Respect: We promise to treat you as a person who has the ability to think for his/her self and to handle own affairs. We also promise to keep our commitments to you and to let you know when we run into problems with those commitments.

Motivation: We promise to work hard to encourage you as you work on achieving your goals. We promise to involve you in all decisions concerning you goals.

Understanding: We promise to really listen and try to understand what you’re going through and what you want to achieve in your life.

Honesty: We promise to let you know when we think something you’re doing or not doing is having a negative effect on your goal for independence. We promise to understand that criticism can be very hard to handle and to talk it through with you.

Advocacy: We promise to help you try to change the things in your community, which keep you from being more independent or obtaining the services you need. We promise to help you learn to speak up for yourself to get results, and we promise to speak up for you whenever necessary.

Commitment: We promise to be committed to the philosophy of independent living, consumer-directed services and to the advancement of persons with disabilities in all aspects of daily life. We promise to continue to work to educate the general public about the abilities, concerns and rights of persons with disabilities.

Confidentiality: We promise not to release information about you to anyone without your permission. You have complete control of which persons outside of CILSCPA have access to such information. However, among the staff at CILSCPA, there will be discussion of your situation in order to provide the most effective assistance we can give you.

Consumer Grievance: Should a consumer become dissatisfied with the quality of services, they may file a grievance. This can be done in writing or by contacting the Executive Director who will provide more information including further procedures and the appeal process.
Lastly, we agree to work together toward increased independence in our community and to communicate openly and respectfully with one another. We agree to work out problems, to give criticism in a constructive manner, and to accept criticism as graciously as possible.

CONSUMER’S RESPONSIBILITIES

Direction: CILSCPA is a consumer-directed organization. This means that consumers and staff work together to achieve goals, which the consumer has set for himself or herself. You will be asked to assist your counselor in writing an Independent Living Plan (ILP), which is a list of the goals you agree to work toward, to inform your counselor of needed changes in or additions to your ILP, so that both of you can plan ahead.

Commitment: You must be committed to doing as much as possible for yourself. In order to become more independent, you have to want it for yourself and be willing to work for it.

Communication: Through counseling, CILSCPA staff learns from you what your goals, abilities, and concerns are. Sometimes, in the course of a conversation with your Peer Counselor, you may come up with ideas or solutions you’d never thought about before. At other times, counseling can be a chance to get something off your chest so you can move on. At first, it may seem tough to open up and talk about your feelings, but it really can help. Remember that Peer Counselors have disabilities experience too, and can understand much of what you’re going through.

Participation: CILSCPA’s goal is greater independence and self-determination for persons with disabilities. Part of increased independence is learning how to handle things for oneself. Your Peer Counselor will offer suggestions, encouragement, moral support, and training, but you must participate in, follow through on, and be ultimately responsible for completing your goals.

Respect: Regardless of difficulties, that may arise, your respect for your Peer Counselor as a person is expected. If you have a complaint, first attempt to discuss it with your counselor and give them the opportunity to make amends or help you understand. If that doesn’t help, arrange to speak to his or her supervisor to try to work out a solution. Also, please don’t call your counselor at home. Before you call, make sure the situation is not something that you could take care of on your own or could discuss during regular business hours.

Understanding: CILSCPA operates on a limited budget. This affects both the size of our staff and the services we can provide. There are some things we just cannot do, even though we know they are needed. Whenever possible we will attempt to handle extraordinary situations, but we must do so on a limited basis and we ask for understanding in this matter.