Community Resource Quick Reference Guide
Click on these links (or scroll down) to read a short description of each domain (area) of interagency and community services.
The financial & legal supports and services section of this resource guide incorporates a number of the agencies that can help you identify and obtain services needed for your child as they transition into adulthood/post-secondary life. Although they are often underutilized, these resources can help your child achieve and maintain their most independent life and relieve some of the financial strain that disability can have on your family.
The financial and legal supports and services that we have included in this guide include federal, state, and local organizations, programs, and agencies that are available to a wide range of persons with (and without) disabilities. With each resource, we have identified the eligibility criteria and/or application process. It is important to note that many of these programs have a waiting list. Many are also age-dependent. Although your child may not be eligible for services yet, it is important that you note them for future use, and sign up for those with long waiting list periods. While it may seem tedious now, your child will benefit from your time in the future.
An important part of financial and legal supports and services for a person with disabilities is self-direction (or self-directing) care. If a person is self-directing, that means that they (the person with disabilities and their families) are making the decisions regarding care. There are many agencies (local, state, and national) that will help with self-directing care by providing financial management services to them. These services include billing Medicaid, payroll, and tax filing. Read more about self-directed services here.
There are many, many resources linked here that can positively impact your child and your family in the future. For example, one of the most important items that families will have to consider is guardianship and the role of the person with disabilities in the adult decision-making process. Should you decide to go with guardianship, we have resources linked that will help you through that process. Another important item that families of persons with disabilities have to consider is employment and finances. The IDD waiver application and Kansas ABLE Savings Plan will both help families navigate finances and employment to best benefit their child.
The extensive supports & developmental disabilities section of this resource guide includes a number of agencies that can help you navigate life with your child with disabilities. This section of resources is especially important for those with the most significant disabilities. As your years with your child have shown, they often need more specialized support to acquire skills. These supports include anything from adaptive equipment to medical supports. Many of the agencies and programs linked in our guide are available at the local level. There are several that are state and federal programs as well. The local resources are important for parents and families looking for more immediate and personalized support.
Parents of students who require extensive supports often feel alone or overwhelmed with the amount of information that they need to keep up with. It is our hope that you will be able to use this guide to identify resources that will be immediately beneficial to your family. For example, we have linked local disability organizations (ex. Down Syndrome Innovations) that have many support groups, outings, and resources available without the long waiting period that state and federal agencies have.
The employment section of this resource guide includes agencies (local, state, and federal) that can help your child obtain and maintain employment. With the appropriate supports in place, there can be meaningful employment opportunities created for all students with disabilities.
There are different types of employment that are available, including competitive employment and supported employment. Competitive employment is what we generally think of when we think of having a job. In competitive employment, you earn a wage that is comparable to that of a non-disabled person and you work a regular schedule (part/full time). Supported employment may still give you access to comparable wages, but the person with disabilities would be provided with supports such as a job coach (or on-the-job training) that would enable them to be successful in that placement. With each type of employment, the goal remains the same: giving the person with disabilities the supports they need to maintain employment.
Employment of persons with disabilities is important because it provides an avenue through which people can become full members of their communities. This can lead to more meaningful social relationships and a better community understanding, acceptance, and awareness of people with disabilities. In our small Piper community, we have the opportunity to establish an environment that is both welcoming and accepting by providing meaningful employment opportunities to people with a wide range of disabilities.
The independent living and advocacy section of this resource guide includes agencies (local, state, and federal), advocacy groups, and legislation that all center around gaining and maintaining independent living as a person with disabilities. The goal of independent living is to give persons with disabilities the opportunity to live safely as independent people in their communities by providing appropriate accommodations and support.
The first area of independent living that we explored was the development of independent living and daily living skills. This encompasses a wide range of skills from cooking and cleaning to paying bills. While the development of these skills is a part of the transition (18-21) program here at Piper, there are agencies that provide additional services to improve your child's skills in this area.
We have also included advocacy and legislation that will help you learn more about your child's rights as a person with a disability. Many of the advocacy groups will also help your child develop self-advocacy skills. Self-advocacy is the ability to ask for (and demand) access to accommodations and supports that a person needs in order to be successful. The need for strong self-advocacy skills is not contained solely to independent living. Self-advocacy skills are also used in the workplace, community, and educational settings. Included in the legislation that we reference in this section is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which has shaped many of the public accommodations for people with disabilities that we see today.
The mental health and other health-related needs section of this resource guide includes agencies (local, state, federal) and resource websites that can provide information that will help your child access services to improve their overall health. It also includes local support groups for specific disability groups that can better help you, your child with disabilities, and your family.
Mental health is an often overlooked area of overall wellness. By providing mental health services to youth, we can improve the likelihood of safe and fulfilling independent lives. Mental health services can encompass a wide range of things, including therapies and support groups. This guide will help you identify resources that can connect you to mental health providers that can help your child gain and use coping skills that will allow them to function at a more independent level.
This section of the resource guide also includes resources that will provide you with information on other health-related needs that are prevalent in transition-aged youth, such as teenage pregnancy. While you may not need these specific services and resources for your child, our hope is that you can share this information with friends and families in need.
The community living and participation section of this resource guide includes agencies (local, state, federal), colleges, and programs that provide people with disabilities the opportunity to be full participants in their communities. Full participation ensures that people with disabilities lead full, meaningful lives outside of employment opportunities. This section does often overlap some of the other sections of our guide, so it will be important that you reference our Community Resource Guide Matrix to ensure that you have a complete picture of the resources we have provided.
Community living and participation is an important area because it ensures that our students with disabilities are valued contributors to the Piper and Kansas City community. We are also including avenues for leisure and recreational participation as a part of this piece of the guide. Leisure includes anything that we might do with friends, or activities to unwind at the end of a long workday. Our hope is that by participating in these opportunities, your child will grow to enjoy an enviable life.