The Independent Living (IL) program provides full independent living services, through contracts with Connecticut’s five community-based Centers for Independent Living (CILs). These centers help people with disabilities become more independent and confident. They offer five main services to support this goal:
Peer support:
Peer counselors at Centers for Independent Living (CILs) offer assistance to consumers through their personal experiences with disabilities and navigating the system.
Information and referral:
CILs help people find and use services and support they need, like benefits, assistive technology, housing, personal assistance, and other resources to live independently.
Transition services:
The program helps people move from nursing homes and other facilities to homes in the community. It also supports individuals in staying out of institutions. For young people with major disabilities, there are transition services available after high school to assist them in learning how to live independently.
Individual and systems advocacy:
CILs help people find the support and services they need to be more independent. They also encourage advocacy to fight against obstacles that can prevent individuals with disabilities from fully participating in their communities.
Independent living skills training:
CILs help people learn important skills for everyday life and how to enjoy living in the community to the fullest. Some examples of the skills they teach include how to find and work with personal helpers, manage money, use community resources, look for a place to live, and understand their rights and responsibilities as consumers.
Centers for Independent Living are:
Consumer-controlled:
Independent living services are mostly run and organized by skilled individuals who have significant disabilities themselves.
Community-based:
Independent Living Services are found right in the community where the people who use these services live.
Community responsive:
This program aims to help people with disabilities in the community by finding out what services are missing and what obstacles make it hard for them to be independent.
Cross-disability:
CILS offers a one-stop shop for services that everyone can use, no matter what kind of disability they have.
Non-residential:
Programs help people live independently and take care of themselves in the community and environment they choose.
CONTACT
Connecticut Association of Center for Independent Living(CACIL)
Website: www.cacil.net
Connecticut CILs by location:
Access Independence (AI)
Charles Conway, Executive Director
300 Long Beach Blvd., #1
Stratford, CT 06615
203-378-6977 (V)
203-375-2748 (Fax)
Website: www.accessinct.org
Email: info@drcfc.org
Center for Disability Rights (CDR)
Carmen Correa-Rios, Executive Director
369 Highland Street
West Haven, CT 06516
203-934-7077 (V)
203-934-7079 (TDD)
Website: www.cdr-ct.org/
Email: info@cdr-ct.org
Independence Unlimited (IU)
Jaclyn Pinney, Executive Director
151 New Park Avenue - Suite D
Hartford, CT 06106
860-523-5021 (V)
Website: www.independenceunlimited.org/
Email: contactus@independenceunlimited.org
Disabilities Network of Eastern Connecticut (DNEC)
Sharron Heddle, Executive Director
18 Ohio Avenue
Norwich, CT 06360
860-823-1898 (V)
Website: www.dnec.org
Email: dnec@dnec.org
Independence Northwest (IN)
Eileen M. Healy, Executive Director
Independence Northwest, Inc.
1183 New Haven Road, Suite 200
Naugatuck, CT 06770
203-729-3299 (V)
203-729-1282 (TDD)
Website: www.independencenorthwest.org/
Email: info@independencenorthwest.org