DFDN is pleased to present information ON:

DuPage Family Disability Network: Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS)

What can we expect from our DRS counselor?

It seems there are a lot of opinions of what a student with a disability, seeking
DRS assistance can actually expect. In some cases individuals find themselves in a
‘”Catch 22” if the student is too disabled to qualify or not disabled enough. Should
a student contract with DRS while still eligible for public school transition
services? Is it OK to use DRS if the individual has the Home Based Community Waiver?

DuPage Family Disability Network is offering an opportunity to have questions like these and others you may have answered at our May 16, 2012 meeting when out guest speakers will be two staff members from the DHS-DRS.

Lou Hamer and Randy Staton, two leaders in the state Division of Rehab Services have agreed to help answer questions families have about what they can expect from DRS and the DRS counselors.
***********************************************

Randy Staton is the Assistant Bureau Chief for DHS Region 5. In addition
to his current administrative duties, Mr. Staton continues to coordinate
policy for the vocational rehabilitation services and liaison’s with the
Council of State Administrators in Vocational Rehabilitation, the
Council for Developmental Disabilities, and the Community and
Residential Services Authority. Throughout his 18 years working with
the State of Illinois, Mr. Staton has served as a Program Advisor, Local
Office Supervisor, VR Policy Trainer, and Manager of the Employment
Unit. Prior to his work with the state, Mr. Staton worked with Gateway
Services in Princeton, Illinois as a Vocational Coordinator and Covenant
Children’s Home, also in Princeton, as a Youth Counselor.

Lou Hamer – Bureau Chief – DRS Field Services
Lou has been an Assistant Bureau chief in DRS Region 2, worked as the
Section Manager for Community Rehabilitation Program Contracts, this
included high school STEP contracts, and worked with suburban schools as
a DRS Transition Counselor.

Required!
Please register by e-mailing info below to:

dfdn@dfdn.org
Name:
Number Attending:
Parent/Organization:

Look forward to seeing
everyone,

Board Members of DFDN
2012

Facilities provied by:
Lisle Public Library
777 Front Street
Lisle IL 60532 Capacity: 95
630-971-1675

      DuPage Family Disability Network (DFDN)
Wendesday, Open Board Meeting
7 pm to 9 pm

DFDN presents:

Work and Social Security Credits:

How to manage both when you are a person with a disability

What parents can do if they want their child to work…no matter the challenge

Our panel will provide valuable information on the possibilities of people with disabilities working in the community and how Social Security benefits are part of the work equation.

Don Davia will help families and self advocates understand the very complex Social Security System including:

–How to earn credits

–The time line to earn Social Security Disability Insurance and Medicare

Don Davia is with the DuPage Center for Independent Living. He was a rehab counselor with DHS for 35 years and since retirement he has been the Medicaid/Medicare expert as well as the SHIP counselor for senior citizen health care with DCIL.

Mariel Hammer will discuss work incentives that are created to help people with disabilities work while on SSI. She is the Community Work Incentive Coordinator for the Illinois Assistive Technology program.

We Grow Dreams is a family-supported organization that provides real work experience, with a pay check for people with disabilities. Laurie Staple is the Executive Director and will describe how families can be a part of this experience to help their child earn Social Security credits. We Grow Dreams is in West Chicago.

Entrepreneurs Kelly Neville, a business partner in Special Sparkle, and Luke Koupal of The Shred-I-Gator will share their success stories with their own businesses.

Facilities provied by:

Lisle Public Library
777 Front Street
Lisle IL 60532
630-971-1675

Please register by e-mailing info below to:

dfdn@dfdn.org
Name:
Number Attending:
Parent/Organization:

Look forward to seeing
everyone,

Board Members of DFDN,
2012

We are pleased to present information ON:

Host-Home : A Model of Success

Sharon M. Coutryer, PH.D.
From Illinois Mentor.
Director of Operations , IDD Program,

Providing information on:

In The MENTOR Network’s Host-Home program individuals live in private
family homes in the community with nurturing host-home providers – who we
call Mentors. Because this model is geared towards the needs of one
person, host-home living is highly flexible and focused on personal choice
for the Mentor and the individual receiving services. In partnership with
the people we serve and our Mentors we strive to create that “perfect
match,” ensuring successful placements that lead to long-term, meaningful
relationships – the basis of our program success.

Together the Mentor, program staff, the individuals’ family and other
professionals design and implement an Individualized Service Plan (ISP) to
help those we serve acquire skills, access services and participate in
community life and activities.

For individuals and families, our Host-Home program provides invaluable
peace of mind. For the payors supporting them, it represents a reliable,
affordable, quality-focused solution that eliminates the need for capital
expenses and the worry of ensuring continuity of direct care staff.
Services provided in the Host-Home program are based on each individual’s
unique needs and preferences.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Additional Information on Host Family form DHS

http://www.dhs.state.il.us/OneNetLibrary/27896/documents/By_Division/Division%20of%20DD/Waiver%20Provider%20Manual.pdf

State of Illinois: Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Waivers for
Individuals with Developmental Disabilities Provider Manual

c. Host family CILA serves individuals with developmental disabilities in
their own residence. Host families consist of one or more persons who are
unrelated to the individual with a developmental disability and who are
under contract with the provider agency to provide host family services.
No more than two individuals with developmental disabilities may reside
with any single host family. The two support models are:

i. Traditional care is the full-time residence of the paid caregivers. The
paid caregivers own, lease or rent the residence.

ii. Shared living may house either full or part-time paid caregivers in
which individuals other than shift staff employees provide more than 50
percent of the residential coverage. The individuals, caregivers or
provider agency own, lease or rent the residence.

The difference between traditional care and shared living models is shift
employees routinely share supervision, care and training responsibilities
with the host family caregivers in the shared living model.
.

Please register by e-mailing info below to:

                                                                                              dfdn@dfdn.org
                                             Name:
                                             Number Attending:
                                             Parent/Organization:

Look forward to seeing
everyone,

Board Members of DFDN,
2010

DuPage Family Disability Network (DFDN)
Open Board Meeting
Lisle Library
Lisle, IL 60532

Wednesday
7pm to 9pm

Our guest speaker is Mariel Hammer;
Community Work Incentive Coordinator
Illinois Department of Human Services

Topics :

· Work Incentive Planning and Assistance Program (WIPA) overview
· Myths about going to work
· Ticket to Work
· Supplemental Security Income- SSI, Work Incentives
· Medicaid
· Social Security Disability Insurance- SSDI, Work Incentives
· Medicare Part A, Part B, Part D
· Reporting gross monthly earnings
· Questions and Answers

Please register by e-mailing info below to:

dfdn@dfdn.org
Name:
Number Attending:
Parent/Organization:

Look forward to seeing
everyone,

Board Members of DFDN 2010

DuPage Work Group Legislative Forum

Thursday, Sept.2, 2010
7:00p.m. to 9:00p.m
Council Chambers
Municipal Center
400 S. Eagle St.
Naperville, IL 60540

The purpose of this forum is to give state legislative candidates an opportunity to share with DuPage County voters their positions on Illinois’ critical human service issues facing individuals with disabilities and/or mental illness and how the candidates would advocate for these issues in Springfield.

State Legislative Candidates attending forum:

48th District, Rep. Michael Connelly
48th District, Ms. Barbara Green

55th District, Gregory Brownfield

95th District, Rep. Mike Fortner
95th District, Ms. Maria Owens

96th District, Rep. Darlene Senger

42nd District, Rep. Sandra Pihos
42nd District, Ms. Kathryn Vlahos

45th District, Ms. JoAnn Franzen

46th District, Ms. Deborah Conroy

47th District, Rep. Patricia Bellock
47th District, Mr. Bob Mueller
47th District, Mr. James Speta

Cosponsors:
Donka
DuPage Center for Independent Living
DuPage Family Disability Network (DFDN)
DuPage Federation on Human Services Reform
Family Support Network
Little Friends, Inc.
NADS
NAMI of DuPage County Illinois
PACT, Inc.
Parents Alliance Employment Project
Ray Graham Association
SEA (Supported Employment Associates)
Western DuPage Special Recreation Association (WDSRA)

Name:
Number Attending:
Parent/Organization:

              DuPage Family Disability Network (DFDN) 
                         Open Board Meeting
                                Lisle Library
                              Lisle, IL  60532
                                 7pm to 9pm

We are pleased to present information on two Sperate topics:

   1)             DonKa Inc.
 A non-profit organization who is Dedicated to a mission of improving the quality of life
for people with disabilities through computer training.

   2)  Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities (HBWD)

To help people with disabilities return to work Illinois offers a program called Health
Benefits for Workers with Disabilities. The goal of this program is to help people with
disabilities return to work with full Medicaid health care benefits.

          DuPage Family Disability Network (DFDN)
           Wed. November 12, 2008  Open Board Meeting
                            Lisle Library
                          Lisle, IL  60532
                             7pm to 9pm

We are pleased to present information on Seguin and its
Adult Foster Care Model/Shared Living CILA:

One of three tailor made opptions for residental settings
within the community.

The presenters will be:
Tina Golos from Seguin, Oak Park, Illinois

Community Integrated Living Arrangement (CILA)

CILA is a residential program designed towards meeting the unique needs of persons
served.   The focus of the CILA program is to offer individuals smaller residential
settings within the community and provide for integration opportunities.  Participants
are encouraged to develop knowledge of local social and recreational outlets and to
develop relationships with members of the community.

Participants can become integrated through access to the following community-based
services:

?        vocational training
?        legal and educational services
?        leisure, recreational, religious and social outlets
?        medical services

    Please register by e-mailing info below to:

    dfdn@dfdn.org
                               Name:
                               Number Attending:
                               Parent/Organization:

    Look forward to seeing
    everyone,
    Ruth Ann Sikora

           DuPage Family Disability Network (DFDN)
            Wed. June 18, 2008  Open Board Meeting
                             Lisle Library
                           Lisle, IL  60532
                              7pm to 9pm

We are pleased to present information from three of Dupage County’s community providors in the areas of:

Supported Emploment
Community integration

The presenters will be:

Parents Alliance
The Parents Alliance Employment Project has existed since 1982 to assist individuals with disabilities to obtain and maintain community based employment.

Range of Motion, Inc
Community integration & accessible transportation.

S.E.A. ( Supported Emploment Association)
Provides an innovative and flexible approach to employment services.
Their mission is to provide comprehensive supported employment services from job serch plans, to ongoing job coaching & follow-up training in standard work inviornmnt.

We hope you will join us
As it is part of DFDN’s mission to get information out to community about services and supports in DuPage County.

     Please register by e-mailing info below to:

     dfdn@dfdn.org
                                Name:
                                Number Attending:
                                Parent/Organization:

     Look forward to seeing
     everyone,
     R. Sikora, Officer DFDN ]]> http://dfdn.org/archives/22/feed 0 http://dfdn.org/archives/23 http://dfdn.org/archives/23#comments Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:49:51 +0000 webmaster http://dfdn.org/archives/23 DuPage Family Disability Network, DFDN
Monday, April 7, 2008
1:00 to 3:00 pm
Lisle Library
777 Front Street
Lisle, IL  60532

DuPage Family Disability Network, DFDN is hosting a forum with the following presenters:

Lilia Teninty, Director
Division of Developmental Disabilities, DHS

Ed McManus, Facilitator
North Suburban Network, DHS

Joe Straka, Director
PACT, Inc.

DuPage Family Disability Network invites interested individuals, families, county
officials and supporting professionals to a dialogue with Lilia Teninty, Joe Straka and
Ed McManus regarding the direction of DD services in Illinois.

Seating is limited.   Please register by e-mail to dfdn@dfdn.org:

                                   Name:
                      Number Registering:
                       Parent/Organization:

Thank you,
Barbara Petersen, President
DuPage Family Disability Network, DFDN