Volume 16 Number 2 • 2003

An RRCEP with its Heart in IL

by Julie Ballinger, Region VI RRCEP Organizational Consultant

The University of Arkansas Region VI Rehabilitation Continuing Education Center, or RRCEC, operates a number of programs that provide training and technical assistance to professionals in rehabilitation and independent living. The Region VI RRCEP has always made serving the independent living (IL) community a priority and has hired staff with backgrounds and experience in independent living and advocacy, including three former Center for Independent Living (CIL) directors.

The Regional Rehabilitation Continuing Education Program (RRCEP) is a five-year program, funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). It provides training and technical assistance to programs funded under the Rehabilitation Act, including Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Agencies, Centers for Independent Living, Native American Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation Program, and Client Assistance Programs in Region VI.

The ILCEP – Independent Living Continuing Education Program

This five-year program, also funded by RSA, provides specific IL training and technical assistance to CILs and Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILCs) in two federal regions in the west: Region VI (Arkansas, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma) and Region VIII (Wyoming, Utah, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, and Colorado). A number of projects fall under the umbrella of this IL continuing education program.

1. Region VIII Independent Living Conference

The ILCEP co-sponsors this conference, offered every two years, with the Region VIII Rehabilitation Continuing Education Program of the University of Northern Colorado and the Region VIII CTAT (the community rehabilitation program continuing education program). It provides participants the opportunity to address current topics and issues by learning from and interacting with leaders and trainers from the independent living movement. This conference provides great networking opportunities for participants from throughout the region and to develop strategies for improved independent living outcomes and networks among centers at a state and regional level. The ILCEP, in collaboration with the Region VIII RCEP and CTAT, facilitate the Region VIII Independent Living Planning Committee, which provides advisory input for the planning of the Regional Conference.

2. Region VI Independent Living Conference

The RRCEP and the ILCEP offer, every two years, participants with the opportunity to hear leaders in the Independent Living Movement discuss current topics of concern. Participants are encouraged to network with colleagues from throughout the region and to develop strategies for improving independent living outcomes and networks among centers at a state and regional level.

3. IL In-Depth Trainings

The ILCEP holds an in-depth training in alternate years from the IL Regional conference for Regions VI and VIII. The training topics are determined through needs assessment and customer planning processes during each Region’s IL Conference. This training gives the participants the opportunity to extensively learn about a variety of topics and IL issues, such as different aspects of CIL operations, resource development, and disability civil and social rights.

4. Emerging Leaders Forum

The ILCEP, in collaboration with Statewide Independent Living Councils in two states, each and in conjunction with each regional Independent Living event (Regional IL conference or the regional in-depth training), offers leadership training for potential and emerging leaders with disabilities. The purpose of this training is to identify and begin to develop IL Movement/Disability Rights leaders, as well as employees for CILs, state agencies and other Rehabilitation Act programs. The curriculum covers leadership development skills, self-advocacy skills, Independent Living history and philosophy, and includes a mentoring component.

5. IL Orientation for American Indian Programs

The ILCEP has presented at the Consortia of Administrators for Native American Rehabilitation (CANAR) annual conference and has sponsored the New Mexico statewide American Indian IL summit. An American Indian IL summit in Montana was held in 2003 (see article later in this newsletter). Additional summits will be held in two more Region VIII states. This training involves working closely with the state’s SILC, CILs, Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) programs, American Indian IL consumers, and other tribal representatives in a day-long summit that addresses IL needs of American Indians with disabilities.

Community Leadership Institute for Change Knowledge (CLICK)

The Community Leadership Institute for Change Knowledge (CLICK) provides valuable training for CIL managers and potential managers. CLICK may be the most useful but underutilized resource for Centers for Independent Living. A developmental process, rather than a one-time training, the institute includes face-to-face lectures, self-directed activities, web-based activities, roundtable discussion groups on the telephone, individual development assignments, and experiential learning through immersion simulation. Participants develop a values-based skill set that includes systems thinking, ethics-guided decision making, creative problem solving, and responsible stewardship.

BridgeWorks Series

Another training opportunity for CILs and SILCs in both regions is the ILCEP series of interactive tele-classes. Using a telephone “bridge” system, multiple users can access tele-training at the same time and interact with a facilitator and each other. Most BridgeWorks seminars consist of two to four one-hour sessions, study materials, and follow-up activities. Upcoming ILCEP BridgeWorks courses include CIL Board Training, Disability-Related Legislation, and How SILCs can Educate State Legislators. The RRCEP tele-classes, Using Consumer Organizations as Employment Resources, Transition, and a series of courses on the psychosocial aspects, medical aspects, and vocational implications of specific disabilities, are open to all programs under the Rehabilitation Act including CILs and SILCs.

Peer Coaching among CILs

In order to build the capacity of CILs, the ILCEP program has held a BridgeWorks Series on peer coaching with Region VI and VIII participants. Peer coaching/mentoring is also interwoven in the other training programs—especially in the emerging leadership trainings, the regional IL conferences, and the IL orientation for American Indian Programs.

Region VI Independent Living Training Council

To understand the training needs of CILs and SILCs and how best to meet them, the RRCEP (main sponsor) and ILCEP convenes and relies on a regional Independent Living Training Council (ILTC), composed of CIL Directors, state agency representatives, and SILC chairs. The role of the ILTC is to establish Independent Living training priorities and to contribute to the planning of a regional Independent Living Conference.

Online Information and Resources Center

The Region VI RCEP maintains an online Information & Resources (I & R) Center, where customers can access training materials and resources, publications, and information on best practices. The web site provides links to comprehensive rehabilitation and independent living resources. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the online I & R Center not only empowers staff as they assist consumers, but can also be used by individual consumers to gather information that will assist them in reaching their goals.

Indian Country and IL Development

The Montana American Indian Independent Living Summit convened in Billings, Montana on July 10, 2003. Co-sponsored by Region VI Rehabilitation Education Center at the University of Arkansas and Region VIII Rehabilitation Continuing Education Program at the University of Northern Colorado, the Summit sought to bring together the voices and vision of Indian Country in the interest of building independent living capacity in rural Montana Indian Reservations. Additional support was given through CTAT Training of Denver, Colorado and The Rural Institute at the University of Montana.

Independent Living Centers (ILCs) across the country have achieved remarkable growth and impact in the past decade. However, large areas of rural America remain underserved, particularly reservation lands—Indian Country! A gathering of reservation representatives from Montana’s tribes met in Billings to discuss current needs and the means of establishing services to persons with disabilities on reservations.

Tribal representatives told their stories, revealing their experiences with disability. Panel presentations focused on building local capacity and the unique challenges people with disabilities on reservations face due to geographical isolation and related political factors. The Montana Native American Summit is an important first step toward establishing effective IL outreach in Indian Country. An important outcome of this initial summit was the identification of desired services and the solidarity of tribes to achieve full participation in IL.