RCIL delivers individual and community support for navigating and transforming our existing social. Our creative and experienced staff have an in-depth understanding of the needs of individuals with a wide range of disabilities and we bring to every discussion a desire to educate, inform, and work in partnership with agencies, businesses, schools, and organizations that are aiming to better reach, serve, and incorporate this community.

Our advocacy services include the following:

• Barrier-Free Design Consultation — Advocates are available to provide education and consultations regarding current accessibility standards.
• Benefits Counseling — Trained advocates work directly with individuals with disabilities to answer questions about benefits, eligibility requirements, and the details of how different programs interact.
• Client Assistance Program — Designed to support people seeking employment, training, and related services through vocational rehabilitation agencies.
• Nursing Home Transition — To overcome the barrier of initial setup costs for people wishing to transition into an independent, community-based setting, RCIL has set up a fund and a program to support and enable this choice.
• Individual and Systems Advocacy — From inclusive education and peer counseling to support groups, deaf services, and information and referral, our mission is to incorporate advocacy into every program and service.

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RCIL's Elderly Services program provides services for adults with disabilities, enabling them to remain at home and postpone or eliminate placement in a nursing home. A range of programs helps families and individuals through the full span of issues that face people during this life stage, whether that involves making a transition out of a nursing home and back into the community or providing much-needed opportunities for therapeutic socialization in an integrated setting. RCIL's Elderly Services program also provides linkage with appropriate community resources such as respite, education/training, support groups, benefits counseling, and advocacy services.

Our Elderly Services programs include the following:

• Adult Day Services — A social adult day program designed to improve the quality of life for adults of all ages facing.
• In-Home Respite — Gives caregivers of people with disabilities time to pursue personal, business, or recreational activities.
• Alzheimer's Disease Assistance Coalition (ADAC) — Provides education to caregivers and healthcare professionals.

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Fundamental to equality is the right to play a contributing role in one's community. The value of gainful employment -- both in personal and in economic terms -- is well established, not just for people with disabilities, but for all members of society.

RCIL has proven skill and expertise in placing people with disabilities in the competitive job market. A community network among employers dedicated to providing supported, integrated employment is utilized daily by RCIL staff. We work to make it easy for employers to benefit from hiring individuals with disabilities by delivering a myriad of support services, including the following:

• Employment incentives
• Co-worker education on disabilities
• Co-worker job mentoring techniques and training
• Creative approaches to problem solving, and
• Immediate response if a problem arises.

All services are consumer controlled, and all placements are individual, at competitive wages, and in integrated work settings. Services are tailored to individuals with all varieties of disabilities, and great care is taken to match the skills of the consumer to the needs of the employer.

To accomplish this goal, the following programs and services are offered:

• Job Development — RCIL works with employers throughout the community to make creative and affordable modifications to existing jobs and to rethink their approach to staffing by building flexible new positions.
• Recovery Through Employment — Working with substance abuse/alcoholism treatment providers in Oneida County, RCIL delivers the necessary level of support to allow individuals to successfully complete their vocational rehabilitation plans, including skills training and job placement.
• Supported Employment — Three levels of service and support are offered based on the individual needs of the person seeking employment. RCIL staff work closely with the individual, employer, and co-workers to ensure successful long-term placements.
• Ticket to Work — As an Employment Network (EN) certified by the Social Security Administration (SSA), RCIL is able to accept the "Ticket" issued to you under the Ticket to Work program.
• Wheels to Work — This program allows individuals to overcome the lack of transportation as a key barrier to employment opportunities, giving them the final boost needed to gain competitive employment. Individuals who were once limited in employment options now have more choices due to possessing their own transportation, as well as a valuable asset.

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RCIL offers a wide variety of programs to assist individuals with disabilities in living independently. Program staff coordinates the services of RCIL Technology, Advocacy, and Employment programs to ensure that each consumer receives appropriate support in all areas. Staff members also offer information and referral to other appropriate community resources.

Key programs include the following:

• Consumer-Directed Home Care — Allows individuals who qualify for home care through Medicaid the opportunity to take control of the services they receive.
• In-Home Respite — Gives caregivers of people with disabilities time to pursue personal, business, or recreational activities.
• Medicaid Waiver Programs — Enable individuals with disabilities to reside in the living arrangements of their choice with the type and degree of support needed to increase independence in the home and community.
• Peer Counseling — Offers the opportunity for consumers to work with people who have personal experience with disability issues.
• Service Coordination — Case management services are provided in conjunction with several other programs at RCIL.

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Interpreters provide services in the greater Albany area and the Mohawk Valley. Services can also be coordinated throughout New York State.

Our interpreters work in a wide variety of settings, such as government, courts, schools, entertainment events, private industry, hospitals and medical facilities, and professional and medical offices. Interpreter services are arranged on an individual, fee-for-service basis or by long-term contract.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) specifically outlines requirements for effective communication which may be facilitated by interpreters in the following areas:

• Title I - Employment — For employers with 15 or more employees.
• Title II - Public Services — All services, programs, and activities of state and local governments must be accessible to persons who are deaf.
• Title III - Public Accommodations — This applies to any business serving the public, including lodging establishments, theaters, retail stores, medical and legal services, schools, banks, museums, and many other areas. In many cases, assistive listening devices or other accommodations will be sufficient. However, there will be times when only an interpreter can provide the proper communication access.

Anyone with questions regarding the ADA, or any other applicable law — such as the NYS Human Rights Law or the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and its amendments — can contact RCIL for more detailed information.

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A commitment to supporting students with disabilities as they explore their options beyond high school — whether employment, community living, or post-secondary education — is central to RCIL's Youth Services, which currently include the following programs:

• Independent Living Center and School Partnership Program — RCIL in partnership with the United Way has formed a collaboration among various agencies and the Utica City School district to support special education students as they prepare for and navigate their transition from high school.
• Youth Leadership Project — Students with development disabilities meet weekly to participate in individual and group activities designed to build self esteem and develop independent living skills.

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