Strengthening Services by Sharing Practices
Centers for Independent Living provide services that help people with disabilities build skills, access resources, advocate for themselves, and pursue goals that matter to them.
While CILs share the principles of Independent Living, the ways services are organized, documented, and evaluated may differ from Center to Center.
This project is designed to bring CILs together through a Program Workgroup to examine existing approaches, identify effective practices, and develop model service structures that can be adapted and tested by other Centers.
The goal is not to create a rigid, one-size-fits-all system. It is to provide a practical foundation for delivering services consistently while maintaining flexibility, consumer choice, and local responsiveness.
The project purpose: Develop model approaches for selected Independent Living services, including service delivery methods, documentation, reporting, timelines, and strategies for evaluating ongoing service needs.
CILs working on the Project
Center for Disability Empowerment (CDE)
- Individual Advocacy Services
Services for Independent Living (SIL)
- Information and Referral
- Independent Living Skills Training
Linking, Employment, Abilities and Potential (LEAP)
- Peer Support
- Post-Secondary Transition
- Institutional Transition and Diversion
Building practical service models
A clearer framework for delivering services
Each model is intended to address four key areas, helping CILs move from a broad service description to a more useful approach for implementation and evaluation.
Service Definition
Describe the type of Independent Living service provided and its intended purpose.
Delivery Methods
Outline approaches, activities, and methods that may be used to provide the service.
Documentation & Reporting
Identify what should be recorded and how service delivery and progress can be reported.
Timelines & Continued Services
Recommend timeframes and ways to determine when services should continue, change, or conclude.
Connecting Projects
This project complements OSILC’s Outcomes Evaluation and Alignment initiative.
While the outcomes project examines how the network can better measure meaningful changes in people’s lives, model service structures focus on how services are delivered, documented, and evaluated.
This project also completes the work within the current SPIL for Goal 3, Objective 1.
The intended result of this project is a collection of practical service structures and resources that Centers can review, adapt, and use to strengthen their own service delivery practices.
The next steps will involve identifying the specific services addressed, reviewing the proposed models, determining opportunities for piloting, and gathering feedback on their usefulness and effectiveness.
his project was funded with Title VII Part B funding to support activities to conduct studies and analyses, gathered information, developed model policies, and presented findings in order to enhance IL services