Effective 28 Aug 2014

178.656. Organization of centers, board of directors, staff — services provided — disabilities served — compliance with local laws and ordinances required. — 1. Centers for independent living shall be community-based nonresidential programs designed to promote independent living for persons with disabilities. Such centers shall be organized as nonprofit corporations with persons with disabilities comprising at least fifty-one percent of the governing board of directors.

2. At least fifty-one percent of the staff of such centers shall be persons with disabilities.

3. The center shall provide to persons with disabilities within the center's target population and their families the following independent living services:

(1) Advocacy;

(2) Independent living skills training, which shall include but shall not be limited to health care and financial management;

(3) Peer counseling;

(4) Information and referral to all inquirers including those from outside the center's target population.

4. The center may provide or make available, but is not limited to, the following:

(1) Legal services;

(2) Other counseling services, which may include nonpeer, group, and family counseling;

(3) Housing services;

(4) Equipment services;

(5) Transportation services;

(6) Social and recreational services;

(7) Educational services;

(8) Vocational services, including supported employment;

(9) Reader, interpreter, and other communication services;

(10) Attendant and homemaker services; and

(11) Electronic services.

5. To qualify as a center for independent living under the provisions of sections 178.651 to 178.658, centers shall serve at least four of the following types of disabilities:

(1) Mobility;

(2) Orthopedic;

(3) Hearing impaired or deaf;

(4) Vision impaired or blind;

(5) Neurological;

(6) Intellectual disability;

(7) Developmental;

(8) Psychiatric or mental; or

(9) Learning.

6. Centers shall make maximum use of existing resources available to persons with disabilities and shall not duplicate any existing services or programs in the geographic areas to the extent that such services or programs are available through other state resources. Such centers shall, however, provide information and referral to assist persons with disabilities in obtaining available services and shall coordinate, where feasible, the delivery of such services.

7. Centers shall operate in compliance with all applicable local laws and ordinances.

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(L. 1988 H.B. 975 § 4, A.L. 2014 H.B. 1064)