A few things to add...

[Guest guest]

Summer Festivals -

In Highland (Southern Illinois) they have a huge county fair. The

local Knights of Columbus sponsors 1 day that they call disability

awareness day. They allow all the local workshops, day programs, and

residential facilities to come to the fair during the day and they

give all the individuals free ride tickets, T-shirts, and lunch.

Everything is accessible and is a great opportunity. The community is

welcome to come on this day as well.

Also, at Air Force Base (Southern Illinois) the day before

their big summer air show, they allow all the local workshops and day

programs to come and view their final rehersal. They put up tents

for shade, offer food and drinks and the pilots come out and give

away things and sign autographs. Families can come as well.

PASS Agencies-

There are separate PASS agents/agencies for Developmental

Disabilities and for Mental Illness. They are both funded through

the Department of Human Services (DHS). They do somewhat work

together because sometimes individuals are dully diagnosed.

PUNS –

The PUNS system in the past was only used as a database for the state

to get information on how many people needed services. They were not

pulling any people off of the PUNS list to award them any services.

They are now using PUNS to grant award letters for services (CILA

funding and Home Based Services). However, people who think they

were sitting on PUNS waiting for services in the past really had a

false sense of comfort because they were not waiting in line for

anything.

Home Based Services Facilitors-

I have heard from the local PAS agencies and the local agencies that

provide home based service facilitation that they are overwhelmed by

the amount of new people that recieved home based funding from the

hosptial tax funding that just came through. That may be part of the

reason that you are having so much trouble getting the facilitation

part set up. I know that does not make it any better for those of

you who need the services now but at least you now know why it is

difficult right now.

I agree with everyone else that communication is the key. However,

the truth is that there is an unbelievable amount of people who need/

want services and there is not enough funding coming from the state

to provide services to all of them. Stay with it, the new director

of developmental disabilities at the state level is trying to reform

the old system.

[Guest guest]

Thanks so much for the info -- and it's great to hear from Southern Illinois!

[Norton AntiSpam] A few things to add...

Summer Festivals -

In Highland (Southern Illinois) they have a huge county fair. The

local Knights of Columbus sponsors 1 day that they call disability

awareness day. They allow all the local workshops, day programs, and

residential facilities to come to the fair during the day and they

give all the individuals free ride tickets, T-shirts, and lunch.

Everything is accessible and is a great opportunity. The community is

welcome to come on this day as well.

Also, at Air Force Base (Southern Illinois) the day before

their big summer air show, they allow all the local workshops and day

programs to come and view their final rehersal. They put up tents

for shade, offer food and drinks and the pilots come out and give

away things and sign autographs. Families can come as well.

PASS Agencies-

There are separate PASS agents/agencies for Developmental

Disabilities and for Mental Illness. They are both funded through

the Department of Human Services (DHS). They do somewhat work

together because sometimes individuals are dully diagnosed.

PUNS -

The PUNS system in the past was only used as a database for the state

to get information on how many people needed services. They were not

pulling any people off of the PUNS list to award them any services.

They are now using PUNS to grant award letters for services (CILA

funding and Home Based Services). However, people who think they

were sitting on PUNS waiting for services in the past really had a

false sense of comfort because they were not waiting in line for

anything.

Home Based Services Facilitors-

I have heard from the local PAS agencies and the local agencies that

provide home based service facilitation that they are overwhelmed by

the amount of new people that recieved home based funding from the

hosptial tax funding that just came through. That may be part of the

reason that you are having so much trouble getting the facilitation

part set up. I know that does not make it any better for those of

you who need the services now but at least you now know why it is

difficult right now.

I agree with everyone else that communication is the key. However,

the truth is that there is an unbelievable amount of people who need/

want services and there is not enough funding coming from the state

to provide services to all of them. Stay with it, the new director

of developmental disabilities at the state level is trying to reform

the old system.

[Guest guest]

Thanks so much for the information!!!

It is nice to know about the activity in Highland, the Highland

people are EXTREMELY nice, and an artist I do the Highland Fine Arts

Festival in the park in October and they are WONDERFUL to the

artists! It makes sense that they also are sensitive to people to

people with a disability. Every community should be so concious and

so helpful!

As far as the Home Based program comment, yes, I know what you

meean. My BIGGEST problem is the information also. It seems no body

knows anything and everyone is so tight lipped, afraid to help anyone

join in the program. I have been working on this for my son for

about 9 months or so. He was awarded his alotment for April 1, 2008

and I have been working furiously since to get in contact with the

right folks to get all his paperwork all in line so we can start the

program rolling.

My BIGGEST problem with all this is the frustration of getting the

right folks, communication. I attended the workshop in Springfield

early April so I could learn more about what I was handling. I was

informed about many aspects of the program but found when I came

home, trying to contact the partied to get the paperwork became an

almost impossible struggle. Information I was given at the workshop

seemed to be different from the information understood by my local

people who were supposed to be helping me. So many closed doors and

brick walls I have encountered but I keep plugging. It seems to me

Southern IL is either operating differently than Northern IL, I

believe it to be a lack of communication but I will not give up!

Allthough it is frustrating, my son is the one who will benefit if I

stick with it.

We as parents need to stick together, network, we can make a

difference!

thanks all!!!

>

> Summer Festivals -

> In Highland (Southern Illinois) they have a huge county fair. The

> local Knights of Columbus sponsors 1 day that they call disability

> awareness day. They allow all the local workshops, day programs,

and

> residential facilities to come to the fair during the day and they

> give all the individuals free ride tickets, T-shirts, and lunch.

> Everything is accessible and is a great opportunity. The community

is

> welcome to come on this day as well.

> Also, at Air Force Base (Southern Illinois) the day before

> their big summer air show, they allow all the local workshops and

day

> programs to come and view their final rehersal. They put up tents

> for shade, offer food and drinks and the pilots come out and give

> away things and sign autographs. Families can come as well.

>

> PASS Agencies-

> There are separate PASS agents/agencies for Developmental

> Disabilities and for Mental Illness. They are both funded through

> the Department of Human Services (DHS). They do somewhat work

> together because sometimes individuals are dully diagnosed.

>

> PUNS –

> The PUNS system in the past was only used as a database for the

state

> to get information on how many people needed services. They were

not

> pulling any people off of the PUNS list to award them any

services.

> They are now using PUNS to grant award letters for services (CILA

> funding and Home Based Services). However, people who think they

> were sitting on PUNS waiting for services in the past really had a

> false sense of comfort because they were not waiting in line for

> anything.

>

> Home Based Services Facilitors-

> I have heard from the local PAS agencies and the local agencies

that

> provide home based service facilitation that they are overwhelmed

by

> the amount of new people that recieved home based funding from the

> hosptial tax funding that just came through. That may be part of

the

> reason that you are having so much trouble getting the facilitation

> part set up. I know that does not make it any better for those of

> you who need the services now but at least you now know why it is

> difficult right now.

>

>

> I agree with everyone else that communication is the key. However,

> the truth is that there is an unbelievable amount of people who

need/

> want services and there is not enough funding coming from the state

> to provide services to all of them. Stay with it, the new director

> of developmental disabilities at the state level is trying to

reform

> the old system.

>