Center for Independent Living Opportunities

CILSERVICES

CIL Opportunities is a private, non-profit organization serving people with disabilities, families,and the community in Adams, Franklin, and York counties on issues and needsrelated to diverse disabilities. CIL Opportunities was founded in 1992 and isgoverned and staffed mainly by people with disabilities.Ded

icated to the integration ofpeople with diverse disabilities in all aspects of life in our communities, CILOpportunities focuses on:éElim

inating barriersé Ensu

ringcivil rights and equal accessé Promo

ting independent livingCIL Opp

ortunities provides free and confidential disabilityrelated services to people with disabilities, family members, individuals, andlocal businesses and organizations without regard to age, race, ethnicity,gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation/identity, religiousbackground, or severity of disability. All services and special projectsprioritize self-determination bypeople with disabilities and include:CoreIndepende

nt Living Services.....................................................................................................................é Peermentorin

g/support/counseling –staffand volunteers provideconsumers with emotional support as theywork toward their IL goals.é Lifeskills traini

ng – staff teach consumers (includingstudents) daily living skills (e.g., budgeting, using public transportation, training attendants, using a computer)to increase opportunities to live independently.é Advocacy– staff assi

st consumers in learningwhat to do if they believetheir rights have been violated andhelps them gain the confidence to speak for themselvesand on behalf ofother people with disabilities.é Informationand referral –

staff andvolunteers offer up-to-date information on critical issues and provide referrals to otherhelpful community resources.Additional programs/servicesinc

lude:IndependentMonitoring For Qualit

y (IM4Q).....................................................................................................IM4Q operates according to thebel

ief that the best way to evaluate a service is to ask the consumers who useit. So, as part of a statewide initiative by the PA Office of MentalRetardation, the IM4Q Project involves people with developmental disabilitiesserving as “monitors” to conduct Home andCommunity Based Waivers (HCB

S

)...............................................................................................TheOffice of Long-Term Living (OLTL),

a division under the Department of PublicWelfare, funds consumer-directed personal assistance services for Medicaid eligiblepeople with disabilities to maintain independent in their own homes. Under thisprogram, consumers choose service coordinators to assist them in complying withregulations under this program. CIL Opportunities is a current provider ofservice coordination which includes empowering consumers to achieve theirself-identified IL goals along with providing personal emergency responsesystems (PERS), home modifications, and durable medical equipment (if deemedeligible by OLTL).CILOpportunities also provides advocacy for con

sumers (regardless if chosen as aservice coordinator) applying for HCBS services.Nursing Home Transition..........................

...........................................................................................................CILOpportunities advocates and assists consumers

with IL goals of transitioningout of nursing facilities/state hospitals. This is an unfunded service of whichempowers consumers to live the American Dream … independence. Staff work withconsumers in their current living situation on skills building and independencegoals in preparation for moving day. We also advocate for consumers who haveapplied for the nursing home transition program through the PA Department of Aging.CILOpportunities collect household items from individua

l donors to assistconsumers when moving out (e.g., kitchen items, TVs, bedding, and clothing).ADAAccessibility Guidelines/Disability Awareness Program.

....................................................................CILOpportunities provides ADA Accessibility Guidelines con

sulting when requestedfrom local business and organizations. Certified staff are very knowledgeableabout compliance issues and resolution guidance. We work with local townships,County officials, Housing Authorities (Executive Director is a member of anaccommodation board for the local housing group), and other interestedorganizations to ensure accessibility for all.CILOpportunities provides disability awareness trainings to loca

l business,organizations, housing staff, realtors, civil groups, churches, youth groups,sporting facilities, and other interested individuals/groups. Our trainings arecreated and facilitated by staff, board of directors, and volunteers.Transportation Assistance ..........................................

........................................................................................CILOpportunities assist local trans…