Re: Can anyone help with cost estimates for adult services in Chicago (in or near Hyde Park)?

[Guest guest]

Hi Maureen-  Don't do it.  A move to Illinois would be the worst thing I think

you could do, and your sons would definantely be on the short end of the

stick. 

Payments and reimbursements in Illinois are nearly the worst in the nation, and

last I ever heard it ranked about 48th in the nation.  And, as far as I know,

there is NOTHING free here for people with disabilities. ON the other hand, my

step son has twins with autism (age 4) and they live in Wisconsin in the

suburbs

of Milwaukee, and ALL of their schooling and therapies are PAID for.  They

receive about 25 hours a week of ABA therapy each, and another 5-10 hours of

OT/PT/Speech which is also paid for.  Wisconsin rankes about 4th in the nation

for providing for its residents with disabilites.  Minnesota is also good,

ranking about 8th.  So, STAY AWAY from Illinois.  I know CA isn't much better,

but at least your sons are happy there, have lives that seem really great and

connected with friends, family and school they love.  I'd recommend they stay

put.  If you want the Chicago area, live just across the boarder into

WISCONSIN,

and travel the 40-50 miles it takes to get into Chicago.  Also, I'm not sure

about the services WI provides to adults/those in transition, so you may want to

look into that.  Good luck- Doreen

________________________________

From: Maureen Graves <maureen@...>

IPADDUnite

Sent: Tue, October 25, 2011 8:34:11 PM

Subject: Can anyone help with cost estimates for adult services in

Chicago (in or near Hyde Park)?

 

I am a parent/student-side special education lawyer and mother of

19-year-old twin sons who have autism, and am considering moving from

Irvine, California to Chicago. We are trying to figure out whether this

is financially viable, and how much we would need to be expecting to

spend for services in Illinois. I have gotten wildly varying figures

from providers, and would appreciate any insights people on this list

can provide.

In CA adult services are available free, quickly, and in " community "

(six bed group homes or, rarely, supported living) settings. On the

other hand, this could change given CA's budget, the quality is often

not good, and parent/consumer control is usually minimal. I gather that

funding is much worse in Illinois. We are trying to figure out how much

we would need to spend annually for residential services and day

activities (preferably supported employment) for one of our sons, and

for much less intensive supports for the other.

Both of our sons are very social and are mainly concerned about leaving

people they care about and moving to a place where they know almost no

one.

" Twin A " has tested in the intellectual disability range, so eligibility

shouldn't be a problem in Illinois. He talks in long, correct

sentences, decodes at adult level and comprehends at about 4th grade

level, and greatly enjoys stimming. He adjusted immediately to

Princeton, where we are staying for a year, and it helps socially that

he is in a high school-based transition program with an after school

somewhat inclusive social component (rather than a large commuter-based

community college like his brother, below). We think he would be very

happy in a group living situation with people near his age, and while we

aren't in any hurry for that, we would like to know what the options are

and how much it would cost to privately fund a good residential and day

programs (supported employment of some kind), since it sounds like

self-funding is a very strong possibility in Illinois.

" Twin B " is doing well in community college classes, and has people in

CA he is very unwilling to leave (some friends of the family and

caregivers he has known for many years, and some students from his high

school, particularly from the baseball team which he helped out senior

year). We are trying to convince him that he is at the beginning of his

adult social life and that there would be a lot of people he would like

in Chicago (and it would be much easier to get around without driving,

which he reasonably fears). Unfortunately, this year, which we are

spending in New Jersey (where he is taking an on-line class at his CA

community college and two classes at a New Jersey community college) has

not been good socially for him so far, and I think he is very nervous

about another new place. Our vision is that he would go to a college

with dorms in Chicago when we arrive or soon afterwards, rather than

moving straight to an apartment, which is his current preference. We

would like to find a four-year college that he could get into and that

will be supportive. He is interested in physical therapy and maybe

special education, and is good at Spanish and starting to study sign

language. He has taught English to Spanish-speaking adults and

pre-algebra to a teenage friend using Direct Instruction programs, and

liked it. He would benefit from being in a place with a good office of

disability services and maybe from finding an encouraging support group.

We would like to be able to reassure him about social opportunities in

Chicago. He wants to live with friends, or a partner, and our thought

is to try to get him a small condo (hopefully after some dorm life).

He is likely to need help finding, and possibly keeping, work.

Any responses, on or off list, would be greatly appreciated.

Maureen R. Graves

Law Offices of Maureen Graves

34 Schubert Court

Irvine, CA 92617

Ph: 949-856-0128

Fax: 949-856-0168

Cell: 949-466-4248

maureen@... <mailto:maureen@...>

NOTE: all scheduling communications should be copied to Olga Marquez,

olga@... <mailto:olga@...> , who can be

reached at 949-856-0128.

This email message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity

to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged,

confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of

this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any

dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly

prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us

immediately by telephone (collect) and immediately delete the email message.

[Guest guest]

Maureen,

Chicago is a great city. It is culturally diverse with many opportunities.

However, for services for people with IDD there is a huge back log of over

10,000 adults waiting for services and supports. However, it depends what type

of services and supports that your sons would need. There are certainly private

pay options. There are also attendant care supports available through the

Department of Rehabilitation. There are some interesting section 8 housing

options, but once again most have a long wait list. As for college, that may

better drive your one sons decisions as the colleges in Illinois I know of that

are known as providing good accommodations are Southern Illinois University in

Carbondale, Parkland Community College in Champaign and a small college in

Lincoln, all very distant from Chicago. Elmhurst College has a 4 year program

for people with IDD but it is a certificate program, not a degree program. I

recently heard the De University was offering accommodations to students.

I think the California group home model is build upon 4 bed ICFDD’s which of

course give you an entitlement to services, which is very different from the

waiver funded group homes in Illinois. Eligibility is also an issue. Every

state has a different eligibility criteria for waiver funded services.

There are some very good providers in Illinois who have created private pay

options for adults with a true sense of community built into their curriculum

and model.

These are very difficult decisions and I wish you the best as you continue to

explore.

By the way, are you familiar with Dr. Deborah Spiltanik from the Boggs Center in

New Jersey? She is a national expert in the field who might be able to give you

some insights for your time remaining in New Jersey.

Ficker Terrill

From: IPADDUnite [mailto:IPADDUnite ] On Behalf

Of D. Bruhnke

Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2011 3:32 PM

IPADDUnite

Subject: Re: Can anyone help with cost estimates for adult services

in Chicago (in or near Hyde Park)?

Hi Maureen- Don't do it. A move to Illinois would be the worst thing I think

you could do, and your sons would definantely be on the short end of the stick.

Payments and reimbursements in Illinois are nearly the worst in the nation, and

last I ever heard it ranked about 48th in the nation. And, as far as I know,

there is NOTHING free here for people with disabilities. ON the other hand, my

step son has twins with autism (age 4) and they live in Wisconsin in the suburbs

of Milwaukee, and ALL of their schooling and therapies are PAID for. They

receive about 25 hours a week of ABA therapy each, and another 5-10 hours of

OT/PT/Speech which is also paid for. Wisconsin rankes about 4th in the nation

for providing for its residents with disabilites. Minnesota is also good,

ranking about 8th. So, STAY AWAY from Illinois. I know CA isn't much better,

but at least your sons are happy there, have lives that seem really great and

connected with friends, family and school they love. I'd recommend they stay

put. If you want the Chicago area, live just across the boarder into WISCONSIN,

and travel the 40-50 miles it takes to get into Chicago. Also, I'm not sure

about the services WI provides to adults/those in transition, so you may want to

look into that. Good luck- Doreen

________________________________

From: Maureen Graves <maureen@...

<mailto:maureen%40maureengraves.com> >

IPADDUnite <mailto:IPADDUnite%40>

Sent: Tue, October 25, 2011 8:34:11 PM

Subject: Can anyone help with cost estimates for adult services in

Chicago (in or near Hyde Park)?

I am a parent/student-side special education lawyer and mother of

19-year-old twin sons who have autism, and am considering moving from

Irvine, California to Chicago. We are trying to figure out whether this

is financially viable, and how much we would need to be expecting to

spend for services in Illinois. I have gotten wildly varying figures

from providers, and would appreciate any insights people on this list

can provide.

In CA adult services are available free, quickly, and in " community "

(six bed group homes or, rarely, supported living) settings. On the

other hand, this could change given CA's budget, the quality is often

not good, and parent/consumer control is usually minimal. I gather that

funding is much worse in Illinois. We are trying to figure out how much

we would need to spend annually for residential services and day

activities (preferably supported employment) for one of our sons, and

for much less intensive supports for the other.

Both of our sons are very social and are mainly concerned about leaving

people they care about and moving to a place where they know almost no

one.

" Twin A " has tested in the intellectual disability range, so eligibility

shouldn't be a problem in Illinois. He talks in long, correct

sentences, decodes at adult level and comprehends at about 4th grade

level, and greatly enjoys stimming. He adjusted immediately to

Princeton, where we are staying for a year, and it helps socially that

he is in a high school-based transition program with an after school

somewhat inclusive social component (rather than a large commuter-based

community college like his brother, below). We think he would be very

happy in a group living situation with people near his age, and while we

aren't in any hurry for that, we would like to know what the options are

and how much it would cost to privately fund a good residential and day

programs (supported employment of some kind), since it sounds like

self-funding is a very strong possibility in Illinois.

" Twin B " is doing well in community college classes, and has people in

CA he is very unwilling to leave (some friends of the family and

caregivers he has known for many years, and some students from his high

school, particularly from the baseball team which he helped out senior

year). We are trying to convince him that he is at the beginning of his

adult social life and that there would be a lot of people he would like

in Chicago (and it would be much easier to get around without driving,

which he reasonably fears). Unfortunately, this year, which we are

spending in New Jersey (where he is taking an on-line class at his CA

community college and two classes at a New Jersey community college) has

not been good socially for him so far, and I think he is very nervous

about another new place. Our vision is that he would go to a college

with dorms in Chicago when we arrive or soon afterwards, rather than

moving straight to an apartment, which is his current preference. We

would like to find a four-year college that he could get into and that

will be supportive. He is interested in physical therapy and maybe

special education, and is good at Spanish and starting to study sign

language. He has taught English to Spanish-speaking adults and

pre-algebra to a teenage friend using Direct Instruction programs, and

liked it. He would benefit from being in a place with a good office of

disability services and maybe from finding an encouraging support group.

We would like to be able to reassure him about social opportunities in

Chicago. He wants to live with friends, or a partner, and our thought

is to try to get him a small condo (hopefully after some dorm life).

He is likely to need help finding, and possibly keeping, work.

Any responses, on or off list, would be greatly appreciated.

Maureen R. Graves

Law Offices of Maureen Graves

34 Schubert Court

Irvine, CA 92617

Ph: 949-856-0128

Fax: 949-856-0168

Cell: 949-466-4248

maureen@... <mailto:maureen%40maureengraves.com>

<mailto:maureen@... <mailto:maureen%40maureengraves.com> >

NOTE: all scheduling communications should be copied to Olga Marquez,

olga@... <mailto:olga%40maureengraves.com>

<mailto:olga@... <mailto:olga%40maureengraves.com> > , who can be

reached at 949-856-0128.

This email message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity

to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged,

confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of

this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any

dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly

prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us

immediately by telephone (collect) and immediately delete the email message.

[Guest guest]

Thank you to people who have responded. I will check your suggestions. In the

meantime, if there is anyone who can venture a number or range as to the cost of

private pay services (making clear whether that improves a place to live or

not), I would be very grateful.

I am assuming we would have to privately pay long-term for our son needing more

intensive services (residential and day activities) and that we might have to

pay for college support, employment services and/or intermittent daily living

support for our other son, who is on SSI but does not have intellectual

disability. Presumably there is some amount of money we could spend (say $1

million per year) with which we could privately fund places to live and services

(and probably create something that other people could access too, since neither

of our sons wants to live alone). There is no way we will have a million a

year or anything close to that, but we are trying to figure out what amount --

$100,000 a year, $80,000 a year, $50,000 a year ??? – we would need to plan to

spend (and thus see if we can negotiate for) to make this possible.

On the long-term life issues, Chicago has some advantages for our sons, like

public transportation and free things to do and relatives and friends nearby who

they could see more and being a great place for CA friends to visit, and many

for my husband and me.

Maureen R. Graves

Law Offices of Maureen Graves

34 Schubert Court

Irvine, CA 92617

Ph: 949-856-0128

Fax: 949-856-0168

Cell: 949-466-4248

maureen@... <mailto:maureen@...>

NOTE: all scheduling communications should be copied to Olga Marquez,

olga@... <mailto:olga@...> , who can be reached at

949-856-0128.

From: IPADDUnite [mailto:IPADDUnite ] On Behalf

Of Terrill

Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2011 5:19 PM

IPADDUnite

Subject: RE: Can anyone help with cost estimates for adult services

in Chicago (in or near Hyde Park)?

Maureen,

Chicago is a great city. It is culturally diverse with many opportunities.

However, for services for people with IDD there is a huge back log of over

10,000 adults waiting for services and supports. However, it depends what type

of services and supports that your sons would need. There are certainly private

pay options. There are also attendant care supports available through the

Department of Rehabilitation. There are some interesting section 8 housing

options, but once again most have a long wait list. As for college, that may

better drive your one sons decisions as the colleges in Illinois I know of that

are known as providing good accommodations are Southern Illinois University in

Carbondale, Parkland Community College in Champaign and a small college in

Lincoln, all very distant from Chicago. Elmhurst College has a 4 year program

for people with IDD but it is a certificate program, not a degree program. I

recently heard the De University was offering accommodations to students.

I think the California group home model is build upon 4 bed ICFDD’s which of

course give you an entitlement to services, which is very different from the

waiver funded group homes in Illinois. Eligibility is also an issue. Every state

has a different eligibility criteria for waiver funded services.

There are some very good providers in Illinois who have created private pay

options for adults with a true sense of community built into their curriculum

and model.

These are very difficult decisions and I wish you the best as you continue to

explore.

By the way, are you familiar with Dr. Deborah Spiltanik from the Boggs Center in

New Jersey? She is a national expert in the field who might be able to give you

some insights for your time remaining in New Jersey.

Ficker Terrill

From: IPADDUnite <mailto:IPADDUnite%40>

[mailto:IPADDUnite <mailto:IPADDUnite%40> ] On

Behalf Of D. Bruhnke

Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2011 3:32 PM

IPADDUnite <mailto:IPADDUnite%40>

Subject: Re: Can anyone help with cost estimates for adult services

in Chicago (in or near Hyde Park)?

Hi Maureen- Don't do it. A move to Illinois would be the worst thing I think

you could do, and your sons would definantely be on the short end of the stick.

Payments and reimbursements in Illinois are nearly the worst in the nation, and

last I ever heard it ranked about 48th in the nation. And, as far as I know,

there is NOTHING free here for people with disabilities. ON the other hand, my

step son has twins with autism (age 4) and they live in Wisconsin in the suburbs

of Milwaukee, and ALL of their schooling and therapies are PAID for. They

receive about 25 hours a week of ABA therapy each, and another 5-10 hours of

OT/PT/Speech which is also paid for. Wisconsin rankes about 4th in the nation

for providing for its residents with disabilites. Minnesota is also good,

ranking about 8th. So, STAY AWAY from Illinois. I know CA isn't much better,

but at least your sons are happy there, have lives that seem really great and

connected with friends, family and school they love. I'd recommend they stay

put. If you want the Chicago area, live just across the boarder into WISCONSIN,

and travel the 40-50 miles it takes to get into Chicago. Also, I'm not sure

about the services WI provides to adults/those in transition, so you may want to

look into that. Good luck- Doreen

________________________________

From: Maureen Graves <maureen@...

<mailto:maureen%40maureengraves.com> <mailto:maureen%40maureengraves.com> >

IPADDUnite <mailto:IPADDUnite%40>

<mailto:IPADDUnite%40>

Sent: Tue, October 25, 2011 8:34:11 PM

Subject: Can anyone help with cost estimates for adult services in

Chicago (in or near Hyde Park)?

I am a parent/student-side special education lawyer and mother of

19-year-old twin sons who have autism, and am considering moving from

Irvine, California to Chicago. We are trying to figure out whether this

is financially viable, and how much we would need to be expecting to

spend for services in Illinois. I have gotten wildly varying figures

from providers, and would appreciate any insights people on this list

can provide.

In CA adult services are available free, quickly, and in " community "

(six bed group homes or, rarely, supported living) settings. On the

other hand, this could change given CA's budget, the quality is often

not good, and parent/consumer control is usually minimal. I gather that

funding is much worse in Illinois. We are trying to figure out how much

we would need to spend annually for residential services and day

activities (preferably supported employment) for one of our sons, and

for much less intensive supports for the other.

Both of our sons are very social and are mainly concerned about leaving

people they care about and moving to a place where they know almost no

one.

" Twin A " has tested in the intellectual disability range, so eligibility

shouldn't be a problem in Illinois. He talks in long, correct

sentences, decodes at adult level and comprehends at about 4th grade

level, and greatly enjoys stimming. He adjusted immediately to

Princeton, where we are staying for a year, and it helps socially that

he is in a high school-based transition program with an after school

somewhat inclusive social component (rather than a large commuter-based

community college like his brother, below). We think he would be very

happy in a group living situation with people near his age, and while we

aren't in any hurry for that, we would like to know what the options are

and how much it would cost to privately fund a good residential and day

programs (supported employment of some kind), since it sounds like

self-funding is a very strong possibility in Illinois.

" Twin B " is doing well in community college classes, and has people in

CA he is very unwilling to leave (some friends of the family and

caregivers he has known for many years, and some students from his high

school, particularly from the baseball team which he helped out senior

year). We are trying to convince him that he is at the beginning of his

adult social life and that there would be a lot of people he would like

in Chicago (and it would be much easier to get around without driving,

which he reasonably fears). Unfortunately, this year, which we are

spending in New Jersey (where he is taking an on-line class at his CA

community college and two classes at a New Jersey community college) has

not been good socially for him so far, and I think he is very nervous

about another new place. Our vision is that he would go to a college

with dorms in Chicago when we arrive or soon afterwards, rather than

moving straight to an apartment, which is his current preference. We

would like to find a four-year college that he could get into and that

will be supportive. He is interested in physical therapy and maybe

special education, and is good at Spanish and starting to study sign

language. He has taught English to Spanish-speaking adults and

pre-algebra to a teenage friend using Direct Instruction programs, and

liked it. He would benefit from being in a place with a good office of

disability services and maybe from finding an encouraging support group.

We would like to be able to reassure him about social opportunities in

Chicago. He wants to live with friends, or a partner, and our thought

is to try to get him a small condo (hopefully after some dorm life).

He is likely to need help finding, and possibly keeping, work.

Any responses, on or off list, would be greatly appreciated.

Maureen R. Graves

Law Offices of Maureen Graves

34 Schubert Court

Irvine, CA 92617

Ph: 949-856-0128

Fax: 949-856-0168

Cell: 949-466-4248

maureen@... <mailto:maureen%40maureengraves.com>

<mailto:maureen%40maureengraves.com> <mailto:maureen@...

<mailto:maureen%40maureengraves.com> <mailto:maureen%40maureengraves.com> >

NOTE: all scheduling communications should be copied to Olga Marquez,

olga@... <mailto:olga%40maureengraves.com>

<mailto:olga%40maureengraves.com> <mailto:olga@...

<mailto:olga%40maureengraves.com> <mailto:olga%40maureengraves.com> > , who can

be

reached at 949-856-0128.

This email message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity

to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged,

confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of

this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any

dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly

prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us

immediately by telephone (collect) and immediately delete the email message.