Independent Living
Living independently can seem overwhelming, especially if you have medical, safety and "housekeeping" concerns. Whether you are a youth just starting out or an elder striving to age in place, our staff can help coordinate all aspects of living on your own with a disability. Using the philosophy of person-centered planning, staff will assist you in a smooth transition into independence or provide support and resources if you already live independently.
Following are examples of some of the skills that can be tackled:
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Budgeting
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Empowerment
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Self-advocacy skills
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Cooking
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Transportation issues
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Home management
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Improvement of coping skills
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Checkbook keeping and money management
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Social networking skills
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Peer support
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Employment skills
Independent Living Advising
Our staff can assist you in resolving some of the basic problems that you may encounter in day-to-day living, by offering unique tips and techniques on self-care. Recommendations can be made on adaptive equipment, budgeting and household management.
Job Navigation
Our job navigators help people with disabilities develop work skills and connect with local employers. They also provide job training and ongoing supports.
disAbility Connections provides community-based work assessments, benefits advisement, self-advocacy training, and job skills training such as resume building and practice interviews.
Benefits Counseling
Benefits counseling is a service that helps individuals with disabilities and their families understand how employment and other life decisions will impact their benefits. Benefits counseling provides a clear, personalized plan to educate individuals with disabilities and their families that, in general, you will not immediately lose your cash benefits and health insurance if you work. Benefits counseling addresses the fears and concerns many individuals and their families have about a reduction in benefits if they start work. Benefits counseling helps each individual understand:
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What benefits the individual receives and why
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Work incentives available when they go to work
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How earned income impacts cash benefits, public assistance, and health insurance
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Reporting requirements for each benefit and public assistance program
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How to save money and build assets for self-sufficiency