Investment Initiatives

The Council makes investments (grants) to a wide variety of organizations and individuals to help improve the lives of people with disabilities and entire communities. Calls for Investments are made throughout the year. For an information packet, contact the Council's Springfield office at (217) 782-9696.

The State Plan outlines the Council's priorities and objectives in nine areas of emphasis. Click on any area to find out about the latest Council-funded programs.

Education & Early Intervention
Employment
Child Care
Formal/Informal Community Supports
Health
Housing
Quality Assurance
Recreation
Transportation
Cross-Cutting

Education and Early Intervention

This project will build lasting capacity throughout the State's heartland by creating capacity for leveraging generic community resources, multiple funding braids, cooperative relationships, and inventive service delivery through the demonstration and stabilization of both wage and self-employment in eight cornerstone communities.

Contacts:
Project Staff: Marsie Frawley MFrawley@hdadvocates.org
Council Staff: Margaret Harkness Margaret.Harkness@illinois.gov
Agency Website: http://www.hdadvocates.org/

This project will focus on the creation of business partnerships that will lead to each business entity developing the knowledge and skills to successfully recruit/hire/train/promote workers with developmental disabilities. The project will set up Internal Disability Teams within each company that are self-sustaining. Best Buy will serve as a lead partner in the project, as well as many other Chicagoland businesses.

Contacts:
Project Staff: Gloria Curtin Gloria.curtin@elvalor.net
Council Staff: Margaret Harkness Margaret.Harkness@illinois.gov
Agency Website: http://www.elvalor.org/

Project: workneXt Level of Business Partnership Investment
Partner:Parents Alliance Employment Project
Location: Lisle, Illinois
Investment: $70,043

This project will utilize its unique partnership with the workNet DuPage Career Center. Through the creation of a Business Development Specialist that will lead the project, Parents Alliance will collaborate with partners of the workNet DuPage Career Center Business Services Team, the DuPage Workforce Board, and Choose DuPage to identify 20 DuPage county businesses to employ and support people with developmental disabilities in community based job positions.

Contacts: Project Staff: Kristin Crampton kcrampton@parents-alliance.org
Council Staff: Margaret Harkness Margaret.Harkness@illinois.gov
Agency Website: http://parents-alliance.org/

In addition to the initiatives listed above, additional opportunities are available for people with developmental disabilities who want to find work.

Click Here for materials related to EmployAlliance and developing chapters.

Work Incentives and Planning (WIPA) projects, sponsored by the Social Security Administration (SSA), help people with developmental disabilities make informed choices about employment and navigate through the complexities of benefit programs. More information on the Ticket to Work program is available at: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/work/ServiceProviders/WIPADirectory.html

Employers of people with disabilities also are eligible for numerous tax and cost benefits, including:

The Working Families Tax-Relief Act of 2004 is a federal tax credit that encourages employers to hire targeted groups of job seekers, including those with disabilities, by reducing employers; federal income tax liability by as much as $2,400 per qualified new employee.

Click on the following link to learn more about the Working Families Tax Relief Act: http://waysandmeans.house.gov/Links.asp?section=343

Section 190 of the Federal Tax Reform Act provides a tax deduction for the removal of architectural and transportation barriers that might prevent a person with a disability from performing a job function.

Click on the following link for additional information on the Tax Reform Act: http://www.irs.gov

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 assists people with disabilities to prepare for and enter the competitive work force by funding On-The-Job Training Programs. Vocational Rehabilitation staff also can serve as a recruiter and consultant for employers. They can conduct job analyses, and provide rehabilitation engineering services for architectural barrier removal and worksite modifications.

Link to Illinois workNet™ to offer your clients access to free resources for those experiencing a job loss!

We are all aware that the Illinois workforce system is experiencing many new challenges as we try to deal with the impact that the current national and statewide economic situation has had on employment and the resulting increase of job losses across Illinois.  Now more than ever, people who are experiencing a job loss need greater access to helpful resources.

To address this situation, we are promoting a "LINK TO US" campaign aimed at increasing access to resources for those who have lost their job.  By broadening the network of access points to Illinois workNet and the Illinois workNet Laid Off Worker Assistance pages, individuals facing a job loss can better access free resources which are specifically designed to assist them.  Link to Illinois workNet™ today to offer your clients access to free resources for those experiencing a job loss!

How to link to Illinois workNet

Linking to Illinois workNet is quick and easy!  Follow these simple steps to access the Illinois workNet Laid Off Worker Assistance pages icon or other Illinois workNet link icons, and for instructions on linking to Illinois workNet.  Provide these instructions to whomever handles your organization's web page updates.

Step 1.  Go to the Illinois workNet Links page:  http://www.illinoisworknet.com/vos_portal/residents/en/admin/LinkToUs.htm

Step 2.  Select the icon of your choice or that best fits your organization’s goal, download it, and use the code provided to link directly to Illinois workNet.

If you have any questions, please contact the Illinois workNet staff:

For technical difficulties contact: helpdesk@illinoisworknet.com.

For general information contact: info@illinoisworknet.com.

Call 217-786-3010 between 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.  

Individuals have access to other services available or offered in a community, including formal and informal community supports that improve their quality of life.

Project: New Visions
Investment Partner: Macon Resources
Location: Decatur, IL
Investment: $750,000

This project will implement a statewide initiative that empowers persons with developmental disabilities to envision, express and realize the dreams they believe will enrich their lives in the community. The initiative utilizes personal coaches in a Full Life Future Planning process that guides individuals to develop support networks and action plans to meet their hopes and dreams.

Contacts:
Project Staff: Karen Randolph KRandolph@maconresources.org
Council Staff: Jennifer Harrison Jennifer.Harrison@illinois.gov
Agency Website: www.maconresources.org

Project: Dreaming New Visions
Investment Partner: Macon Resources
Location: Decatur, IL
Investment: $292,895

Through this initiative Macon Resources, Inc. will expand their New Visions project to focus on family members of individuals with developmental disabilities, particularly those whose family member resides in a State Operated Developmental Center. Macon Resources, Inc. will provide education and resources to families to teach and motivate them how to dream bigger and expect more for themselves and their loved ones.

Contacts:
Project Staff: Shirley Pacely spaceley@maconresources.org
Council Staff: Jennifer Harrison Jennifer.Harrison@illinois.gov
Agency Website: www.maconresources.org

Project: Managing the Art of Living
Investment Partner: Tony Records and Associates, Inc.
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Investment: $644,181

Through this project, structures will be developed so that people with developmental disabilities are able to manage and direct the services and supports through the use of microboards and/or cooperatives. In addition, an Illinois Microboard Association will be developed to assist others who would like to create a microbord/cooperative for themselves or a family member.

Contacts:
Project Staff: Vicki Niswander vniswander@gmail.com
Council Staff: Jennifer Harrison Jennifer.Harrison@illinois.gov
Organization Website: http://www.managingtheartofliving.org

Health

Housing

Quality Assurance

The Council's Quality Assurance investments focus on improving consumer and family-centered quality assurance and consumer protections, including monitoring services and supports that protect against all forms of exploitation and abuse. This area includes training in leadership, self-advocacy, and self-determination for individuals with developmental disabilities and interagency coordination to improve services to and supports for people with developmental disabilities.

Project: Consumer Stipend Program
Investment Partner: The Arc of Illinois
Location: Frankfort, IL
Investment: $100,000

This project provides stipends for people with disabilities and their families to attend conferences on disability-related issues.

Contacts:
Project Staff: MaryLynne Paris MaryLynneParis@aol.com
Council Staff: Jennifer Harrison Jennifer.Harrison@illinois.gov
Agency Website: www.thearcofil.org

Project: MY VOICE
Investment Partner: Northern Illinois University
Location: DeKalb, Illinois
Investment: $337,590

Project MY VOICE (Multimedia for Youth to Voice Outcomes Individually Created for Empowerment) is a collaborative 3-year effort between Indian Prairie School District #204 and Northern Illinois University. The overarching goal of Project MY VOICE is to develop a systematic model for preparing youth with developmental disabilities between the ages of 16-21 to have necessary leadership skills to become self-advocates regarding important personal life decisions. Youth will work collaboratively with parents, school personnel and pre-service educators to engage in self-determination activities. These activities will ultimately lead to the development of multimedia presentations depicting the personal hopes and dreams of each individual, and each youth will present their presentations at their IEP or transition meetings.

Contacts:
Project Staff: Toni Val Laarhoven tvanlaar@niu.edu
Council Staff: Sandy Ryan Sandy.Ryan@illinois.gov
Agency Website: http://www.cedu.niu.edu/tlrn/

Project: Special Education Advocacy Clinic
Investment Partner: DePaul University
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Investment: $123,500

Through this four-year investment, DePaul University will train at least 21 culturally diverse law students who have a family member with a developmental disability, through an innovative, comprehensive advocacy program that emphasizes ongoing collaboration between school districts and parents. The project will impact people with developmental disabilities through direct legal advocacy.

Contacts:
Project Staff: Mary Bandstra MBANDSTR@depaul.edu
Council Staff: Margie Harkness Margaret.Harkness@illinois.gov
University Website: http://www.depaul.edu/

Project: The Alliance
Investment Partner: Human Services Research Institute (HSRI)
Location: Portland, OR
Investment: $300,000

The Alliance will consist of a network of self-advocacy groups and self-advocates that, through local action, will improve their lives, change local service practices, or make contributions to their communities. In addition, self-advocates, by working together, will promote statewide needed changes in disability policy and practices.

Contacts:
Project Staff: John Agosta agosta@hsri.org
Council Staff: Sandy Ryan Sandy.Ryan@illinois.gov
Project Website: http://www.hsri.org

Project: Quality Initiative
Investment Partner: The Foundation for Quality and Leadership
Location: Towson, MD
Investment: $427,500

This project will focus on the creation of a core group of Certified Quality Analysts (CQAs) who will lead the development of the new quality management plan for the Department of Human Services/Division of Developmental Disabilities (DHS/DDD). This project will also lead to the establishment of a data management system to gather information concerning stakeholder needs and priority in a fashion that is both efficient and effective.

Recreation

Transportation

Cross-Cutting