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Independent Living News & Policy from the National Council on Independent Living

Save the Date! CIL-NET Presents… A National On-Location Training: How CILs Can Transform the Housing Landscape

  • June 11-14, 2019
  • St. Louis, Missouri
  • Registration Fee: $150.00

We hope you will save the date for this exciting 3½ day training on the most pressing barrier to independent living: housing. We will explore a wide range of solutions to expand accessible, affordable, integrated housing in your communities. From funding, to building partnerships, to the truly new and innovative, we will cover it all. You won’t want to miss this!

This CIL-NET on-location training is part of Our Homes: IL-NET’s series of trainings and resources on accessible, affordable, integrated housing for Centers for Independent Living (CILs) and Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILCs). The lack of accessible, affordable, integrated housing remains the biggest obstacle as CILs implement the new core services of transition and diversion. Expanding housing is a key component of the provision of CIL core services and successful outcomes for consumers.

Registration will open in early March. Check your inbox and ncil.org for updates.

You will learn:

  • Physical and housing program compliance.
  • Urban and rural housing programs and the community housing planning processes.
  • How to build relationships with key housing partners to create effective and innovative solutions to expand housing options for people with disabilities.
  • Major sources of federal or state funding for housing for people with disabilities.
  • Effective advocacy strategies to expand housing resources for people with disabilities, including those in rural areas.

Meet Your Presenters

Note: We are currently confirming additional presenters and guest speakers. A full list of speakers and presenters will be released when registration opens in March.

Darrel Christenson has been the Vice President of Community Integration for Ability360, formerly Arizona Bridge to Independent Living (ABIL), for over 20 years. Mr. Christenson has run a number of Ability360 programs, including Information & Referral, Independent Living Skills Training, Empowering Youth with Disabilities into Adulthood, Early Intervention, Re-integration of Young Adults from Nursing Homes to Community, Community Living Options, and Home Modification. Mr. Christenson was elected to the National Council on Independent Living’s (NCIL) Board of Directors four years ago and has served on their Housing Subcommittee for the past ten years, addressing issues of increasing and promoting accessibility in all housing nationally. He is an active member of the Arizona Fair Housing Partnership, working to educate members of the housing industry on the benefits and requirements of accessible, affordable housing throughout Arizona.

Ann Denton is an expert on affordable housing with more than 40 years of experience assisting organizations, communities, states and federal agencies on the design and implementation of housing programs. An expert in systems and program operations, Ms. Denton helps providers create successful efforts, linking people with disabilities to the resources needed to find, choose, and keep housing. Ms. Denton also works with advocates and other key players on needed policy improvements and resource allocations that streamline access to existing housing in communities and expand affordable housing resources. Ms. Denton is the former director of the Homeless and Housing Resource Network, a training and technical assistance center funded by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2011 – 2016) and is the co-author of Choose, Get, Keep – Integrated Community Housing, a publication of Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU).

Karen Michalski-Karney has been Executive Director of the Blue Ridge Independent Living Center, Roanoke, Virginia since it started in 1989. She serves as vice-president of the Virginia Association of Centers for Independent Living, Treasurer of the Statewide Independent Living Council and Co-Chair of the Community Integrated Housing Advisory Commission. She also serves on NCIL’s Board of Directors as the Region 3 Representative and is Treasurer of the Association of Programs in Rural Independent Living (APRIL). Locally, she serves on the Western Virginia Workforce Development Board and Greater Roanoke Transit Company. She is also a peer reviewer for the Standards for Excellence Institute. Karen holds a Master’s in Public Administration from James Madison University. She lives in Glade Hill with her husband and numerous pets.

The IL-NET is a national training and technical assistance project for centers for independent living and statewide independent living councils. The IL-NET is operated by Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) in partnership with the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL), and Utah State University Center for Persons with Disabilities.

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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