Monday, November 27, 2017
At Integrated Living Opportunities (ILO), we are dedicated to helping self-advocates and their families create communities in which adults with disabilities can live independently, yet supported. We do not believe in creating carbon-copy communities, however. Every partnership we build, every network we develop, and every community we create is done so according to the hopes and dreams, plans and needs of the self-advocates in our organization.
One size does not fit all at ILO – rather, we help you create a community, a network, and an independent living option that most suits your loved one with a disability. We do this by providing you with access to the training, knowledge and skills needed for you to create your own community. With our guidance, we help you build from the ground up – beginning with understanding ILO’s definition of community, and how it is beneficial to all individuals.
Before we begin this process, however, an important question needs to be asked: is my loved one with disability ready to live independently?
Skills Inventory™: Identifying Self Advocates’ Independent Living Skills
Identifying whether or not your loved one with disability is ready to live independently can be challenging. At ILO, this awareness of a self-advocates’ independent living readiness is an important part of ILO training – and it is addressed through our Skills Inventory™ assessment.
The Skills Inventory™ is an extensive, integrated and interactive assessment of a self-advocate’s daily living skills and experiences. In other words, the Skills Inventory™ can be used to determine what work the individual needs to do in order to be ready to live on his or her own, whether it is learning or improving money skills, familiarizing him or herself with public transportation, or learning how to access important services such as medical help. It also helps community developers (family, community builders, and members of the self-advocate’s support networks) by providing information that is useful in determining which staffing and supports (if any) are necessary to support the individual whether in the home or living independently.
Access Skills Inventory™ Early through ILO Community Group
The Skills Inventory ™ is typically administered to the self-advocate as a part of the full ILO training. Recently, however, ILO launched a new community building initiative, ILO Community Group, designed to welcome individuals with disabilities into the ILO community at any age. We want individuals with disabilities to learn about our community building philosophies, create friendships and build personal networks without having to be actively preparing for independent living.
One of the benefits of becoming an ILO Community Group Member is early access to the Skills Inventory™. Currently, ILO Community Group offers the opportunity for members to participate in the Skills Inventory™ without having to commit to the full ILO training. In addition, ILO is currently working towards offering the Skills Inventory™ via an online assessment. Once that occurs, community group members (along with their families) will be able to complete the online assessment. ILO will notify all Community Group members once this online service becomes available.
Would You Like More Information?
If you are ready to begin preparing for independent living and would like to learn more about the process of creating ILO communities, please contact us! If you aren’t quite ready to actively prepare for independent living, but would still like to participate in ILO’s community, please consider joining ILO Community Group. We have a number of exciting events lined up for 2018, including an ABLE Pop Up event. During this event, which is available only to Community Group members, attendees will be able to speak with ABLE account experts and representatives from ABLE MD, ask question, get information, and register for ABLE Accounts. Please follow this link for more information on how to join Community Group.
