Advocacy
People supported by Mosaic in Pontiac are active in the self-advocacy organization Illinois Voices. In addition, a person supported by Mosaic in Pontiac is the consumer representative to the Illinois Department of Human Services Statewide Advisory Council.
Mosaic in Pontiac is active in advocacy efforts in the State of Illinois. The agency is a member of the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (IARF). The agency Executive Director has been elected the Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Institute on Public Policy for Persons with Developmental Disabilities.
Illinois Voices
Mosaic in Pontiac supports Illinois Voices. Illinois Voices is a self-advocacy initiative designed to empower people with developmental disabilities to make their own decisions, exercise their rights, and express their individual strengths and desires. Funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services, the initiative was developed with input from people with disabilities, their family members, and service providers.
Illinois Voices is a comprehensive approach which utilizes classroom and peer training to teach self-advocacy skills to people with developmental disabilities. It provides families and service providers with information and resources to create and sustain person-centered environments which support self-advocates and the self-advocacy movement. It also provides opportunities to people with developmental disabilities to learn leadership skills and train their peers.
The self-advocacy movement is about equal opportunities, equal value and equal power for persons with developmental disabilities. Illinois Voices is committed to increasing an individual's ability to both change their life and contribute to improving the service system which provides their supports. An individual with a disability said it best when she said, "I just want people to see what's inside … what's in my heart. Then we can all be heard." That is the goal of Illinois Voices.
The Institute on Public Policy for People with Developmental Disabilities
Mosaic in Pontiac is a member of The Institute on Public Policy for People with Developmental Disabilities. The Institute is a voluntary association of organizations supporting services to persons with developmental disabilities. The Institute seeks to influence public policy development which supports these services and to engage in activities which will improve the quality of programs and services throughout the State of Illinois. Members of the Institute pledge to the following principles regarding what we do and how we will conduct our activities:
- Endeavor to initiate and improve services that advance the dignity, acceptance, independence and lifestyle of individuals with developmental disabilities.
- Promote positive changes in the existing service system.
- Promote cooperation and coordination of organizational and group efforts.
- Willingly share expertise and information.
- Seek advice and input.
- Adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional practice.
- Support mediation and reciprocity in leadership role.
- Accept the inevitability of change in the service system.
- Expect ethical, realistic and necessary commitment from funding sources
The Executive Director of Mosaic in Pontiac is serving as Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Institute. He is also serving as the Chairperson of the Crisis Innovations Pilot task force. This task force is a joint venture between the Institute and the Illinois Department of Human Services. The primary purpose of the pilot is to develop mechanisms and system changes to assist people who are in jeopardy of losing community services due to behavioral issues to obtain effective and appropriate community based supports rather than being admitted to a State Operated Developmental Center (SODC).
The Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (IARF)
IARF is the trade association for community rehabilitation agencies in Illinois. Members serve people with physical, mental, behavioral, developmental, and other disabilities. We know that community agencies are dependent upon state funds to continue serving people with disabilities in Illinois. One of our greatest challenges on behalf of member agencies is advocating on their behalf to insure adequate funding for the community system so that people with disabilities have access to the services they need.
In addition to lobbying the Illinois Legislature, IARF works as the liaison between member agencies and the Illinois' Code Departments, such as DHS, DCFS, DPH, etc. As a central point representing over 140 community agencies, IARF offers members the latest information from the departments, provides valuable feedback from the community to the departments and intercedes on issues of concern on behalf of individual members.
Lutheran Network for Justice Advocacy in Illinois
Mosaic in Pontiac also support the Lutheran Network for Justice Advocacy in Illinois. Advocacy means taking a stand. It involves studying an issue or a problem and trying to decide what should be done about it. Advocacy also means speaking for, or preferably with, a person or group that might otherwise have a difficult time being heard. Mosaic in Pontiac has been involved with the steering committee for planning the annual Lutheran Day in Springfield.
Livingston County Coalition Against Violence
Mosaic in Pontiac is a member of the Livingston County Coalition Against Violence. This coalition grew out of a sub-committee of the county Public Health Departments strategic initiative called the I-Plan. The Coalition works to increase awareness of the problem of family violence (which includes domestic violence, child abuse and abuse against the elderly and people with disabilities) in the county. It also has establish a strategic plan to decrease incidents of family violence in the county.
Livingston County Healthy Families
The Executive Director of Mosaic in Pontiac is a member of the advisory board for the Livingston County Healthy Families program. The primary goal of this program is to identify infants at risk of being victims of child abuse and to provide intervention and other forms of assistance to reduce the chances of the child's becoming a victim.
