SERVICES

Peer Counseling

Staff who have experienced living with a disability assist others in achieving their goals through one to one counseling and mentoring.

Housing Placement

RIL provides persons with disabilities with assistance in locating affordable accessible housing by matching a person's needs to available housing in the community. Staff also provides supportive services to enhance successful placement.

Independent Living Skills

RIL provides consumers with a wide variety of workshops and individualized training which are designed to support their established independent living goals.

Advocacy

“Real Life” Advocacy – RIL staff offers extensive training courses to teach basic advocacy skills. These training sessions focus on letter writing, public speaking and communication skills required to improve outcomes in everyday challenges that PWD face

“Person Centered Advocacy” – Staff works on a one-to- one basis with persons with a disability to promote personal empowerment through effective advocacy. Teaching a person how to advocate for themselves, staff seeks to instill the importance of independence in all aspects of daily living. In a “peer support “ environment, counselors and consumers work together to pinpoint specific areas for change relevant to their current situation and to develop a plan toward a positive outcome.

Assistive Technology

Staff provides an assessment of the person with a disability and their technology needs. Also, staff provides recommendations for technology choices and will assist with locating and applying for financial assistance.

Peer Support Group

Individuals with disabilities meet with others who are experiencing or have experienced similar challenges. They come together to share issues and support each other. Activities includes community- cultural, social and educational outings. Also, includes guest speakers on topics of interest to individuals in the group.

Training

RIL provides consumers with a wide variety of workshops and individualized training which are designed to support their established independent living goals.

• Advocacy
• Mobility/Transportation
• Self-care, Self-esteem
• Budgeting/ Money management
• Health and Wellness
• Sexuality and Healthy Relationships
• Goal Setting
• Decision making
• Personal Assistance services
• Housing Assistance
• Acquiring and maintaining appropriate benefits and entitlement
• Inservice trainings on disability issues, laws and ADA

Additional training may be furnished upon request. Workshops are provided at a number of locations throughout the service area.

COMMUNITY SERVICES

Technical Assistance

RIL staff conducts assessments of your home, office, church, or school to offer suggestions for economical ways to incorporate features that add function, safety and accessibility. ADA Compliance for Businesses, East Living and Universal Design for residences are part of our consultation services.

Information and Referral

Staff is available to assist in finding the right resources within the community to meet individual interests and needs. Referrals can be made to other social and community services and programs.

Education Presentations

Staff is available to speak to schools, agencies, governmental entities, professionals, and community organizations on a wide variety of disability issues. Presentations are tailored to meet interests and needs. Presentation examples include:

• Resources for Independent Living services
• Disability awareness and disability etiquette
• Sensitivity trainings for adults, youth and children
• ADA and educational rights of students with disabilities
• Sign language training is available for community organization.

Advocacy

Outreach Advocacy
Staff serves on many boards, commissions and advocacy partnerships throughout the Commonwealth to insure that meaningful input is provided by persons with disabilities on policies, services and issues that directly effect community participation and inclusion.

Systems Advocacy
RIL is part of a “statewide coalition” of community action specialists, which is a collaboration of Virginia’s sixteen centers for independent living to facilitate local and statewide advocacy action, promoting independent living programs and services in common areas of concern for people with disabilities Centers from various regions of Virginia identify and collectively educate and advocate toward systems change.

PERSONAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES (PAS)

RIL recruits and provides orientations to persons wanting to work as a personal attendant and maintains a PAS registry of those individuals who completes the training. Staff also does PAS referrals and UAI assessments.

RIL works with consumers who need to hire personal assistants to help them with their daily living skills (bathing, grooming, transportation, laundry…) teaching them the skills to recruit, interview, hire and manage the Personal assistants. The consumer is the employer and the attendant is the employee

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS WORKSHOPS

Staff certified by the American Red Cross provides training on how to prepare and be ready for emergency or disaster events.

SERVICES TO DEAF AND HEARING IMPAIRED

This program provides case management and services to assist persons who are deaf and hard of hearing to overcome barriers, which prevent them from participating in the hearing world. Areas of instruction parallel other training services but also include specialized training in American Sign language. This program also provides accessibility through TTY and videophone.

Youth Services

Youth from the ages of 14-22 are provided assistance in the areas of transition and advocacy. Our goal is to empower youth with disabilities so they can reach their full potential in meeting the challenges of life.

Program services:

• Educate youth with disabilities and their families about their educational rights.
• Attend Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings
• Increase successful youth transition from school to independent living through linkages, referrals, resources and coordination of transition services
• Summer youth program - independent living skills training, academic enrichment and recreational events
• Harp Therapy - peer mentoring program that teaches youth with disabilities how to play the harp.

• Obtaining a Learners Permit- goal is to teach the skills needed to pass the test for the DMV learners permit. (Group or individual)
• Steps to Successful Home Management- goal is to teach independent living skills
  • Level 1 — Budgeting/ Money Management
  • Level 2 — Health / Nutrition and Safety
  • Level 3 — Affordable Housing
• Mobility Training — goal is to teach the skills needed to use public transportation.(Individual training only)
• Human Sexuality — goal is to teach students how to make informed choices

Schools can contact RIL staff at the location in their respective areas, to get information about services offered during school hours.