Independent Living Services

The Whole Person offers a broad range of services to individuals with disabilities to increase their ability to perform day-to-day activities and decrease their dependence on family members, professional attendants or other care-giving services.
This does not mean that we want someone to do everything by themselves, but to build confidence and improve the many skills needed to live, learn and work in their community.

Core Services

Peer Mentoring
We share our personal experiences and knowledge, or connect an individual with someone who can relate to the many changes and challenges that someone is faced with when adjusting to a disability, experiencing changes in life, or learning to use services more effectively.

Community & Individual Advocacy
Advocating for the civil rights and equality of people with disabilities by influencing and implementing legislation and policy at the local, state and federal level. Helping individuals with disabilities acquire the knowledge and skills to solve problems and achieve goals on their own.

Independent Living Skills Training
One-on-one training to help people with disabilities acquire the skills they choose to have in order to live independently. This may include cooking skills, health maintenance, home management, budgeting, time management, transportation, and resources for continuing one's education.

Information and Referral Services
Providing up-to-date information on needed services and support such as adaptive equipment, transportation, accessible housing and other issues. We also provide referral services to groups and agencies that handle specific issues or programs pertinent to an individual's needs.

Deinstitutionalization
Information about options in the community that are available to individuals who are presently in facilities, or are in immediate risk of entering state institutions or nursing facilities. For people who want to move out of institutions, we also provide assistance in finding housing and other vital service needs as requested by the individual and/or family.

Programs & Services

Unserved and Underserved
Providing information and referral, systems advocacy, peer counseling, program implementation, and related services designed to help people with mental illness, developmental disabilities, and minorities with disabilities maximize their opportunities for independent living.

Employment Programs
Helping individuals to explore their interests, assess their strengths, develop their employment goals and to identify and overcome barriers to full participation in the workplace.

Youth Services
We provide a wide variety of activities to help increase a young person's confidence – from getting together with peers to classroom training to one-on-one peer support.

The Whole Family Project
Provides sign language instruction for parents and family members with children facing communication barriers of all types.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services
Services provided by staff who have personal experience with deafness and understand the deaf community & culture.

Rural Services
Working with individuals with disabilities in areas with populations below 10,000.