Endependent Center on Coast Live

WELCOME BACK. >> THE ENDEPENDENT CENTER, A CORE EC. I HELPS LOCAL PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES LIVE THEIR BEST LIVES THROUGH SUPPORT SERVICES DAN ADVOCACY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR NICOLLE DAVIS JOINS US NOW TO TELL US MORE ABOUT THEIR MISSION. WELCOME TO COAST LIVE. NICOLE, HOW ARE YOU DOING? I'M GOOD. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. SURE. SO TELL US ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE C I OUR GOAL AND MISSION IS TO HELP PEOPE WIL DISABILITIES OBTAIN OR MAINTAIN THEIR THE DESIRED LEVEL OF INDEPENDENCE WITH THE USE OF SERVICES AND SUPPORTS THATRE A IN THE COMMUNITY. >> BUT ALSO ADVOCATE TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE INTEGRATED AND CAN ACCESS THEIR COMMUNITY DISABILITIES UNIQUE. IT AFFECTS US ALL IN MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS. AND OUR GOAL IS TO WORK WITHL AL PEOPLE, ALL AGES, ALL TYPES. NICE. SO WHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUE TO SOME OF THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT MIGHT B TE THERE THAT HELP DISABLED FOLKS WHO ARE NON PROFIT. MORE REALYL BASED ON THIS IDEA OF CONSUMER CONTROL THAT MEANS THAT OVER 51% OF MY ASTFF OR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, 100% OF MY MANAGERS, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, INCLUDING MYSELF, OK, AND 51% A MONTH BOARD. SO FOR US DISABILITIES, NO JUST SOMETHING WE DO WANT TO PROFESSIONAL, RIGHT? IT'S ALSO SOMETHING WE FEEL ON A PERSONAL LEVEL. SO WHEN PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES COME AND INTERACT WIT HUS, WE CAN UNDERSTAND THE BARRIERS THAT THEY HAVE BECAUES OFTEN TIMES THERE BARRIERS THAT WE OURSELVES ARE DEALING WIT.H WOW, THAT REALLY CREATES AN EMPATHETIC ENVIRONMENT SO PEOPLE CAN REALLY UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM. SO WHAT WOULD YOU DESCRIBE AS SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT UYO PROVIDE THAT, YOU KNOW, FOL,KS GO DAY TO DAY AND STEP AND WALKING TO ALL OF THE THINGS THAT >> SOME FOLKS THAT ARE DISABLED CAN'T DO. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT YOU PROVIDE. SO WE PROVIDE INFORMATION REFERRAL. THAT'S KIND OF JUST WHERE WE START. IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT RESOURCES ARE IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO H OWTO ACCESS THEM AND USE THEM, OK, PEER SUPPORT, WHICH IS REALLY UNIQUE. I'ST CONNECTING TO OTHER PEOPLE DISABILITIES SO THAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM SHARED LFEI EXPERIENCES, BUT ALSO HAVE THAT SHARED SUPPORT, BE INDEPENDE.NT LIVING SKILLS IS REALLY WHAT ITS SALES WERE JUST WORKING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE NEED AND HOW TO ACCESS THAT. OKAY. TRANSITION, WHICH IS MORE 3 TIERED FOR US. WE WORK TO EHLP PEOPLE LEAVE WE ALSO WORK TO PREVENT. >> THAT THEY NEVER GO INTO AN INSTITUTION. MAKES A COMMUNITY LIVING IS WHAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO. AND THEN ON A COMPLETELY TOTALLY DIFFERENT SPECTRUM, WE WORK WITH YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE READY FOR THEIR POST-SECONADRY OPTIONS. AND THEN ADVOCACY. WE DO INDIVIDUAL AND SYSTEMS. AND I REALLY LIKE TO THINK OF HOW MY MOM DESCRIBED ADVOCACY. IF YOU TEACH A MAN TO FISH, HE EATS FOR A DAY. BUT IF YOU GIVE US, IF YOU GIVE A MAN A FISH EATS FOR DIED, BUT I TEACH HIM OWH TO FISH EATS FOR A LIFETIME. I AND THAT'S HOW WE DO ADVOCACY. WE WANT TO TEACH YOU HOW TO USE YOUR VOICE SO THAT WHEN YOU HIT THOSE BARRIERS, YOU KNOW HOW TO MAKE THE TRAIN FOR YEARS. SO I LIKE THAT. ALL RIGHT. SO WHAT ABOUT COVID? I MEAN, A LOT OF PEOPLEIN ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BNEE IMPACTED. I WOULD IMAGINE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES HAVE BEEN GREATLY IMPACTED BY CODVI FROM THE ISOLATION ALOE.N SO HOW DID YOUR ORGANIZATION RISE TO THE OCACSION? SO WHNE COVID-19 ARE HIT US, WE WANTED TO UNDERSTAND IT. WE MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ON TOP OF THE INFORMATION THAT CAME OUT. BUT WE KNOW THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT STILL GOING ON ENGAGING. OS IF PEOPLE OUT THERE NEED MASK, WE'RE HAPPY T OHELP YOU GET THEM. OBTAIN THEM WERE AOLS HAPPY TO HELP YOU PROVIDE TMHE WITH THE HOME SELF TESTING KITS SO THAT IF YOU NEED A VACCINATION, CAN'T WE CAN ELPH YOU IDENTIFY THAT WHEN THE VACCINES WERE ROLLED OUT, EVERYONE GOT THE PAPER CARDS TO RPOVE THAT THEY WERE VACCINATED AND AS WONDERFUL SPACE ARE, I KNOW THAT I LOST MANY PEOPLE LOST THEIR SO WE CAN HELP YOU OBTAIN A REPLACEMENT, OK? THAT'S REALLY GOOD. WE'VE ALSO HAD 3 VACCINATION CLINICS BECAUSE WE DO UNDERSTAND THTA IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW HOW TO GET VACCINATED. TOOK THAT SOMETHING THAT YOUW ANTING TO KNOW. WE CAN PROVIDE YOU THAT INFORMATION. OKAY. SO ONE OTHER FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GET IN TOUCH AND WE PUT THE INFORMATION ON THE BOARD, LET'S SAY SOMEBODY WANTS TO VOLUNERTE OR THEY WANT TO BECOME AN EMPLOYEE. H DOWO THEY GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU SO THEY CAN ALWAYS GO OTOUR WEBSITE AND LOOK AT THAT AND HAVE A CONTACT FORM ON OUWER BSITE THAT CAN FILL IT OUT AND THAT GETS IT TO US AND WE RESPOND TO THOSE OR THEY CAN CALL US AND JUST AEDSK TO SPEAK TO A COORDINATORND A JUST TALK ABOUT WHAT BARRIERS ARE GOING THROUGH AND THEN WE CAN WORK TO GET HIM INOR F A FACE-TO-FACE APPOINTMENT TO SEE HOW TO TAKE THAT BARRIER AN TURN IT INTO A GOAL AND ACTUALLY HAVE A MORE INDEPENDENT LIFE THAT TH'REY