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Independent Living Services - Iowa

Independent Living Services are those items and services provided to persons with a severe physical or mental disability and a severe limitation in ability to function independently in family or community or whose ability to obtain, maintain, or advance in employment is substantially limited, which will improve their ability to function, continue functioning, or move towards functioning independently in the family or community or to continue in employment.

Services are provided to clients of the Iowa Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) when: a) a DVRS client has no vocational/ employment goal; or b) the client has an employment goal, needs only IL services to reach it, and is not eligible for post-employment services. A person eligible for post-employment services would receive the services under that program.

Note: Those who are receiving IL services and do not have any employment goals need not be clients of DVRS.

Independent Living Core Services.

The following services are required to be available from each IL program:

·        Information and referral services;

·        Independent living skills training;

·        Peer counseling (including cross-disability peer counseling); and

·        Individual and systems advocacy.

Additional Services

The services listed below may also be provided by Iowa DVRS. (A discussion of the quality, scope, and extent of each will be found in Section 10 of the DVRS Policy Manual.)

·        Counseling services including psychological, psychotherapeutic, and related services;

·        Housing incidental to the purpose of this section including appropriate accommodations to and modifications to any space to serve severely handicapped individuals;

·        Rehabilitation technology;

·        Mobility training;

·        Services and training for individuals with cognitive and sensory disabilities, including life skills training, and interpreter and reader services;

·        Personal assistance services, including attendant care and the training of personnel providing such services;

·        Surveys, directories, and other activities to identify appropriate housing, recreation opportunities, and accessible transportation, and other support services;

·        Consumer information programs on rehabilitation and independent living services available under this act, especially for minorities and other individuals with disabilities who have traditionally been unserved or underserved by programs under this act.

·        Education and training necessary for living in the community and participating in community activities;

·        Supported living;

·        Transportation, including referral and assistance for such transportation;

·        Physical rehabilitation;

·        Therapeutic treatment;

·        Provision of needed prostheses and other appliances and devices;

·        Training to develop skills specifically designed for youths who are individuals with disabilities to promote self-awareness and esteem, develop advocacy and self-empowerment skills, and explore career options;

·        Services under other federal, state, or local programs designed to provide resources, training, counseling, or other assistance, of substantial benefit in enhancing the independence, productivity, and quality of life of individuals with disabilities;

·        Appropriate preventive services to decrease the need of individuals assisted under this act for similar services in the future; and

·        Community awareness programs to enhance the understanding and integration into society of individuals with disabilities.

Independent Living Services Administration

Service Provision. A Resource Manager in the DVRS State Office is assigned to coordinate this program.

State IL Services Plan Development. A Statewide Independent Living Council, the majority of whose members must be individuals with disabilities, jointly develops (in conjunction with DVRS and the Department for the Blind) the IL State Plan.

See:

·        Statewide Independent Living Council

See Also:

·           Vocational Rehabilitation Services Eligibility

·           Vocational Rehabilitation Services - Overview

·           Welcome and Introduction to Benefits in Iowa

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