​Meaningful Day Services: Putting people on the path to success
Presented by: Sara Murphy
TransCen, Inc.

In a series of four webinars, Sara Murphy will discuss how to use Day Services to build meaningful lives and create pathways to community employment for people with I/DD. In these times of significant change, and extreme challenges, Illinois’s providers need to think differently and use state/federal resources in creative ways.  This webinar series will reframe how we see “Day Programs” and will provide field-tested tools and strategies for creating integrated, person-centered services and pathways to employment.

Building Meaningful Lives I: A new day for day services
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Building Meaningful Lives II: Setting goals and teaching skills in community settings
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As Employment First and Community Inclusion gain support throughout the country, many people with disabilities are hesitant to leave site-based programs and do not see community integrated employment as very viable option. For more than 20 years, TransCen. Inc.’s WorkLink program has combined community-based day services with customized employment, creating a comprehensive service approach that encourages both community engagement and community employment. This innovative model provides flexible, wrap-around supports that can be tailored to fit each individual’s goals, interests and circumstances.  In this first webinar, Sara Murphy, the Program Director, will discuss WorkLink’s braided approach and how to build a pathway to a meaningful life and community employment.

Building Meaningful Lives III: Managing community-based services and field-based teams
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For many provider agencies, teaching and supporting people in community settings requires a completely different approach to program planning and service delivery.  Creating individualized schedules and juggling the supports and logistics involved can be complicated.  During this webinar, Sara Murphy will share insights and strategies for creating meaningful individualized services, supporting field-based teams and managing the potential chaos (and possible risks) that come with being part of our world.  
The goal of Community Support Services is to assist individuals with I/DD to live productive, meaningful lives. But, what makes a life meaningful? The answer to this question is different for everyone-- and it is based on one’s interests, values and life experiences. So serving a person in a “meaningful way” requires service plans to be “built to order”.  During this webinar we will look at ways to identify a person’s dreams and goals and how to use this information to develop an individualized service plan and custom schedule. Participants will learn ways to create connections, build confidence and teach employability and other critical skills in community settings. The presenter will share tools and strategies for setting meaningful goals, documenting progress and measuring outcomes. 
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Building Meaningful Lives IV: Addressing the challenges 
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In this webinar we will discuss creative solutions to the challenges of providing individualized, community based services.  We will discuss ideas for addressing logistical issues, funding services, and supporting people with significant needs.  We will also look at how to make change within your organization and how to safely roll-up community-based services in our post-pandemic world.
​Questions? Click here to contact us.