Rhode Island General Laws Title 40.1. Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals § 40.1-21-4.2. Declaration of purpose

(1) To establish a division of developmental disabilities within the department ofbehavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals;

(2) To advance the public interest, to promote, safeguard, and protect the human dignity, constitutional and statutory rights and liberties, social well-being, and general welfare of all developmentally disabled citizens of the state;

(3) To provide or to secure certain social, protective, and other types of appropriate services for all developmentally disabled citizens;

(4) To promote the coordination of all available services, both generic and specialized, for all developmentally disabled citizens under public and private auspices;

(5) To ensure that all developmentally disabled adults in this state receive developmental, supportive, and ancillary services as prescribed in an individualized program plan, developed with the participation of the developmentally disabled person and his or her family or guardian or advocate;  and

(6) To promote a comprehensive system to support the families of developmentally disabled adults in their own homes and environments, and to encourage families to maintain their developmentally disabled relatives in their own homes when appropriate.