Centers for Independent Living provide several types of Transition Services as a part of our Core Services. These services include both supporting people with disabilities to transition from nursing facilities back to the community and supporting youth with disabilities to transition from High School to work or Post-Secondary Education.
This post will focus on our Money Follows the Person (MFP) Peer Outreach and Support Project that educates nursing facility residents about services in the community. It also provides support to people who are in the process of moving out of the nursing facility and back to the community. Our MFP Peers Michael Saunders and Carlos Garner visit Nursing Facilities each month and build relationships with residents and social workers. Michael and Carlos share their personal stories of living with a disability in the community, this peer support shows nursing facility residents what’s possible. They also provide lots of information about Medicaid Waivers, Supports Planning, and community services like transportation
and home modifications.
Many residents that Michael and Carlos meet also connect with our Independent Living Staff once they have moved to the community. This allows them to continue with peer support as well as gain lots of new Independent Living skills. For people with disabilities, transitioning from a Nursing Facility back to the community can be intimidating, there are many moving parts. Centers for Independent Living can be your guide!
For more information on Independence Now’s Money Follows the Person program, visit www.innow.org/nursing-home-outreach or call 301-277-2839.
