Founded in 1974, the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities is a federally funded state agency that was created under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act.

NUMBER of PEOPLE with DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES in ILLINOIS:

Estimated to be 180,000

NUMBER of COUNCIL MEMBERS

            29 Council Members

AGENCY REPRESENTATIVES:

Department of Human Services-Community Health and Prevention

Department on Aging

Department of Human Services-Office of Rehabilitation Services

University of Illinois at Chicago-Dept. of Disability and Human Development (UCE)

Department of Human Services-Division of Developmental Disabilities

Department of Children & Family Services

IL State Board of Education

Department of Public Aid-Bureau or Interagency Coordination

Equip for Equality (State’s P&A Agency)

Governors Office of Management and Budget (non-voting member)

NUMBER of STAFF : 14

STANDING COMMITTEES

Executive Committee

Community Inclusion & Health Committee

Education & Employment Committee

Self-Determination & Health Committee

 

FREQUENCY of MEETINGS:

Bi-monthly (January, March, May, July-Executive Committee Only, September, November)

DESIGNATED STATE AGENCY/ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY:

The Council is a State agency.

2005 FEDERAL ALLOTMENT: $2,648,445

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CURRENT COUNCIL PROJECTS

• Employment

Project: Employment Within Business
Investment Partner: ARC of Rock IslandCounty
This project will develop a business mentor process utilizing their experience with businesses with employees with developmental disabilities to approach and educate new businesses into expanding the hiring possibilities of individuals with developmental disabilities. As a result of this project, 10 new businesses will hire at least one individual with a developmental disability in a full-time position and 10 individuals with developmental disabilities will have full-time employment.

Project: EmployAlliance
Investment Partner: EmployAlliance
This project is a partnership between the LaGrange Area Department of Special Education, the Illinois Office of Rehabilitation Services, and four local high schools. The project has expanded to other communities. This project will assist students with disabilities by building a bridge between school, employment, and the adult world founded on academic and vocational experiences. As a result of this project, 62 business partnerships will have been created and 95 people with developmental disabilities will be employed and supported internally by these businesses.

Project: Employment Within Businesses - Networking for Success
Investment Partner: MackinawValley Special Education
Through this project, a comprehensive community support system will be established that focuses on the development of competitive employment opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities. As a result of this project, with appropriate supports and reasonable accommodations, two businesses that do not currently employ individuals with developmental disabilities will employ individuals with developmental disabilities in full time positions for six months at a prevailing wage; four businesses that already employ one or more people with developmental disabilities will hire additional people with developmental disabilities in full time positions at a prevailing wage for six months; and one employer site will establish and operate an internship program for a potential employee with more significant disabilities for six months.

Project: Employment With Businesses
Investment Partner: Central Illinois Business Leadership Network
This group is comprised of central Illinois businesses and agencies that serve individuals with developmental disabilities. This project is designed to promote the successes of and advantages and incentives to hiring qualified individuals with developmental disabilities. As a result of this project, 18 businesses that have never employed people with developmental disabilities will employ individuals with developmental disabilities in full time (minimum of 30 hours per week) permanent positions at a prevailing wage.

Representative Results: Two projects are complete which targeted making universal services accessible to all job seekers in 1-Stop Workforce Centers. Staff have competencies to work with and make persons with developmental disabilities feel welcome. They refer to appropriate resources within the center, and make adaptations as needed to offer their particular service. When more specialized job services are provided, co-case-management follows serving the persons needs. Best practices learned were presented to 6 other centers in the state. Based on success in Chicago, future RFPs for management of the 5 Centers and 28 affiliate sites will require expertise in serving those with disabilities. As a result of these projects, 62 businesses now employ people with disabilities and 87 people with developmental disabilities are now employed. Between these initiatives, $74,000 has been leveraged for employment.

 ICDD also is targeting increasing the capacity of employers to recruit and support persons with developmental disabilities as employees. A business to business mentor approach is used in 2 projects so that managers and human resource personnel share their successful strategies with counterparts in other businesses. A Business Leadership Network implements one of these, and is coordinating with another BLN forming in Chicago.

 

Two other projects involve consortiums of education, business, and community partners in increasing job opportunities for transition youth and adults. In their developing model, job developers act as account executives who become knowledgeable about the business and its needs. They recruit well-matched persons with developmental disabilities for positions and provide technical assistance to supervisory and management personnel as needed for successful employment. Chapters of this job developer network are growing. Developers share leads and facilitate hires at businesses with which they have established a relationship. The network has 4 functioning chapters with an additional chapter in formation.

 

The above projects combined have leveraged $743,000 for employment. As a result, 179 individuals with developmental disabilities have jobs and 110 businesses employ people with disabilities.

• Education & Early Intervention

Project: Project Inclusion
Investment Partner: SchillerParkSchool District 81
This district-wide, four-year project will result in systematic changes that will benefit children with developmental and other disabilities, as well as students who do not have a disability. The project's main goal is to create a genuinely inclusive environment in which all children have the opportunity to reach their fullest potential. Unique project features include a peer tutoring program, a social and recreational program bringing together all students, an inclusive pre-school program reaching out to children with developmental disabilities ages 3-5, comprehensive professional development for all faculty and staff, parent workshops, and collaboration with community support agencies. As a result of this project 131 students will attend general education classrooms 100% for an academic year by project year four, and demonstrate academic and social growth by meeting a minimum of 90% of their IEP goals; 80 students with disabilities and their parent/guardian will use community services to meet an identified need by project year four; and 115 teachers will demonstrate confidence and skill in meeting the needs of diverse learners in inclusive classrooms.

Project: Teacher Preparation in Undergraduate College/University Programs
Investment Partner: Northern Illinois University
In this four-year project, the Department of Education will partner with the Regional Access and Mobilization Project, Inc. (RAMP) to achieve systemic change in the method in which bachelor's level education majors are taught. Special education and all other sub-groups of education majors will be taught jointly in methods courses and participate in joint clinical experiences in classrooms which are inclusive of students with disabilities. As a result of this program, graduates will teach in inclusive classrooms and will meet the learning needs of any/all students and faculty will prepare students to teach all learners.

Project: Teacher Preparation in Undergraduate College/University Programs
Investment Partner: Northeastern Illinois University
This four-year project will achieve systemic change within the Department of Education including a redesigned curriculum for all areas of undergraduate teacher education. Special education and other areas of education will share common methods courses and have joint clinical experiences in inclusive classrooms so that all graduate will have the skills required to teach all students to meet the Illinois State Standards. Through this program, 600 students and 150 faculty will participate in integrated course-based and field-based experiences and demonstrate change that shows they can teach all learners. Project: Fostering New Parent Leaders in the Early Intervention System
Investment Partner: UCP of Greater Chicago
Through this two-year project, UCP of Greater Chicago will identify and develop 100 early intervention parent leaders who will make changes to the early intervention system at the state or local level which will lead to improved EI services for families who have children with developmental disabilities.

Representative Results: Two grammar school districts are implementing systems changes and faculty training to support students with disabilities in their home schools and spending the majority of their day in an inclusive classroom. Individual Education Plans were written to support new placements and tie goals to state learning standards. Teachers received several trainings in universal teaching methods, and began the 04-05 school year with many students who increased their time in a regular education classroom or returned from a special education classroom (in school or co-op). Additional lesson planning time has been added for faculty to better allow coordination of team teaching. Between the two projects, six schools and all staff within those schools have learned how to /have embraced supporting students to participate fully in their classrooms/schools.

• CHILD CARE

Project: The Training and Support for Inclusion Project
Investment Partner: Action for Children
This two-year investment will provide childcare professionals with comprehensive services that will enable them to translate their vision of serving children with developmental disabilities in inclusive settings into reality. This project will involve the development of a curriculum, training, mentoring and support to begin to establish change on a systems level. As a result of the project, ten child care centers, including both home and center-based, will have the capacity to and will enroll at least one new child with a developmental disability in an inclusive setting. In addition, a minimum of ten additional providers will be listed on their Resource and Referral database, providing greater access for families of children with developmental disabilities.

Project: Inclusive Childcare Mentorship Project
Investment Partner: Easter Seals DuPage
This project will assist childcare providers in DuPageCounty through the process of becoming inclusive centers. The two-year project involves training staff at centers in order to create new openings in at least three childcare centers for children with developmental disabilities. This project will also initiate a network of directors and managers of childcare centers who will support each other through the process of becoming inclusive centers, along with advocating for inclusion. Project: Social Inclusion Project
Investment Partner: Easter Seals of Metropolitan Chicago
This three-year investment will increase the capacity of six childcare providers to successfully include children with developmental disabilities at their centers. Easter Seals of Metropolitan Chicago will initially work with two childcare centers in Chicago who offer a multi-cultural, bi-lingual, blended environment for high-risk children with disabilities. They will later roll the project out to four additional centers. Through the project, they will develop curriculums and lesson plans, as well as provide staff with additional hands-on training and instruction from consultants on how to manage various disabilities so they can better support all children in the classroom.

Representative Results: The Council funds three projects to increase the inclusive child care options for youngsters with developmental disabilities. Each involves training to child care staff in disability awareness, as well as curriculum adaptation, adaptive technology, behavior analysis, syndrome and condition specific information, and other topics to give a basis for competence in caring for children with special needs. All will impact organizational change within multiple child care centers, and one also targets home day care providers. In one area, a manager’s network is part of the project plan, which is to provide ongoing support between the inclusive centers and help support sustaining changes into the future. As a result of these projects, there are 165 children in inclusive child care settings and $5,000 leveraged for child care.

• Housing

Project: Supporting People in Housing Choices
Investment Partner: Developmental ServicesCenter
This project is a three year investment to enables systems change within DevelopmentalServicesCenter. As an agency, all staff will be trained to use Person-Centered Planning as a model, and their customers will be trained in self-advocacy. The commitment to achieving outcomes for individuals as a result of this will be demonstrated through the attainment of individuals' housing choice goal(s). As a result of this project, 35 consumers will achieve their stated housing goal, and 45 staff will use Person Center Planning techniques to assist 90 individuals to identify their housing choice.

• Quality Assurance

Project: Statewide Life Span Information and Advocacy Coordination System
Investment Partner: The Arc of Illinois, Lifespan Information & Advocacy
This five-year project will develop a centralized information and advocacy coordination system that will help people with developmental disabilities and their families make changes in their lives. Illinois Lifespan is a Hotline and "InteractionCenter" where customers connect to information, services, and other advocacy resources through multiple communication channels including a toll-free number, regular telephone number, TDD, Internet, E-mail, fax, and mail. Consumers actively participate in the design, development, implementation, continued evolution, and evaluation of the "Illinois Life Span" system.

Project: Consumer Stipend Program
Investment Partner: The Arc of Illinois
This project provides stipends for people with disabilities and their families to attend conferences on disability-related issues.

Project: The Advocacy Training Project
Investment Partner: Little City Foundation
This 18-month project will teach individuals with developmental disabilities and theirfamily members the necessary tools and processes needed to assert their preferences and rights in the services they receive. The project will utilize individual and group action planning to facilitate ongoing advocacy. As a result, 50 individuals with developmental disabilities and/or family members will utilize skills and technical assistance obtained through the project to advocate for a need or preference.

Project: Advocacy Training
Investment Partner: Lake County Center for Independent Living
This two and a half year project will provide advocacy training to 70 young adults and their parents, who will then demonstrate their skills and assert themselves by setting at least one preferred individual goal in their transition plan and continue to use theiradvocacy skills to achieve their goal. As a result, 70 young adults with developmental disabilities and their parents will demonstrate four of the five advocacy skills during their transition meeting: 1) Using "I statements"; 2) Maintaining good eye contact; 3) Expressing their thoughts, feelings and opinions; 4) Clearly stating their needs; or 5) Asking questions, seeking definitions and clarification

Project: ADVANCE Project
Investment Partner: Access Living
This two-year project will provide leadership training, advocacy skills, peer support and nurturance for 10-15 youth with developmental disabilities to enable them to become leaders and make a commitment to systems change for individuals with developmentaldisabilities throughout the state.

Project: Developing Leaders
Investment Partner: Bartlett Learning Center, Inc.
Through this 33-month project, Bartlett Learning Center, Inc. will develop a leadership curriculum for its students and assist them in developing plans of action and implementing those plans in order to make a change to an issue that is important to them. As a result, at least 2 individuals will become leaders who engage others in taking action in at least one statewide issue that has a positive impact on people with developmental disabilities.

Project: The Illinois Comprehensive Workforce Development Initiative to Achieve Improved Individual Outcomes for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Investment Partner: University of Minnesota
This three-year project will create a workforce development infrastructure to support the extension of effective recruitment and retention strategies to organizations and employers of direct support professionals for people with developmental disabilities statewide; reduce annual turnover by direct support professionals for people with developmental disabilities by an average of 20% or more and vacancy rates by an average of 15% or more; and improve individual-focused support services to achieve greater individual outcomes and satisfaction for people with developmental disabilities and their families who receive services.

Representative Results: The Council continues work on the Illinois Life Span Information and Advocacy Coordination project - the one place where people can go to get information and to get connected with advocacy services throughout Illinois. In addition, Life Span follows up with people to find out whether the advocacy they received helped them achieve their desired result and aims to use this feedback to improve the quality of advocacy services offered in the state. Since the project began in 2001, there have been 2,071 individual/families that have reported that their need was met through the work of this project.

• Formal & Informal Community Supports

Project: Community Membership
Investment Partner: LakeCountyCenter for Independent Living
This two-year project will prepare people with developmental disabilities to serve as competent board members of community-based organizations and will support the efforts of people with disabilities to become more involved in their communities. As a result of this project, 25 persons with disabilities and 10 persons with developmental disabilities will actively participate and remain on boards for at least one year. Also, 35 agencies/congregations will have recruited at least one person with a disability to a committee/board and will demonstrate change in at least two of the following: board recruitment plan to include disability demographics; programmatic accessibility; physical accessibility; staff demographics; or bylaw change to include a disability statement.

Project: The Community Leadership Project
Investment Partner: Lewis and ClarkCommunity College
This three-year project will assist individuals with developmental disabilities obtain leadership roles in their communities, ultimately becoming voting members of an organization of their choice. As a result, at least 10 community organizations will increase the number of people with developmental disabilities who are serving in a leadership position within their organization from zero to one.

Project: Illinois DDD Strategic Planning, Revenue Enhancement and Waiting List Planning
Investment Partner: National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services
This project will assist the State of Illinois in developing a strategic plan that sets priorities and long- and short-term goals in supporting people with developmental disabilities in communities across the state; initiating revenue enhancement strategies to capture federal funds to improve and adequately support community-based services and manage new and existing resources more effectively and efficiently; and establishing the design and implementation of a developmental disabilities priority of need database to document current demand for various types of daytime, residential and support services on an ongoing basis and to develop policies regulating access to needed state-funded services and supports.

Project: Kathy and Diana: Survival Geniuses
Investment Partner: Welcome Change Productions
This project will provide education to the public about how individuals with developmental disabilities can successfully live in the community and meet the challenges they face on a daily basis.

Representative Results: The Council conducted two projects related to systems change in Illinois that will result in building community supports for people with developmental disabilities. ICDD partnered with the NASDDDS to complete a comprehensive analysis of current and potential methods of capturing federal payments for services to individuals with developmental disabilities financed by the state. The objective of this study was to identify potential new and expanded sources of federal revenue. A Phase 2 project assists Illinois’ Division of Developmental Disabilities in developing a strategic plan with input from all stakeholders and in designing and implementing a needs database.

The Council began a large project to impact the direct care workforce in Illinois. The initial pilot works with service provider agencies and individuals who directly hire workers to implement strategies chosen through provided technical assistance.

 

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EXAMPLES OF SIGNIFICANT LONG TERM ACHIEVEMENTS

The Council funded a project to develop a basic plan forcompleting a comprehensive analysis of current and potential methods of capturing federal payments for services to individuals with developmental disabilities financed by the State of Illinois. The project was conducted by the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS). A report was developed as a result of this project, entitled “Financing Services to Individuals with Developmental Disabilities in the State of Illinois”. The Council is now funding second phase which will carry forward some of the key recommendations in the report. The new project will assist the State of Illinois in: developing a strategic plan that sets priorities and long- and short-term goals in supporting people with developmental disabilities in communities across the state; initiates revenue enhancement strategies to capture federal funds to improve and adequately support community-based services and manage new and existing resources more effectively and efficiently; and establishes the design and implementation of a developmental disabilities priority of need database to document current demand for various types of daytime, residential and support services on an ongoing basis and to develop policies regulating access to needed state-funded services and supports.

 

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COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS

Advocacy Organizations

 

The Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities has been a strong partner with advocacy organizations throughout the years. One of the key partners has been the Consortium of Illinois Disability Advocates (CIDA) which is a network of various advocacy organizations throughout the state that work to address a variety systemic issues that affect the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

Policymakers

Key partnerships have also developed with a number of state agencies and other community organizations. One of the major accomplishments has been a strong partnership with our Governor’s Office.  Over the course of the last five years, a strong partnership has developed and the Executive Director now meets regularly with the Governor’s liaison for Social Services to discuss systemic issues facing individuals with developmental disabilities throughout the state.

 

Of particular note is the collaboration/partnership that has developed with the state’s Department of Human Services/ Division of Developmental Disabilities (DHS/DDD).  The Council recently funded a project with NASDDDS entitled “Financing Services to Individuals with Developmental Disabilities in the State of Illinois”. As a result of this project, the Council is now working with DHS/DDD to develop a strategic plan that sets priorities and long- and short-term goals in supporting people with developmental disabilities in communities across the state; and to establish a developmental disabilities priority of need database. The Council also recently assisted DHS/DDD in the development of a Call for Investment in the area of Self-Advocacy by facilitating the process and serving as a review team member.

 

The Council has also assisted the state’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission with the development of their strategic plan and Council staff serve as a member of the Attorney General’s Abuse and Neglect of Adults with Developmental Disabilities Committee.

 

The Council also has a close working relationship with the Chicago’s Mayor’s Office and has been involved with various employment initiatives through the Chicago Mayoral Taskforce on Employment of Persons with Disabilities.

Various Topic Related Collaborative Activities

The Council also participates on various statewide taskforces/committees such as the state Fee-for-Service Committee, the Illinois Housing Development Authority (Affordable Trust Board), state ADA Committee and ADA Celebration Committee, DDD Statewide Advisory Committee, Early Intervention Council, Interagency Transportation Coordination Committee, Medicaid Buy-In Advisory Committee, Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Medical Home Project Steering Committee, Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility, Make Medicare Work Coalition, Transition Conference Planning Committee, ICC Transition Committee, and Disability Services Advisory Committee (Olmstead). The Council is also very involved in providing support to individuals in their personal advocacy efforts.

For more information, please see the Council’s Progress Report for 2004:http://www.state.il.us/agency/icdd/includes/Progress%20Report%205.5.05.pdf

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