News
Family Support & Respite Happenings
New Children’s Waiver
Effective July 1st, the new Children’s Home-Based Support Services Waiver was implemented in Illinois. The goal of this federally funded waiver service is to provide the necessary supports needed for children living at home.
There are two phases of this program. First, children who have received the In-Home Support Program, commonly known as 72D, will be transitioned into the new waiver. This is critical because it enables Illinois to receive the federal match in funds rather than paying for the entire program itself.
The second phase involves the enrollment of additional children into the program based on PUNS database information. In order to be considered for this new waiver program, families must be have completed the PUNS (Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services) through Service, Inc.
PUNS is a database initiated by The Department of Human Services to assess the need for services in Illinois. Anyone who wishes to receive additional services in either adult services or children’s programs must be on this list.
Children who are eligible for this new waiver are those whose need for in-home supports due to a developmental disability are extensive enough that without those supports, residential placement might be sought.
If enrolled in this program, children can receive up to $1,246 per month in supports and services in the home. Supports covered in this program are case management, personal support, respite, behavior intervention and treatment, counseling and training for unpaid caregivers, home and vehicle modifications, and assistive technology.
If you would like to apply for this program, you may call Service, Inc. at (815) 741-0800 to request an appointment for a PUNS enrollment.
Respite/FS Committee
The first meeting of the new UCP Respite Committee was held in May. At that time we initiated several goals for the committee’s work. First, it is essential that we find additional sources of revenue to support the needs of the Respite Program. The committee spent some time brainstorming ways to raise money for direct services in the home. Ideas included researching new grants, internal fundraisers and increasing local and legislative awareness for the need for respite services and the positive impact to families when the need is adequately met.
The committee will also be reviewing satisfaction surveys from families, assessing feedback from accreditation and reviewing the program’s progress toward measurable outcomes so that the information can be used to improve services for families.
If you have any feedback or ideas you would like forwarded to the Respite Committee, feel free to contact me at (815) 744-3500, extension 209.
Upcoming Events
ARC of Illinois presents:
Social Skills Training and Positive Behavioral Supports for Students and Adults with Developmental Disabilities - Jed Baker, Ph.D.
September 26th, 2007
Wyndham Hotel
Lisle, IL
Illinois Council on
Developmental Disabilities
presents:
Speak Up and Speak Out Summit: The second annual gathering for people with developmental disabilities, their friends and family come together to learn how to take action for freedom and choice.
October 1-2, 2007
Springfield, IL
ARC of Illinois presents:
Planning for Children and Adults with Special Needs for Today and Tomorrow! Presented by Brian Rubin, JD, Sherri Schneider, QMRP & Matt Cohen, JD
October 13th, 2007 Futures Unlimited Pontiac, IL
Equipment Needed:
One of our families who has a son enrolled in our School and Home Based Support Services is in need of a wheelchair-accessible van. Currently, the family is unable to transport their son to appointments or out into the community. If anyone has a van they would like to donate that is already accessible, or that we can make accessible, please call Allison at extension 201.
Submitted by Stephanie Bergner, Director of Family Support and Respite
View a Printer-Friendly Version
Go back to top