Safety & Wellness
Currently, people with disabilities are more than twice as likely than people without disabilities to go without needed health care. And many practicing medical doctors, psychologists, and psychiatrists do not all have knowledge or experience working with individuals with disabilities. Worse, depending upon the disability, an individual may be more vulnerable to physical and emotional harm. These facts may lead to many questions for parents and siblings of individual disabilities, including:

• What supports need to be in place to create a protective environment for my son, daughter, brother, or sister with a disability?

• What does my child or sibling need to know or be able to do to be street savvy?

• What doctors have knowledge or experience working with individuals with disabilities?

• Who should be in charge of health care decision-making and have access to health records and information once my son or daughter with a disability becomes an adult?

• What resources are available for psychological support?

• How do I help my son, daughter, brother, or sister with a disability grow into a strong, confident person despite all the social biases and messages they are getting?

• What is the impact of my son, daughter, brother, or sister’s disability on his or her ability to live independently safely?

A variety of CIF programs and services can help you find the answers to these questions. They include:

• What’s Next? Consultations
• Full Life Future Planning
• Family Coaching
• Independent Living Readiness Inventory
• Independent Living Skills Curriculum