Part IV:

Comparison of the Area Agencies on Aging and Centers for Independent Living

Clipart: Pen & ink drawing. Picture of a man in a hat and coat holding a magnifying glass in his right hand. He is squatting and looking into / inspecting a home. The home is drawn much smaller than the man.

Relevance to Centers for Independent Living (CILs)

In this section, CILs will find that their working operation is very similar to that of the Area Agency on Aging (AAAs). A collaborative partnership between CILs and AAAs can provide a stronger voice at the state and national level regarding issues related to people with disabilities. CILs will better understand how AAA's operate. This will help facilitate communication, collaboration and establishment of programs to meet the needs of older consumers.

Part IV: Comparison of the Area Agencies on Aging and Centers for Independent Living

Components	Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs)	Centers for Independent Living (CILs)
Mandated Body	Older Americans Act, 1965	Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Amended 1978: Title VII
Purpose of Act	To serve and provide programs to elders who are at risk of losing their independence, mainly those who are frail, disabled, of low income status and living alone	To promote a philosophy of independent living, including consumer control, peer support, self-help, self-determination, equal access, and individual and system advocacy, in order to maximize the leadership, empowerment, independence, and productivity of person with disabilities, and the integration and full inclusion of persons with disabilities into the mainstream of American society
Federal Overseer	Administration on Aging at US Dept. of Health & Human Services Assistant Secretary on Aging, appointed by President	Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) at US Dept. of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Commissioner, appointed by U.S. President
National Representative	National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A)	National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) advocates for national policies that would enhance the lives of people with disabilities
State Representative	State Units on Aging (SUA) - responsible for planning, coordinating, funding and evaluating programs for the elderly by federal and state governments	Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) - responsible for developing a state plan, monitoring the plan and making recommendations to centers. RSA regional offices oversee the State Independent Living Councils
Agency Function	Serves as an advocate and visible focal point for the elderly. Responsible for assessing the needs of older persons in planning and service areas	Serves as an advocate and visible focal point for people with disabilities and help them to obtain the means necessary for full participation in the community
State Plans to receive federal appropriation funding (State and Local plans must collaborate with each other) Plans submitted to their Federal Overseer Members of the State Aging Council and Statewide Independent Living Council shall be appointed by the Governor	State Units on Aging submit a statewide executive plan for developing & implementing an aging program (2, 3, or 4 yr plan representative of state & federal government collaboration) AAA develops an area plan to address state & local priorities for a comprehensive & coordinated system of services to meet the needs of the elderly Run public hearings and forums to determine and help establish the area plan	State Independent Living Council (SILC) collaborating with the State Unit on Vocational Rehabilitation develops a plan to ensure the existence of appropriate planning, financial support and coordination, and other assistance to appropriately address needs in the state. Identify resources, receive, account for and disburse funds received by the state For Part B (Independent Living Services), Part C (Operation of CIL) and Chapter 2 (Older American Blind Services). State Plan identifies: Self-performance reports, coordination of services, outreach, coordination between federal and state sources, evaluation of plan, run public hearings and forum to establish and form the plan. SILCs 704, Part 1: Annual Self-Performance Reports on CILs (completed by the SILCs) - Contains information from consumer service records when those records are maintained outside of a CIL reporting in Part 2. CIL 704, Part 2: Annual Performance Report (completed by CILs) - Self-evaluation of compliance with the requirements of Section 725 of the Act.
Working Relationship Among Network Agencies	Senior Centers, Employment Services, Home Health Agencies, Adult Day Care Services, Meals-on-Wheels, Employment for Older Workers, Adult Protection Services, Ombudsman Program, Depts. of Health and Social Services, Mental Health	Vocational Rehabilitation, OMRDD, Depts. of Health and Social Services, Education, Mental Health. On a community level, CILs work with over 300 different agencies.

References

¹Older Americans Act. Retrieved November 9, 2004 at http://www.aoa.gov/about/legbudg/oaa.asp

²Rehabilitation Act, Title VII. Retrieved November 9, 2004 at http://www.rcep7org/links/rehabact/Title_VII/title_vii.html

³Area Agencies on Aging. Retrieved November 9, 2004 at the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging: http://www.n4a.org.

⁴Centers for Independent Living Directory. Retrieved November 9, 2004 at the Rehabilitation Research & Training Center on Independent Living Management: http://www.wnyilp.org/database/directory.php.