Future Planning
Parent/guardian Resources and guide
The purpose of this website is to help guide parents/guardians of individuals with disabilities. Providing care and planning for the future can be very scary and difficult. There are many questions you may have and it is hard to find answers to all of those questions. This website will review a variety of important resources parents should start thinking about when their child is at a young age. The earlier parents begin planning for the future, the easier it will be to take necessary steps to ensure that your child is getting the most appropriate care and funding resources available in the future!
While this website is not a comprehensive guide, it serves as a valuable resource for parents/guardians in Central Illinois. Below is more information about a variety of important resources: PUNS (Prioritization for Urgency of Needs for Services) List, Guardianship (completed at age 18), Social Security, Department of Rehabilitative Services (state funding), the Division of Specialized Care for Children, the Illinois Assistive Technology Program, and Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center - Community Online Resource Directory (CORD).
PUNS list
The Prioritization for Urgency of Needs for Services (PUNS) list is a statewide database that records information about individuals who have developmental disabilities who are potentially in need of services.
Upon enrolling parents will be able to meet with an Independent Service Coordination (ISC) Agent to identify needs for services and the urgency.
Information will need to be updated annually with your ISC Agent.
Selection is based on urgency of needs, geographic area of the state, and length of time on database.
The sooner you get your child on the list the more opportunities he/she will have to be drawn from the list.
This funding is important in order to help pay for summer care, after-school care, group homes, etc. Contact your local Prairie land representative for further information or visit.
Guardianship
If the individual with disabilities is not able to competently make decisions regarding health and finances it is recommended that guardian(s) complete necessary paperwork to gain guardianship rights over the individual. When your child is approximately 16 years old, it is time to begin thinking about their future. Many lawyers will complete paperwork for guardianship. As a parent, it is recommended that you begin the process of deciding how to complete guardianship early. You will want to decide if you will hire a lawyer, find a lawyer to do the paperwork pro-bono, or complete the paperwork independently. It is recommended that you call local lawyers in your county to inquire about completing guardianship paperwork for your child(ren) with special needs.
Guardianship Online Resources:
Getting Guardianship of an Adult in Illinois - https://www.illinoislegalaid.org/legal-information/getting-guardianship-adult
Using a Lawyer to get Guardianship of an Adult - https://www.illinoislegalaid.org/legal-information/using-lawyer-get-guardianship-adult
Starting a Case for Guardianship of an Adult - https://www.illinoislegalaid.org/legal-information/starting-case-guardianship-adult
This is a very important resource for guardian(s) who wish to try and complete the paperwork on their own. Follow the link above for information about necessary forms/information.
Social security
The following link is an up-to-date 2019 guide for guardian(s) to use in order to decide if your child qualifies for social security based on his/her disability. https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10026.pdf
Guardian(s) will start the process by deciding if their child is eligible for SSI. If the child is eligible then paperwork will need to be initiated.
The first step is to complete the Child Disability Report: https://secure.ssa.gov/apps6z/i3820/main.html
Additional forms/resources:
Questionnaire for Children Claiming SSI Benefits https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-3881.pdf
Understanding Supplemental Security Income (SSI) https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-child-ussi.htm
Other Government Programs https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-other-ussi.htm
Spotlight on Deeming Parental Income and Resources https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/spotlights/spot-deeming.htm
division of rehabilitation services (DRS)
The Division of Rehabilitation Services has a local program to assist individuals with disabilities. The Vocational Rehabilitation program is for individuals with disabilities who have an identified barrier to working competitively in the community. Assistance provided is to overcome those barriers so individuals can obtain or maintain their choice of employment.
Local DRS Contact Information:
Public Service AdministratorDivision of Rehabilitation Services757 W. Pershing Road Decatur, IL 62526 217-875-8703 or 129 N. 15th St.Mattoon, IL 61938217-235-3154
Division of Specialized Care for Children
As soon as you have contacted DSCC and are in their system, they assign your family a Care Coordinator — a Specialized Care for Children staff person who is a nurse, social worker, speech pathologist or audiologist — who draws on the knowledge and expertise of their entire network and 80-year history. Your Care Coordinator is your main point of contact at Specialized Care for Children, answering your questions and leading the team that’s dedicated to meeting your child’s medical, social, behavioral, educational and financial needs.
Resources:
How we Help - https://dscc.uic.edu/how-we-help/ Programs - https://dscc.uic.edu/how-we-help/our-programs/ How to Apply - https://dscc.uic.edu/how-we-help/how-to-apply/
Illinois assistive technology program
Illinois Assistive Technology Program (IATP) is a not for profit agency that promotes the availability of assistive technology (AT) services and programs for people with disabilities. IATP serves all people with disabilities in the state of Illinois regardless of age or income, their families, service providers, state agencies, educators and other interested individuals.
Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center -Community Online Resource Directory
Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center has created an online resource guide. You are able to use the link to search for agencies and programs by county, category, agency, or keywords. This is a great resource for families.
