Parent to Parent of Georgia (P2PGA) and Disability Transition Resources

What Parent to Parent of Georgia Does

Parent to Parent of Georgia (P2PGA) is the state's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center — one of the most useful and underused resources for Georgia families navigating the disability transition. P2PGA provides free peer support, training, and transition planning assistance to parents of children and young adults with all types of disabilities.

Unlike an attorney or benefits planner who bills by the hour, P2PGA pairs you with a trained parent mentor — someone who has been through the transition process themselves. The organization also maintains a Family Transition Planning Tool that generates a customized roadmap based on your child's age, disability type, and current services.

P2PGA services include:

• Individual support — phone and in-person guidance on IEP rights, SSI applications, Medicaid pathways, and waiver enrollment
• Training workshops — in-person and online sessions covering transition planning, guardianship alternatives, benefits management, and self-advocacy
• Transition planning tools — customizable checklists and timelines that track the age-14-to-22 transition milestones
• Connection to agencies — P2PGA staff know the contacts at DBHDD regional offices, GVRA, and DFCS, and they help families navigate intake processes

Contact P2PGA through p2pga.org or by phone. Their services are free and available statewide, including in rural areas where other supports are scarce.

The Georgia Advocacy Office (GAO)

The Georgia Advocacy Office is the state's designated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) system under federal law. GAO provides free legal advocacy for Georgians with disabilities across several areas:

• Individual rights protection — investigating abuse, neglect, and rights violations in institutions, group homes, and community settings
• Legal representation — in cases involving discrimination, access to services, and denial of benefits
• Systemic advocacy — working on policy changes that affect Georgians with disabilities statewide

GAO is the organization to call when a rights violation has occurred — a DBHDD provider is not delivering authorized services, a young adult was denied community placement, or an employer discriminated on the basis of disability. GAO attorneys and advocates can intervene directly with agencies and, when necessary, file legal actions.

GAO does not provide routine benefits navigation or transition planning assistance — that is P2PGA's role. But when the system is actively failing your adult child, GAO is the enforcement arm.

The Arc of Georgia

The Arc is a national organization with Georgia chapters that focus on advocacy, inclusion, and community participation for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Arc of Georgia provides:

• Public policy advocacy — lobbying the state legislature on waiver funding, Planning List backlogs, and disability rights protections
• Pooled special needs trusts — The Arc operates a pooled trust program that allows individuals to protect assets without the cost of establishing a standalone trust
• Community inclusion programs — local chapters run social, recreational, and skill-building programs for adults with disabilities
• Information and referral — connecting families to appropriate services and agencies

The Arc's pooled trust is particularly relevant for families who need asset protection but cannot afford the $2,000 to $5,000 cost of establishing an individual special needs trust with an attorney. Pooled trusts combine the assets of multiple beneficiaries under a single trust instrument managed by a nonprofit trustee, reducing administrative costs.

Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD)

GCDD is a federally funded council that works on systemic change — not individual case advocacy. Their role matters because they fund pilot programs, publish reports on the service system's shortcomings, and advocate for legislative action on issues like the NOW/COMP Planning List backlog and the provider shortage in rural Georgia.

GCDD publishes the "Making Connections" magazine and maintains an online resource directory. They also fund Family Support Grants that help families with unmet needs while waiting on the DBHDD Planning List.

When to Use Which Organization

The Georgia disability support landscape has multiple organizations with overlapping missions. Here is how to match your situation to the right resource:

Your child is approaching 18 and you need help understanding SSI, Medicaid, and transition steps. Start with P2PGA. Their peer mentors and transition planning tools are designed for exactly this situation.

A state agency denied a benefit, failed to deliver authorized services, or violated your child's rights. Contact the Georgia Advocacy Office. They have legal authority to investigate and intervene.

You need a pooled special needs trust or want to connect with other families for community programs. Contact your local Arc chapter.

You want to advocate for systemic changes — more waiver slots, better provider networks, policy reform. Connect with GCDD and join their advocacy campaigns.

You need step-by-step administrative guidance — the exact sequence of applications, the forms to file, the deadlines to hit, and the financial calculations to run. The Georgia SSI at 18 & Adult Disability Benefits Guide is built for this: a structured process guide with fillable checklists, tracking worksheets, and agency communication logs that complement the peer support from P2PGA and the legal backup from GAO.

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