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Getting on Board: Recruitment & Composition for SILCs

IL-NET National Training and Technical Assistance Center Presents… A National Teleconference & Webinar

Getting on Board: Recruitment & Composition for Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILCs)

Building an effective, compliant SILC is a tough job. We all know that SILCs must include a majority of people with disabilities, but there are also limits on terms, CIL representation, state agencies, and more. We must also work to ensure a diverse SILC that matches the demographic makeup of the state. Building a committed, diverse, and engaged Council can be difficult, but it is possible. Join us this October to learn how the SILCs in Ohio and Kansas are meeting this challenge.

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Target Audience: SILC Chairs, Executive Directors, and staff

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this webinar, participants will have knowledge and resources that will enable them to:

  • Describe the statutory requirements for composition of Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILCs).
  • Explain how states implement the federal requirements.
  • Describe effective strategies to strengthen SILC member recruitment processes that will result in committed, diverse and highly engaged council members.
  • Identify ongoing issues SILCs and states frequently face regarding SILC composition and recruitment.
  • Describe effective strategies for responding to barriers, challenges and compliance issues, with shared examples and lessons learned from the states of Kansas and Ohio.

Meet Your Presenters

Kathy Cooper is the Executive Director for the SILC of Kansas. She has a long history of IL and advocacy in KS and some of her previous positions include; Coordinator for Capacity Building Initiative for KS Rehab Services, the Director of HCBS at Coalition for Independence, and the Legislative Advocate at Resource Center for Independent Living. She is currently the Vice Chair of the National Association of SILCs and a Peer Mentor for SILCs through APRIL / IL-NET.

Jeremy Morris is the Executive Director at Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council. Before joining the SILC in 2017, Jeremy had spent almost 10 years working in Independent Living, previously serving as the Executive Director of the Access Center in Dayton, Ohio and Finance Coordinator at the Western Reserve ILC in Warren, Ohio. His background in Centers for Independent Living includes direct services, advocacy and community partnerships, and operations management.

The IL-NET National Training and Technical Assistance Center is a project of Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) for centers for independent living and statewide independent living councils. Development and delivery of this webinar is facilitated by the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL).

The IL-NET is supported by grant numbers 90ILTA0001 and 90ISTA0001 from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living policy.

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