Core Services
Our Five Core Services
At the heart of IVCIL is our Five Core Services. These services represent our dedication to assisting those who are seeking a more independent life. Through these services we aspire to provide guidance for individuals and their families as they navigate through life.
Advocacy
The first core service IVCIL offers is Advocacy. IVCIL offers two types of advocacy.
- Individual advocacy focuses on the individual with a disability and services available within the community to assist the individual in living independently and to eventually become his or her own advocate. Individual advocacy efforts encourage persons with disabilities to assert themselves when seeking services they need. IVCIL aims to empower individuals to learn self-advocacy skills.
- Systemic advocacy involves working together to eliminate barriers and allow people with disabilities to fully participate in their community. Systemic Advocacy addresses the design and implementation of public policies that benefit persons with disabilities and that facilitate their inclusion in society.
Information & Referral
The second core service IVCIL offers is information and referral. Through this service, we offer guidance in locating available services and products, as well as tips on how to access such services and products. IVCIL responds to inquiries on a variety of issues from people with disabilities, family members, and professionals, as well as the general public. Comprehensive information is available regarding services available in the community to help persons with disabilities live independently.
Independent Living Skills Training
The third core service IVCIL offers along the bridge to independence is independent living skills training. The heart and soul of independent living is being in control of your own life. IVCIL offers a variety of training to equip persons with disabilities with the skills and information to manage their own lives and live more independently. Areas that may be addressed include self-care, effective interpersonal communication, employment/career development, accessibility, housing, education, transportation, recreational activities, personal budgeting, and dealing with insensitive and discriminatory behavior, among other topics.
Peer Counseling
Our fourth core service involves peer counseling. The foundation of IVCIL’s services is the peer relationship. Staff who have experienced living with a disability and are achieving their personal goals assist others who have similar disabilities, serving as role models, mentors, and advocates. Peer counseling allows persons with disabilities to share experiences, feelings, and awareness of disability issues – a kind of “we’ve been there and done that” approach. The peer relationship helps individuals work through problems specific to a particular disability, and also offers a source of encouragement as the transition is made to independent living. Peer counseling is offered on a one-to-one basis or in a group setting.
Transitioning
Transitioning is our new required fifth core service. It involves transitional services that:
- Facilitate the transition of individuals with significant disabilities from nursing homes to home, with the requisite supports and services;
- Provide assistance to individuals with significant disabilities who are at risk of entering institutions so that the individuals may remain in the community; and
- Facilitate the transition of youth who are individuals with significant disabilities, who were eligible for individualized education programs under IDEA, and who have completed their secondary education and otherwise left school to post-secondary life. Individuals who have reached the age of 18 and are still receiving services in accordance with an IEP under IDEA have not completed their secondary education.
