INFORMATION AND REFERRAL:

  Current information on programs, resources and equipment is provided to the public.

  Referrals are also made to other community organizations and programs.

  Adaptive Equipment/Home Modifications

  Assistance is provided to individuals to identify resources to acquire and receive

  training in the usage of adaptive equipment.  Equipment loan services are available for

  individuals with hearing and visual disabilities. Assistance is available to select and

  design home modifications and ramps and to identify resources for these expenses.

  PEER COUNSELING/INDIVIDUAL ADVOCACY:

  PEER COUNSELING/MENTORING

  This one-to-one peer mentoring model is based on the concept that a staff mentor

  with shared experiences is the best guide to independence.  The goal of peer

  mentoring is to assist the participant to attain his/her greatest level of independence.

  The staff Peer Mentor, who also is an individual with a disability, provides motivation,

  emotional support, and is a role model for achieving full potential.  The Peer Mentor

  helps the participant to establish goals for independence and assists with self-

  exploration and adjustment.  The Peer Mentor also makes referrals to appropriate

  community resources.

 

  Peer Counseling/Mentoring is available for youth with disabilities starting at age 13

  to assist in establishing independent living goals and action plans to reach their goals.

  INDIVIDUAL ADVOCACY

  Assistance is provided to individuals with disabilities to resolve discrimination

  complaints in all areas of life such as housing, education, employment, transportation,

  public accommodation and community programs.

  ADVOCACY GROUP/INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS TRAINING:

Celebrating the Disability Community in South Hampton Roads

“The Mix and Mingle!”

  Once a month, there will be an opportunity to get together and meet new friends from
  our local disability community. All participants are welcome to attend “The Mix and
  Mingle!”  Just come to ECI any time between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.  
  on the third Wednesday of every month. Bring your own cards, music, games, food,
  and hang out.  The upstairs conference room will be open and the activities are up to
  you. As an ECI sponsored event, Handi-Ride tickets can be provided if needed, our
  personal attendant will be available if you need assistance, and we can provide
  accommodations if you request them when you sign up to attend. You choose when
  you come and how long you stay, but be sure Handi-Ride picks you up before 5:00
  p.m. when ECI closes!
 

  To sign up for this monthly social event, please contact Linda Johnson at (757) 461-
  8007 or by email at ljohnson@endpendence.org. 

 Advocacy Group

  Are you interested in working on advocacy projects?  ECI is hosting an advocacy
  group that will meet once a month to identify advocacy goals and work together to
  advance our civil rights.  You will have the opportunity to stay updated on local
  advocacy issues and join committees to be part of changing our community for the
  better.  Look at the calendar for dates and times and please invite friends from the
  community who also support disability issues.  Handi-Ride tickets and
  accommodations will be provided to ECI participants as needed.  Meetings are
  held the fourth Wednesday of each month from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

  INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS TRAINING

  The purpose of independent living skills training is to provide participants with basic

  skills that support their independent living goals.  Training is provided in areas of

  need  identified by participants such as literacy, attendant management, decision

  making, self-advocacy, money management, rights and responsibilities and

  assertiveness.  Training is provided individually and in a classroom setting.

 

  Literacy - Individual tutoring is provided by trained volunteers to increase basic

  literacy skills.  Deaf literacy classes are held and JAWS computer training and Braille

  instruction is provided individually.  Since 1988, ECI has recognized and acted on the

  need to provide literacy services for people with disabilities, allowing them to work

  towards literacy goals that will improve the quality of their lives.  We remain committed

  to providing opportunities for community members with disabilities to develop and

  improve their literacy skills.  ECI continually seeks qualified volunteers to serve as

  literacy tutors.

 

  Participant Newsletter - The participants’ newsletter, “The Voice of Disability”, has

  succeeded in capturing the attention and loyal readership of supporters throughout the

  disability community to address serious issues confronting people with disabilities.

  Most newsletter articles are written by Center participants and edited by the Participant

  News Team.

  HOUSING ASSISTANCE/PLACEMENT:

  Staff coordinates with public and private housing agencies to secure housing options

  that are accessible, affordable and suited to participant needs.  Individuals receive

  services to assist them to prepare for independent housing.  Assistance is provided

  to secure resources for emergency housing needs.

  EDUCATION:

  ECI staff provide students and their parents with information, guidance and advocacy

  training in all areas pertaining to the educational rights of students with disabilities.

  ECI maintains a high profile in the local school systems advisory boards as well as

  statewide committees.  Staff stay current with all legislation changes regarding special

  education, serving as a watchdog committee for families statewide.  Staff serve as a

  resource for students, families and educational professionals including assisting with

  IEP development when needed.  Staff focuses on children from their start with the

  school system, through their transition out of the school system and into adulthood.

  Staff are involved in local, state and national efforts to inform legislators on issues

  related to disability education legislation.  Click this link for information about the

  Virginia Coalition for Students with Disabilities and upcoming activities related to

  changes in the Regulations.

  TRANSPORTATION:

  ECI assists individuals with Para-transit transportation (Handi-Ride) services as

  needed to attend Center services.

  MEDICAID ADVOCACY:

  The Endependence Center provides advocacy with individuals who are having

  difficulty accessing appropriate Medicaid services.

  VIRGINIA MEDICAID WAIVER TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER

  Through a grant from the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities, the

  Endependence Center has established and administers the Virginia Medicaid

  Waiver Technical Assistance Center (TAC).  The TAC provides workshops,

  materials, information, and technical assistance regarding Medicaid Waivers.

  TAC services are available statewide through a cadre of Medicaid Waiver Mentors.

  SOCIAL SECURITY WORK INCENTIVES:

  PROJECT WORK INCENTIVE SERVICES FOR EMPLOYMENT (WISE)

  This project provides work incentive planning assistance, and outreach and

  management support to SSA beneficiaries and recipients with disabilities who are

  exploring career development, and/or pursuit, maintenance or advancement of

  employment.  The Community Work Incentive Coordinator (CWIC) collects data on

  individual’s current benefit status, provides critical analysis of impact of work and

  earnings on these benefits, and makes recommendations to the individual and other

  stakeholders in their life as to safety nets and work incentive management plans that

  should be put into place as the individual develops a plan for employment.  The

  Coordinators integrates work incentives support plans into existing service delivery

  constructs to ensure continuity of the employment planning and benefits advisement

  and management process.  These services are available to individuals with disabilities

  who are between the ages of 14-65.   Click this link for more information.

  HEARING/VISUAL DISABILITY OUTREACH:

  HEARING DISABILITY OUTREACH SERVICES

  Technical assistance, training, equipment loan and disability awareness services are

  available to the community regarding individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

  An equipment demonstration site is available.  ECI is under contract with the

  Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (VDDHH) to provide outreach

  services to the Cities of Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Hampton,

  Newport News, Poquoson, Williamsburg, Smithfield, Suffolk, and James City, York,

  Isle of Wight and Southampton Counties.  Workshops and forums educating and

  empowering individuals with hearing disabilities are offered on a variety of topics.

  ECI is one of seven demonstration sites where consumers can try out various

  equipment before purchasing them from an independent vendor.  These items

  include a baby cry monitor, a visual/audio smoke detector, a pocket talker, a loop

  system, a door knocker sensory and a television infrared system.  Staff also assist

  consumers with applying for a TAP Program through VDDHH and loaning tele-

  communicating or alerting devices.  Outreach staff members serve on the TCC

  Advisory Board - ASL Program, VBCPS Deaf/HOH Task Force and were appointed

  to the Virginia Relay Advisory Council.

  VISUAL DISABILITY SERVICES

  Participants are expose to the community to independent living services, assisted
  communication and adaptive equipment and technology that increases the ability of
  persons with visual disabilities to live independently and perform daily life tasks. 
  Adjustment counseling for those dealing with vision loss and training and exposure to
  adaptive equipment is provided.  Information tables are displayed at community events
  to provide information about various resources and services, educational information,
  assistive technology and other related topics. ECI has received funding to establish an
  adaptive equipment display and testing site at the Center.

  SYSTEMS ADVOCACY:

  Staff members participate in various activities that result in positive changes and

  greater accessibility to the various systems of government and bureaucracy on the

  local, state and national levels.  Staff engage in systems advocacy in the same areas

  as in individual advocacy services such as transportation, education, employment,

  housing, benefits, accessibility and Medicaid.  ECI is involved in a number of systems

  advocacy efforts locally, regionally and across Virginia.  Some advocacy is sparked

  from a single complaint, while other efforts are initiated as part of a larger education

  and advocacy plan for Virginia.

 

  Are you interested in working on advocacy projects?  ECI is hosting an advocacy
  group that will meet once a month to identify advocacy goals and work together to
  advance our civil rights.  You will have the opportunity to stay updated on local
  advocacy issues and join committees to be part of changing our community for the
  better.  Look at the calendar for dates and times and please invite friends from the
  community who also support disability issues.  Handi-Ride tickets and
  accommodations will be provided to ECI participants as needed.  Meetings are
  held the fourth Wednesday of each month from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

 

  ECI maintains a contract with the Disability Business and Technical Assistance
  Center (DBTAC) for the Mid-Atlantic region to serve as the State ADA Coalition
  Coordinator, an assignment that entails educating Virginians from all backgrounds
  on the Americans with Disabilities Act.  As a function of that contract, trainings are
  offered on a variety of ADA topics to different audiences.  As a part of this same
  grant, ECI maintains a bi-monthly educational listserv on the ADA with the latest
  training opportunities and court rulings on disability rights legislation and the ADA. 
  ECI also has a steering committee of disability advocates and business community
  leaders to identify statewide ADA training needs and develop a plan to meet these
  needs.

  COMMUNITY EDUCATION/TRAINING/TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE:

  Speakers are provided to organizations interested in learning more about disability

  related issues and Center services.  Staff organizes and conducts training on disability

  related topics such as housing law, building code, employment law, disability

  awareness/sensitivity training, programmatic and physical accessibility, general

  disability issues, disability rights and other specific areas of interest.  The Center also

  continues to respond to requests from the community to provide outreach and trainings

  in the areas of educational advocacy, Medicaid waivers, transportation issues, deaf

  and hard of hearing and visual disability outreach.  ECI remains committed to providing

  the highest level of outreach and education about disability issues and civil rights of

  persons with disabilities to our community.

 

  ECI has planned workshops around various disability related topics for the entire year.

  Information about the various workshops can be found on the calendar located on this

  website by clicking the Calendar of Events link.

  DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION:

  The process of transitioning from a nursing home to community-based living can be

  complex and lengthy or it may be easier than commonly expected depending on the

  needs of the individual.  There is a lack of awareness among many individuals living in

  facilities, their family and the community-at-large that options exist which allow

  individuals to choose whether to receive their personal care in a facility or in the

  community in their own homes.  ECI is pro-actively addressing the obstacles on

  institutionalization by providing residents of facilities the informed choice and

  consumer control to live independently.  Teamwork exists within ECI through a

  process where staff join together to assist persons with a goal to move from a facility

  to the community with housing options, Medicaid Waiver options, Independent Living

  Skills Training and support coordination.  ECI networks with other community and state

  programs to support the person with a disability's move to the community.

 

  Do you live in a nursing home, group home or training facility and would you like

  information on other types of housing options?

 

  Nursing Home Outreach Services are designed to provide a participant in a nursing

  facility or other type of living facility, the four core services:

• Information and Referral Services
• Independent living Skills Training
• Peer Counseling
• Individual and Systems Advocacy

  Within those four core services being provided could be information on how to

  advocate for nursing home rights, assist with discharge planning for community-based

  living, and information on housing options for community-based living.