Www.kennedykrieger.org Mary Scott Transition Resource Teacher Baltimore County Public Schools & Annie’s mom Diane Dressler Program Director for Adult Training.

www.kennedykrieger.org

Mary ScottTransition Resource TeacherBaltimore County Public Schools & Annie’s mom

Diane DresslerProgram Director for Adult Training and ServicesMaryland Center for Developmental Disabilities at Kennedy Krieger Institute

Preparing Young Adults for Independence: Transition and Moving Out


People control where and with whom they live.

People live in inclusive communities.

People choose who will best support them to meet their goals and needs.

Environments support the person.

We believe that…


Act as if it will happen

or

it will never happen!

3


Step #1: Apply for SSI upon young adult’s 18th birthday• www.ssa.gov• Include copies of all evaluations, assessments, school

records related to disability. Make sure that the diagnosis is clear.

• Describe the young adults needs based on his or her WORST day.

Benefits Information/Counseling:• Local Center for Independent Living (CIL)• Maryland Department of Disabilities

www.mdod.maryland.gov/Disability%20Benefits%20Home.aspx

Steps towards the vision

http://www.ssa.gov/

http://www.mdod.maryland.gov/Disability%20Benefits%20Home.aspx


Step #2: Apply for Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) when young adult is 18.

• Apply at the public housing agency where the young adult lives and/or works: www.huduser.org/portal/datasets/fmr.html

• Provide a secondary contact: family member, resource coordinator.

• Identify applicant as a person with a disability.

• Notify the housing office of any change in address!


http://www.huduser.org/portal/datasets/fmr.html


Establish credit

–Open a checking/savings account

•Not reported to credit bureaus

•Vital for lender and rental consideration

Credit


–Apply for credit card, personal loan

•Apply for unsecured credit first

• If denied, apply for secured credit

•Parents/guardian can designate young adult as authorized user on their accounts

Credit

7


Credit

8

–Open a cell phone account

–Pay for room and board with a check, obtain a receipt and track payments


• www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/ccc/establish.html

• www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/best-ways-to-establish-credit.aspx

Credit

9

Helpful websites for learning to establish credit:


Make a budget - List all income

–List all expenses

–Include savings

–Do not exceed the SSI asset and resource limit ($2,000)

Budgeting


Step #5: Determine your housing strategy

• Family home

• Group home

• Individual family care

• Rented room, apartment or house

• Purchase home



Step #5: Determine your housing strategy

• Shared home

• Informal arrangement with family or friends

• Residential supports through MHA

Steps toward the vision

12


Step #6: Determine your in-home supports strategy

• Natural supports (family, friends, neighbors)

• Paid supports– Developmental Disabilities Administration

(DDA): www.ddamaryland.org– Medicaid Personal Care Program:

www.dhmh.state.md.us.mma/longtermcare/html/medicaidpersonalcare

– MD Dept. of Disabilities Attendant Care Program: www.mdod.state.md.us


13


14

Housing Strategies


• In-home supports– Natural– Paid

• Environmental modifications– MD Technical Assistance Program www.mdtap.org – Dept. of Rehabilitation Services:

www.dors.state.md.us– Dept. of Housing and Community

Development: www.mdhousing.org– Local governments

Family home


• Available through DDA

• Also called Alternative Living Unit (3 or fewer unrelated persons).

• Services are funded by DDA – housing is NOT.

• Must be “DD Eligible”.

• Controlled by service provider (owned or leased).

• Choice limitations– Where to live– With whom to live.

Group home


• Available through DDA.

• Must be “DD Eligible”.

• Person lives with a caregiver in the caregiver’s home.

• Caregiver is trained to provide supports.

• Similar to adult foster care.

Individual Family Care (IFC)

17


• Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8)• HUD Rental assistance program administered by

local public housing agencies (PHA)

– Find your local PHA here: www.hud.gov/offices/pih/pha/contacts/states/md.cfm

• Will provide an extra bedroom (no additional rent) for a live-in care giver if medical documentation supports the need.

• Section 8 Made Simple: www.tacinc.org/downloads/Sect8_2ndEd.pdf

Renting


• Public Housing• Through local public housing agency.• Some counties have this, some don’t. The

HUD website provides information about PHA programs

• Project-based rental assistance• Resources vary by local area• Listed on www.mdhousingsearch.org

• PRA (Project Rental Assistance)• New program – may be available 2013

Renting

19


“A change in rules, policies, practices, or services so that a person with a disability will have an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling unit or common space.”

• Section 504 of Rehab Act• Fair Housing Act• Americans with Disabilities

Act20

Reasonable accommodation


• Examples• Extra bedroom if medical

documentation supports need– Live-in care giver– Medical equipment

• Additional time to transition & find unit

• Adjustment to rent payment standard• Up to 120% FMR without special HUD

permission21

Reasonable accommodation


• Most landlords require renter’s insurance for tenant’s and landlord’s protection.

• Covers household contents.

• Typical cost is $5-40 per month depending on coverage amount, deductible and location.

• Ask family and friends for recommendations.

Explanation of renter’s insurance: www.mdinsurance.state.md.us/sa/docs/documents/c

onsumer/publications/rentersinsurance.pdf

Renter’s insurance


• Owning a home does not affect Medicaid, SSI or SSDI benefits!!– Paying roommate is allowable – roommate contribution

cannot be more than an equal share of expenses (mortgage, utilities and food).

• Homeownership for Individuals with Disabilities Program www.dhcd.maryland.gov/Website/programs/hidp/Default.aspx

Homeownership


• Paying roommate

• Supports in lieu of rent

• Live-in caregiver–Section 8–Medicaid Waiver - funding for additional rent for care giver bedroom

Shared living


• Some families create their own in-home support system using family and community resources.

– Use personal resources, friends, faith-based community – whatever it takes.

Informal arrangements

25


• Anyone accessing MHA resources needs to have Medical Assistance.

• Each county has a Core Service Agency that helps people find resources.

• MHA Website: www.dhmh.maryland.gov/mha

“Navigating the Transition Years”Maryland Coalition of Families for Children’s Mental Health

www.mdtransition.org/uploadedfiles/MHNavigation

Residential supports through Mental Hygiene Administration

26


• Go Section 8www.gosection8.com

• MD Housing Search www.mdhousingsearch.org • Realtors, newspapers, Craig’s

List

• PHA office (if person has a voucher)

Finding affordable housing


If you find a good solution and become attached to it, the solution may become

your next problem.

Dr. Robert Anthony

28


• Write a job description–Information re: person’s interests & activities

–Specific to support needs

• Require criminal background check; drug test; good driving record if driving is included in the job

• Ask for personal references

Finding support staff


• Send job description to everyone you know!

• Look in local community (colleges – friends – schools – churches - social groups) before advertising on the Internet or in the paper

A word about care.com www.care.com

30



• Have a trusted person screen calls

• Interview in a public place

• Invite person’s friend or family member to join the interview

• Have job applicant spend time with person before hiring

31



• Meet with family, roommate, support staff and friends regularly to talk about how things are going

• Use circle to problem solve

• Keep notes about decisions and check with circle to make sure tasks are accomplished

32

Form a circle of support


• If you receive DDA-funded services, ask about start-up funds for furnishing your home.

• Ask family and friends to help you gather furniture, kitchen items, linens and accessories.

• Check thrift stores, consignment shops and auctions for great deals.

And now the fun part!

33


• Reflect the person’s personality

• Choose favorite colors, hang favorite pictures, enjoy the process!

• Furnishing a home: www.ehow.com/info_8167451_list-essential-household-items.html

• Supplying a kitchen: http://housewares.about.com/od/homeessentials/u/housewares.htm

34

Making home beautiful!


Arrange whatever pieces

come your way!

Virginia Woolf35

A furniture and life lesson…


• Creative Housing Solutions, LLC http://gbcchs.com

• Kennedy Krieger Resource Finder

http://resourcefinder.kennedykrieger.org

• Technical Assistance Collaborative www.tacinc.org

Additional information…


• National Low Income Housing Coalition

http://nlihc.org

• National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modifications

www.usc.edu/dept/gero/nrcshhm 37



• Assistive Technology www.mdod.maryland.gov/MTAPHome.aspx

• Maryland Housing and Disability Services Resource Guide www.kennedykrieger.org/sites/kki2.com/file/housing_resource_2011update.pdf


• Maryland Community Services Locator www.mdcsl.org


• Baltimore Area Center for Independent Living (CIL)

www.image.org

• Maryland transitioning youth website www.mdtransition.org


39


At first people refuse to believethat a strange new thing can be

done,

then they begin to hope that it can be done,

then they see it can be done –

then it is done

and all the world wonders why it was not done

centuries ago. Frances Hodgson Burnett

40


Contact Information

Mary E. ScottBaltimore County Public [email protected]

Diane DresslerMaryland Center for Developmental Disabilities at Kennedy Krieger [email protected]

41

Www.kennedykrieger.org Mary Scott Transition Resource Teacher Baltimore County Public Schools & Annie’s mom Diane Dressler Program Director for Adult Training.

Documents

vision slide

budgeting slide

housing strategies slide

accounts credit

credit card

unsecured credit

young adults

credit bureaus vital