Welcome our newest team member, Annie Bruno!

I am pleased to announce that Annie Bruno, MSW, LCSW, joined The Arc of IL today as the Ligas Family Advocate for Central and Southern Illinois!

Annie Bruno holds a Master's Degree from the University of Illinois in Social Work and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, as well as a Qualified Intellectual Disabilities Professional.

Annie has over fifteen years of experience working with individuals with disabilities and their families. She has spent time as a Service Facilitator in the Home-Based program and as an Independent Service Coordinator at an ISC agency. Annie has a background in consulting and is passionate about assisting families with navigating complex service systems and connecting to available resources.

Image Description: Woman with brown hair and glasses wearing a black blazer and white shirt.

Welcome Grupo SALTO! & S.I.B.S.!

I am delighted to announce that Supporting Illinois Brothers and Sisters (S.I.B.S.) and Grupo SALTO have joined The Arc of Illinois as organizational affiliates!

Grupo SALTO is an independent support group for Latino families of children with disabilities, particularly autism. Grupo SALTO provides families and the community with a vision of hope in all aspects of life. Grupo SALTO is committed to bringing the latest information available as well as support services for families and their children.

The mission of S.I.B.S. is to provide support to siblings of people with disabilities in Illinois by connecting them with information, networking opportunities, and resources in order to enhance the quality of life for their entire family.

Interested in your organization becoming a chapter or an affiliated member? Contact me at Amie@TheArcofIL.org.

Congratulations to Stephen Kray

The Arc of Illinois welcomes Stephen Kray as President and Chief Executive Officer of Avenues to Independence, an organizational affiliate of The Arc of Illinois. The announcement from the Board Chair, included the following statement from Stephen: “I am honored to take on the role of President and CEO of Avenues to Independence. With unwavering commitment, I look forward to leading our agency to new heights, empowering positive change, and fostering an environment where our clients can accomplish great things.”

Going Home Coalition members will be speaking with Stacey Aschemann and Laura Miller, attorneys at Equip for Equality

September 13, 2023 | 1:00 - 2:00 pm

We will be discussing Equip for Equality’s recently released report on Clyde L. Choate Developmental Center located in Anna, IL.

Please email Carole Rosen at carole@thearcofil.org if you would like to receive a virtual meeting link.

Disability Voting Rights Week on September 11-15th, 2023 is all about protecting the rights of people with disabilities to participate fully in our democracy.

Scan the QR codes or click on the links below.

Register to Vote, click here. Find Your Polling Place, click here. Register to Vote by Mail, click here. Voter Registration Lookup, click here.

Share our video to get the word out about Disability Voters Rights Week!

Click on the video below or click here

For more information contact:

Carole Rosen, Advocacy Program Specialist at The Arc of Illinois

815.464.1832 ext 1027 | carole@thearcofil.org

Be a Part of Something Larger.

As an Individual or Family Member, discover all the benefits, training opportunities, and networking with other families, members and professionals.

As a Chapter or Organization Sponsor, partner with us to receive many benefits, training, and support of our mission through ongoing advocacy efforts. 

Your Donation Matters.

Whether you choose to donate monthly or one time, your donation helps The Arc bring together advocates, connect people and families, train and educate, and provide resources and support. 

The Arc of Illinois Virtual Events in September and October

There Is Still Time to Register for All Events in September!

• LPAP Special Topic Series: ACES$ Services: Navigating Payroll and EVV with Tasha Whiteside, Illinois Director, ACES$ Services | September 13 | 12:00-2:00 pm| Register NOW!
• Family to Family Health Information Center Annual Care Options and Benefits Conference | September 14 | Register NOW!
• Seminario Web in Espanol: Seguro de Salud de Familiares Immigrantes | 19 de septiembre | 6:00-7:00 pm | Registrarse
• The Role of a Developmental Pediatrician | September 27 | 12:00 - 1:00 pm | Register NOW!
• Transition Resources through Shirley Ryan Ability Lab | October 18, 2023 | 12:00 - 1:00 pm | Register
• Work Incentives Planning & Assistance (WIPA) program and More | November 14, 2023 | 12:00 - 1:00 pm | Register

Ray Graham Association (RGA) is pleased to present a learning opportunity for families, educators and 
others in the community

This year, Ray Graham is resuming in person, and all are free of charge. Although geared towards families, they are also great learning opportunities for educators and other professionals. This year, the dates are September 21, October 19 and November 16. Click here for the flyer.

We have also applied to DHS for CE approval (2 per session) for:

• Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker
• Licensed Nursing Home Administrator
• Licensed Occupational Therapist & Occupational Therapy Assistant
• Licensed Physical Therapist & Physical Therapy Assistant
• Licensed Professional Counselor
• Licensed Social Worker
• QIDP

TAP ASSIST Launches Free Parent Training Program for Parents and Caregivers of Transition-Aged Youth

Parents can also sign up for our TAP Newsletter at the bottom of our home page here Home - The Autism Program of Illinois - TAP (tap-illinois.org) to be notified of future training opportunities or follow us on Facebook for updates!

The Illinois Autism Task Force (IATF) Transition sub-committee is seeking 
parents/guardians’ feedback on their understanding of the high school (Secondary) transition process. The survey is designed for parents/guardians of children with autism (all ages-young adults) who have an IEP.

The Autism Transition Subcommittee is conducting this survey to assess parent/family knowledge when it comes to understanding services available for the autism population leading up to and during their high school transition years. By gaining understanding of this, the IATF as well as autism-based service entities and schools can target their messaging and parent education to better guide parents, students, and families with the 
goal of improving student success after high school.

The survey will be available beginning September 1, 2023, ending December 1, 2023: The IATF: Transition Sub-Committee Survey 2023

If you are a parent/guardian of a child with Autism, please follow the above link and complete the survey. The survey should take 15 minutes and your responses are completely anonymous. We genuinely appreciate your participation and hope our results will help us in our work to prepare families and improve services in Illinois as students transition from school to adulthood.

The Final Versions of the PIP Class 5 Informational Brochure and Application in both English and Spanish are Available

Please note there has been a few changes: The Informational Brochure and the Application as two free-standing documents, plus there are added Siblings to the list of participants eligible to apply.

The deadline for all applications is Saturday, October 7, 2023, by 5:00pm.

• IL PIP Class 5 Application- English, click here
• IL PIP Class 5 Brochure - English, click here
• IL PIP Class 5 Application - Spanish, click here
• IL PIP Class 5 Brochure - Spanish, click here

University of Chicago Financial Security Study

A team of researchers from the University of Chicago is conducting a study to help people with disabilities and their families' overcome barriers to financial security.

They are excited to offer you the opportunity to participate in this study, which would involve opening an IL ABLE Account. To help you get your savings started, a University of Chicago research team will deposit $100 in “seeding” funds into your account and email you a $10 electronic gift card if you open an IL ABLE account after taking this 10-minute survey.  You do not have to contribute any money to the IL ABLE account to receive the seeding funds.  Click the survey link to learn more and get started!

University of Illinois Adults with Autism and Health Services Research Study

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR‐P) grant, UT2MC39440. 

University of Illinois is currently recruiting adults with autism between the ages of 18-65 to participate in a research study. By participating in this study, adults with autism can help us understand their experiences in accessing health services, as well as support the adaptation of an app that could support or improve access to health services for adults with autism.

Participants will be asked to complete a short demographic questionnaire and participate in three interviews over Zoom or phone. The interview format, date, and time will take place whenever is convenient for the participant. The questionnaire should take 5 minutes and each interview will take between 30-60 minutes. In appreciation for your time, you will receive up to $75 for participating in this study.

Click here for the flyer. If you or someone you know would be interested in participating in this study, please email at mebest2@illinois.edu or phone at (312) 627-9536. 

Virtual Future is Now (VFIN) Research Study

Online future planning for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) & their families for Illinois

Are you worried about what will happen to your loved one as you get older? Do you find the process of planning for the future overwhelming?

If yes, you might be eligible to join the VFIN research study, which is testing the effectiveness of an online future planning training at the University of Illinois Chicago for adults with IDD & their families in Illinois.

The VFIN research study will randomly assign families to be part of the intervention or control group. All family caregivers and adults with IDD will complete pre- and post- tests.

• Families assigned to the intervention group will receive a 6-week training with weekly 1.5 hour Zoom classes from October 3 - November 6 on Mondays and two Wednesdays from 7-8:30 pm CT.
• Families assigned to the control group will receive access to the self-paced materials after the post-test is completed.

Learn more by visiting our website: https://sites.google.com/view/vfin-uic 

To participate, please fill out the form: https://uic.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5dukbZuT2l43TZs or contact Katie at: 312-996-1002 or kkeiling@uic.edu

Are you, or do you know, a Spanish-speaking
family member of a person who uses AAC?/¿Usted es o conoce a un familiar hispanohablante de alguien que usa la CAA?

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago are conducting a study
to learn about the experiences and perspectives of Spanish-speaking family
members of people who use augmentative-alternative communication (AAC).
Participants will be asked to complete a questionnaire and a remote interview. Family participants will receive a $75 Visa gift card upon completion of both. Please contact Ellyn McNamara, (312) 343-6348 or emcnam3@uic.edu to participate in the research.

Investigadores de la Universidad de Illinois en Chicago están realizando un
estudio para conocer las experiencias y perspectivas de los familiares
hispanohablantes de personas que utilizan la comunicación aumentativa y
alternativa (CAA). Se les pedirá a los participantes completar un cuestionario y una entrevista remota. Los participantes familiares recibirán una tarjeta de regalo Visa de $75 al finalizar ambos. Para participar en esta investigación, por favor póngase en contacto con Ellyn McNamara al
(312) 343-6348 o emcnam3@uic.edu.