Individual & Group Services

Individual Services

Advocacy for Individuals:
Provided upon request to individuals with disabilities who need assistance in accessing programs or services or who feel they have been discriminated against because of their disability. Staff may provide the service directly or refer the individual for legal assistance if appropriate. LIFE Center staff will also assist individuals to learn how to advocate for themselves. For more information call Chuck Smith or e-mail him at chuck@lifecil.org.


Benefits Counseling:
Informs individuals with disabilities about various benefits from government and other sources and provides instruction in securing and maintaining assistance. Includes assistance in completing benefit application forms such as the Circuit Breaker application. For more information call Chuck Smith or e-mail him at chuck@lifecil.org.


Communication Services:
Includes skills training, referrals of sign language interpreters and CART writers, peer counseling, sign language instruction, and community education for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened, or have speech that is difficult to understand. The Center has many assistive devices for persons with hearing loss that you can learn about and try out to see if they work for you, and many catalogs of such assistive devices. For more information call Jackie Cole or e-mail her at jackie@lifecil.org.


Community Reintegration:
Assists eligible individuals with disabilities to move out of nursing homes into their own homes. The program can provide funds for first month's rent, rent and utility deposits, furniture, household goods, and expenses involved in making the move back into the community. The individual is also connected as needed to other Center services such as independent living skills training, peer counseling, individual advocacy, and assistance in finding and learning to manage personal assistants. Individuals with disabilities age 59 and younger and individuals with brain injury of any age who are residing in nursing homes and are meet the criteria established by the Home Services Program are eligible for this service. This program is funded by the Department of Human Services, Office of Rehabilitation Services, Home Services Program. For more information call Rickielee Pelo or e-mail her at rickielee@lifecil.org.

Family Services:
Services are provided to family members of individuals with disabilities when such service is needed to improve the individual's ability to live or function more independently. For more information call Kim Tarkowski or e-mail him at kim@lifecil.org.


Independent Living Skills:
Assists individuals with disabilities in the development of skills and knowledge that encourage maximum independence. You can learn skills such as money management, assertiveness, and using public transportation. This service is provided individually and in groups by staff and volunteers who have expertise in the desired skill area. All skills training is designed to meet the learning needs of each individual. For more information call Chuck Smith or e-mail him at chuck@lifecil.org.


Information and Referral:
Getting the right information or finding out where to go for needed services can make a significant difference in the life of a person with a disability. Given the ever-changing field of disability, it often seems there is just too much information to track. Changes in laws and regulations, the introduction of new programs and opportunities, the development of new technologies or approaches to minimize the impact of a disability can all have a direct bearing on quality of life for an individual with a disability. Drawing on the cross-disability expertise of our staff, few questions or requests for information stump our collective knowledge and experience. We also have a library of books, pamphlets, and videotapes that you can borrow at no cost. For more information call Chuck Smith or e-mail him at chuck@lifecil.org.


Personal Assistant Services:
Provides services to persons with disabilities who need assistance in personal care and activities of daily living in order to live independently. Having a PA can help the individual avoid having to live in institutions or nursing homes or having to rely on family members for their personal care. Consumers are matched with individuals who want to work as personal assistants. The consumer is responsible for hiring, paying, and managing their own personal assistant services. We can assist you in identifying funding for your PA's wages. Training in managing personal assistants is also available upon request and provided individually and in groups. These services are funded by the Department of Human Services, Office of Rehabilitation Services, Home Services Program. If you need personal assistant services or are interested in being a personal assistant, call Rickielee Pelo or e-mail her at rickielee@lifecil.org.


Peer Mentoring/Support:
People learn and grow by discussing their needs, concerns and issues with people who have had similar experiences. Our Board of Directors, staff, and consumers collectively have a wide range of physical disabilities, hearing loss, vision loss, and developmental and psychiatric disabilities. We have years of experience in living independently with our disabilities. We've experienced all the feelings about disability, the skills needed, the resources and assistive devices, the self-advocacy. Upon request, staff will match individuals with similar disabilities or issues and concerns so that they can learn from each other and provide mutual support. You can request peer mentoring to be provided individually or we can connect you with groups that have similar disabilities or concerns. For more information call Chuck Smith or e-mail him at chuck@lifecil.org.


Visual Services:
If you are blind or have low vision, we can help you learn the skills needed to maintain your independent lifestyle. We can show you many low vision aids and assistive devices, where to get them, and how to use them. In-home mobility training and tactile markings are provided. We can refer you to additional services such as community orientation and mobility training and guide dog services, if desired. If you are age 55 and older, you are eligible for a variety of low vision aids at no cost, including large print address books, calendars, magnifiers, signature guides, and more. This program is funded by the Department of Human Services, Office of Rehabilitation Services, Bureau of Blind Services. For more information call Stacey Slicer or e-mail her at stacey@lifecil.org.

Group Services

Legislative Intern Project:
Participants learn how government works, how laws are made, and how to have a voice in public policy. The class travels to Springfield to observe the legislative process and speak to their legislators, and also attend the annual Disability Rights Conference. Participants learn self-advocacy and leadership skills. There are two groups of Legislative Interns, one for adults with disabilities and one for youth with disabilities age 14 to 21. The classes begin in early spring each year and are limited in size, so we encourage you to sign up early! If you are a minority and/or live in DeWitt, Ford, Livingston, or rural McLean County, you will have priority to enroll in this program. All travel expenses for the trips to Springfield are paid, and we can also provide assistance for travel to classes if you live outside Bloomington-Normal. This program is funded by the Department of Human Services, Office of Rehabilitation Services. For more information call Jill Doran or e-mail her at jill@lifecil.org.



Other Disability Organizations:

There are many disability organizations in the area. Local chapters of the Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities in Illinois and Access Allies are cross-disability and focus on advocacy. Contacts for ther disability organizations are listed below:

CCDI -McLean County: Chuck Smith - chuck@lifecil.org
Access Allies/Bloomington-Normal: Jill Doran - jill@lifecil.org
CCDI or Access Allies-Livingston County: Dana Craig - dana@lifecil.org

Others organizations such as the Deaf Club provide peer support and social activities for people with similar disabilities. For more information about disability organizations and when and where they meet, call Chuck Smith or e-mail him at chuck@lifecil.org.


LIFE Center offers use of its conference room at no cost for disability organizations that support our mission. If you would like to schedule our conference room for your group's meeting, contact Vicky Hogan at vicky@lifecil.org.