New Community Opportunities Center

The New Community Opportunities Center has as its mission promotion of community-based alternatives to institutionalization and successful transition of youth with disabilities from school to postsecondary education, employment and independent living. The Center also addresses how these services can best be provided to underserved populations and in isolated rural areas. The Center accomplishes this mission by training and equipping Centers for Independent Living (CILs) to start and grow community-based services programs.

Learn More About the New Community Opportunities Center

Our About the Center page will give you more information about the Mission, Goals and planned Outcomes of the Center.

Visit our Blogs for Up-to-Date Information from the Center

CIL Community Alternatives

Darrell Jones writes the CIL Community Alternatives Blog for centers for independent living. The blog is a resource for centers as they implement and strengthen programs that help individuals with disabilities who are at risk of being institutionalized to stay out of nursing homes or those who reside in nursing homes to return to the community. The blog highlights best practices in the transition process, locating housing, and facilitating support systems and services.

New Century CIL

Richard Petty writes the CIL New Ventures Blog for centers for independent living. The blog is a resource for centers as they advance community services and strengthen their own organizations. Richard writes the blog to highlight management and program resources that will help centers move into new nonprofit ventures, especially community alternatives to institutionalization and youth transition programs.

CIL Youth Transition

Jeff Sheen writes the CIL Youth Transitions blog to support centers for independent living as they create and run successful programs that support transition of youth with disabilities from school to postsecondary education, employment and independent living. Capacity building and creation of programs that are self-sustaining are primary themes of Jeff's writing.

The complete ILRU Web site was developed with support from grants from the Department of Education. However, its contents and the opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and no endorsement by the Department should be assumed. ILRU is a program of TIRR Memorial Hermann, a nationally recognized medical rehabilitation facility for persons with disabilities.

Last Modified: April 30, 2012