HomeTRANSITION RESOURCE DIRECTORY
Sangamon County
www.sased.com (STEP/Vocational)
A
Planning Aid for Parents and Students with Special Needs Compiled by The
Transition Planning Committee- Sangamon County
Transition
Planning Committee Chairman 2006-07
John Morchioro, DHS/DRS
2007 updated February 2007
Preface…......................Section
A 
Springfield/SASED Transition Planning Committee -
Community Living…..........Section B
Community
Living Alternatives - Springfield Area Community Living Sites - Springfield
Emergency Housing Programs
Post High School Ed and Training....Section C
College
Considerations - What Colleges Consider in Selecting Students - College
Resources - Local Colleges - Colleges with Programs for Physically Challenged
- Hearing Impaired Students - Vocational Training, Technical/Trade Schools -
Illinois Employment and Training Center (IETC) - Land of Lincoln Consortium -
Illinois Department of Employment (IDES) - Illinois Career Resource Network -
Lincoln Land School-To-Work Partnership - Bureau of Workforce Development -
Military Career Training Opportunities
Employment……………Section
D
Becoming
A Valuable Employee - Vocational
Support Services - The State Vocational Rehabilitation Services Fact Sheet
Community Supports……Section E
Local
Community Services - Hearing Impaired
Services - Visually Impaired/ Blind Services - Autism Support Services -
Traumatic Brain Injury Supportive Agencies - Transportation
Legal-Financial-Insurance….Section F
Guardianship and Advocacy - Post High School Insurance Concerns -
Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) - Social Security Administration -
Medicaid - Illinois Family Assistance and Home Based Support Services Programs
- Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) - Illinois State I.D. Card
- Selective Service Registration
Recreation and Leisure…Section G
Recreation Programs for Special Needs
Websites…………………Section H
Websites for People with Disabilities - Websites for Career Information and Jobs - Commonly Uses Acronyms or Abbreviations Used in Special Education
Section A
- Where
will I work?
- Where
will I live?
- Where
can I get additional education or training?
- Where
can I go for recreation in the community?
These are decisions that require much thought and planning. These issues provide even greater concern to students and parents who have received special education support services during their high school years.
The purpose of this handbook is to provide a variety of information in the areas of services that are most essential in becoming a productive independent member of the community.
Upon graduation, students are no longer entitled to the federally mandated services available through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). For this reason, parents must make a committed effort to acquire as much knowledge and information regarding services related to their child’s needs.
The lists in the Resource Guide DO NOT imply
endorsement by either Springfield District 186 or Sangamon Area Special
Education District (SASED). This
resource booklet is only a list of available services in our local area.
SPRINGFIELD/SASED
TRANSITION
PLANNING COMMITTEE
Mission Statement
The purpose of the Springfield/SASED Transition Planning Committee is
to promote conditions that allow individuals with disabilities to progress
successfully from high school to adult life in the area of employment,
independent living, and community participation.
Nancy Eaton, Workforce Devlopment Manager, Goodwill, 800 North 10th Springfield, IL 62791, Phone: (217) 789-0400, Email: gwwdmar1@aol.com
Theresa McCarthy, Vocational Training Case Manager, 101 North 16th Street, Springfield, IL 62703, Phone: (217) 525-6522, Fax: (217) 522-0736, Email: tmccarthy-upcll@hotmail.com
Tom Meyers, Vocational Coordinator, Sangamon Area Special Education District (SASED), 2500 Taylor Avenue, Springfield, IL 62703, Phone: (217) 786-3250 x115, Fax: (217) 786-3652, Email: tmeyers11@hotmail.com
Alicia Rentmeister, Step Conselor Dept of Huimna
Services-Div. of Rehabilitation Services, 1124 N. Walnut, Springfield, IL
62702,
Phone: (217) 782-6867, Em
Mark Strawn, Vocational Coordinator, Sangamon Area Special Education District (SASED),
2500 Taylor Avenue, Springfield, IL 62703,
Phone: (217) 691-1455, Em
As A Parent You Are Important
Parents should play a major part in the development of their child’s career education plan. When aiding in charting your child’s educational directions, a parent should be mindful that they can and should serve as:
- Providers of Information: No one else knows your child better than you. For example, parents know what motivates, and conversely, what frustrates their child. Parents also possess insights into their child’s traits, interests and abilities. Such knowledge is too valuable to be ignored in career planning.
- Role Models: The way you, the parent, talk and perform your duties within the home and on the job transmits the value of work in and out of the home. You must consciously stress the benefits and responsibilities of work and promote the important assumption that your child will be a working member of society.
- Case Overseer: Service providers enter at different times in your child’s life. In most cases this is a non-constant influence on your child. The only consistent resource a child has is you, the parent. The better grasp you have on your child’s long range plans for schooling and employment, the less likely important information, deadlines, and opportunities will be missed.
- Risk Takers: As a parent of a child with special needs, you may often hear others say “just let go.” Letting go might mean using public transportation, spending their own money, calling a boy or girl on the telephone, joining a club or attending a special event on their own. Letting go is the most important element to allow for growth and maturity. As a parent, you must not focus on what your child cannot do, but rather on what he or she CAN do.
- Financial Planners: Financial planning involves a great deal of time and effort. Being knowledgeable about the different benefits programs and how they link up with one another, and with the family assets, is a necessity in preventing the needs of one family member from overburdening the rest of the family’s well-being. Numerous forms must be filled out and submitted on time in order to access the federal, state, school, agency, and special financial supports that are available.
-
Transition Time Line for Adolescents/Parents
Developed by the Dept. of Human Services/Division of Rehabilitation Services
Four-To-Five Years Before Leaving School (Ages 12-14)
Student
- Participates
in vocational career assessments
- Learns
and begins to use available public transportation
- Begins
job shadowing opportunities and continues each year with emphasis on
career planning
- Begins
exploring future goals for transition areas
- Begins
formal career counseling
- Explores
service learning opportunities in community and school
Parents
and Educators
- Stress
job skill development training for students (i.e., punctuality,
neatness getting along)
- Stress
self care skills and making choices
- Give
students opportunities to make choices and own decisions
- Develop
a transition file/portfolio
- Encourage
students to request appropriate accommodations in school, home, work, and
community environments
- Become
familiar with local case service coordination agencies
- Explore
service learning opportunities in community and school
Two-To-Three Years
Before Leaving School (Ages 15-17)
Student
Begin work/training experiences in school and community
- Obtain
summer employment and volunteer experiences. Use IEP to assist students in
refining their future goals in transition areas and selecting performance
measures within graduation standards that meet Illinois Learning Standards
- Select
courses to explore career interests and skills based on career goals
- Participate
in extra-curricular activities and community organizations and make
connections with Centers for Independent Living
- Obtain
personal ID card and keep copies of work-related documents (Social
Security Card, Birth certificate, work permits)
- Obtain
driver’s training and license as appropriate
- Take
ACT test junior year as part of Prairie State test
- With
parent’s assistance, begin collecting information about institutions of
higher education if post-secondary education is a goal
Par
- Encourage
students to select courses to pursue career interests and develop skills
based on career goals, including vocational education
- Assist
students to develop first resume
- Develop
transportation/mobility strategies in IEP plan
- Assess
need for assistive technology for adult life in career plan
- Discuss
guardianship or emancipation
- Involve
other community service agencies, as appropriate
- Give
students opportunities to make choices and own decisions
One Year Before Leaving
School (Ages 18-19)
Students, with Parents’ Support
- Investigate
Social Security benefits, Ticket-to-Work, or benefits analysis
- Research
possible independent living options and become familiar with referral
processes
- Identify
residential options and apply if needed
- Review
health insurance coverage and, if necessary, contact the Division of
Specialized Care for Children (DSCC)
- Identify
a desired job upon graduation
- Apply
for college and other educational training programs and scholarships
- Formalize
relationship with Office of Rehabilitation Services and open case for
employment
- Develop
resume and portfolio
- Visit
local One-Stop and explore resources
- Register
to vote; male students register for the draft
- Complete
transition to employment, further education or training and community
living and confirm arrangements
- Review
Medicaid or Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities program
Parents and
- Assist
students and families in applying for post school support services (i.e.
rehabilitation services, social services, health services, developmental
disabilities services, social security, pass plans)
- Begin the process for legal guardianship if applicable
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Residential services are provided by a variety of state and non-profit
agencies. The goal of residential
services is to provide homes for the individuals. Because we all have individual needs, some people choose to
live in a group and others may choose to live independently, with only the
assistance of an attendant. Still
others may want to live with one other person of their choice.
It is important to understand that while individuals may be served
under a variety of residential models, funding and eligibility criteria will
vary and be the ultimate determinant of appropriate options.
Be prepared to advocate for the services you want for your special
needs child.
As a parent you must recognize that due to the shortage of residential
facilities in the State of Illinois, there may be an extensive waiting period
between the time you initiate contact and time of actual placement.
It is crucial that you investigate opportunities early and place your
name on waiting lists you consider appropriate to your situation.
Residential facilities are known by many names. These refer to type of
facility and the amount of support services available. Below is a list of the
most common types of facilities. To assist in the search for appropriate
residential options, it is important to become familiar with these terms.
Independent – Little or no support services
·
On own
·
With family
Shared Housing- Range of support services
·
Mentor Match – Individuals
with special needs are matched with non-disabled adults to share a home or
apartment.
·
HIP (Home/Individual
Placement)- refers to living arrangements in which a person is placed with a
family in the community.
CILA (Community
Integrated Living Arrangement) – a network
of support services built upon personalized support and case management.
Services may include health, leisure and recreational activities, social
services, education, day or vocational services and residential support.
Clients live in a house or apartment with no live-in staff. These houses or
apartments are located within the community to provide greater flexibility for
individualized programming. Staff checks in with clients and assists them in
planning meals and budgeting. Clients do their own shopping, cooking, and
housekeeping.
Group Homes – Range of
support services
·
ICF (Intermediate Care
Facility) – refers to a program for clients who need assistance and training
in daily living and self-care skills. Special attention is given to behavioral
control programming. Clients live with several people in dorm-like buildings
or small homes on facility grounds. The
facility provides 24-hour supervision. Other available services include;
speech, social, prevocational, and hearing, but does not service clients who
require nursing care.
·
CLF (Community Living Facility)
– refers to a program for clients who need training and guidance in most
skill areas; social, vocational, daily living and mobility. The emphasis is on
training for more independent setting. The clients usually live in a facility
that resembles dorms. Clients share a room with at least one person. Staff
provides skill training. Supervision is 24 hours.
·
SLA (Supported Living
Arrangement) – refers to programs similar to the CILA, but usually located
within the supervision of a larger support system structure, rather than
within the community itself.
Skilled Nursing
Homes – Intensive support services
·
ICFDD (Intermediate Care
Facility for the Developmentally Disabled) – refers to an ICF that include
24-hour skilled nursing care.
·
Long Term Care Facility.
Community Living Alternatives
- PH - Physically Handicapped
- DD - Developmentally Disabled (May include any of the following)
- MR – Mild Mental Impairment (IQ<70)
Autistic/ Asperger Syndrome
· CP- Cerebral Palsy
Seizure Disorder
- MI- Mentally Ill (Schools refer to as BD/SED, Behavior Disorder/Social Emotional Disorder), but adult facilities require a psychiatric diagnosis
- VI – Visually Impaired
- HI – Hearing Impaired
- LD – Learning Disabled
- PA – Pubic Aid
- SSI- Supplemental Security Income
- PI- Private Insurance
- DMH – Department of Mental Health
QUESTIONS
TO ASK WHEN SELECTING A FACILITY
|
|
|
1.
How many people live here?
|
11. What
support and other services are provided other than room and board? |
|
2.
What kinds of skills/jobs do the other people who live here have? |
12. What
community based leisure activities are available? |
|
3.
What is the maximum length of stay? |
13.
What in-house leisure activities are available?
How often are these available? |
|
4.
Is there a waiting list? How
long is the waiting list? |
14.
What community resources are available in the immediate
neighborhood? |
|
5.
What are the requirements to be considered? |
15.
What assurances are there to guarantee individuals’ rights? |
|
6.
What is the monthly cost of service? |
16.
What is the policy for home visits? |
|
7.
Do you accept Medicare or Medicaid payments? |
17.
How can parents/guardians give input on facility or family/friend
rights to your program? |
|
8.
What is the staff/resident ratio per shift? |
18.
Do you provide transportation for personal and social needs, to
and from job, or therapeutic appointments at no additional cost? |
|
9.
What specific living arrangements are provided? |
19.
Can an individual who lives here actively search for or maintain
employment? |
|
10.
What are each individual’s responsibilities in upkeep of the
home? |
20.
Can an individual who lives here have full responsibility for
his/her financial affairs? |
Springfield Area Community Living Sites
Springfield
Area ICF/DD (Intermediate Care Facility for the Developmentally Disabled)
Home and Environments for Living and Programs, INC
Jessica Hubrich, Adloff Place, 50 Adloff Lane, Springfield, IL 62703, 217-786-3109
Brother James Court
Brother David, 2500 St. James Road, Springfield, IL 62707, 217-544-4876
Springfield Area CILA Providers:
(Community Integrated Living Arrangement)
SPARC
United Cerebral Palsy/
Land of Lincoln
Jacksonville Center for Independent
Living (JACIL), 60
East Central Park Plaza, Jacksonville, IL. 62650, (217)245-8371 Fax
(217)245-1872
Achievement Unlimited
Emergency Housing Program
American Red Cross –
· Not-for-profit humanitarian service organization that provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.
Capital Township
General Assistance Program
Kathy Pierce, Case Manager, 901 South 11th, Springfield, IL 62701, 217-525-1736, Hours: 8:30am-4: 30pm, · Dental, Utility, and other Emergency Assistance
Fifth Street
Renaissance/SARA Center
Helping
Hands
Ronald
McDonald House Charities of Central Illinois
The
Salvation Army
The
Salvation Army
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