support, senior centers, and other community resources.
8 services
A.G. Rhodes is a nonprofit that has cared for older adults in Atlanta since 1904. Their flagship home on Boulevard, near Grant Park, provides 24-hour skilled nursing care, long-term care, and short-term rehabilitation for seniors, including physical, occupational, and speech therapy and an acclaimed therapy pool. They also run sister homes at A.G. Rhodes Cobb and A.G. Rhodes DeKalb (formerly Wesley Woods, near Emory).
6 services
A.G. Rhodes DeKalb (formerly A.G. Rhodes Wesley Woods) is a nonprofit nursing home on Emory's Wesley Woods campus that cares for older adults. It offers long-term nursing care and short-term physical rehabilitation, plus a secure memory-care unit for people with Alzheimer's, on-site dialysis, and special music and gardening therapy programs.
8 services
Amramp Atlanta is a local, independently owned business that helps people with disabilities and older adults get safely in and out of their homes. They build and install wheelchair ramps, stair lifts, platform lifts, grab bars, and other accessibility products, and offer free in-home evaluations. Ramps can be rented or bought, and most are installed within a day or two.
5 services
EnABLE Home Solutions is a private occupational therapy practice in metro Atlanta led by Cynthia Lourie, a licensed occupational therapist and Certified Aging in Place Specialist. They visit your home to assess safety and accessibility, then recommend changes and equipment so people with aging, disability, or special needs can stay in their own homes. They also help connect families with trusted handymen and contractors to make the modifications.
Blandtown6 services
William Booth Towers is a low-rent apartment building run by The Salvation Army for older adults and people with disabilities. It has 74 one-bedroom and 25 efficiency apartments, with rent subsidized so tenants pay based on their income. The building is near shops, restaurants, churches, the library, and public transportation.
2 services
The Georgia Advocacy Office (GAO) is Georgia's federally mandated Protection and Advocacy agency for people with disabilities and people labeled with mental illness. They protect people's rights by investigating abuse and neglect, fighting disability discrimination, and helping people get accommodations, assistive technology, and the support they need to live in their community. Help is free, and you can ask for advocacy by calling or filling out a request form on their website.
11 services
The Miracle League of Rockdale (Miracle League Association, Inc.) is the home of the original Miracle League, founded in Conyers in 1998. They run an adaptive baseball league on a custom, cushioned, wheelchair-accessible field (the 'Field of Dreams') so children and adults with disabilities can play ball. Participation is built to be free and inclusive, with volunteer 'buddies' helping each player.
2 services
Paws for Life USA is a nonprofit in Marietta that trains and places custom service dogs for free for children, adults, veterans, and first responders with disabilities. They train dogs for needs like mobility, seizures, autism, PTSD, hearing, and medical alerts, and many of the dogs are rescues from high-kill shelters. They also train therapy and facility dogs and give lifetime support to every dog-and-handler team.
5 services
MG Georgia is an all-volunteer peer support group, run by people living with Myasthenia Gravis (a rare muscle-weakness autoimmune disease), that meets monthly in Atlanta and online. They offer free support meetings, education about treatments and research, doctor-visit prep packets, and a free 'Hope's Pantry' of daily-living items. They are part of the Myasthenia Gravis Holistic Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
6 services
The Emory Brain Health Center is a large medical clinic for brain and nerve conditions, including its Jean and Paul Amos Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Program. Doctors here diagnose and treat Parkinson's disease, tremor, Huntington's disease, and other movement disorders, and the center also handles neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, rehabilitation, and sleep problems. You call to set up an appointment with a specialist.
5 services
Claratel Behavioral Health (formerly the DeKalb Community Service Board) is a community mental health agency at 445 Winn Way in Decatur. They provide counseling, psychiatric care, substance use treatment, developmental disability services, and 24/7 crisis help for adults, children, and teens, with sliding-scale fees for people who are uninsured. (Note: the name 'Bright from the Start' on file appears to be incorrect — the website, phone, and address all belong to Claratel.)
6 services
Parent to Parent of Georgia (P2P Georgia) is a statewide nonprofit that supports families and individuals impacted by disabilities or special health care needs, from birth to age 26. They match families with trained parent volunteers who have been through similar situations, run support groups and training, and offer a free online Special Needs Database with thousands of local resources and providers.
6 services
