A Community Integrated Living Arrangement (CILA) is a living arrangement in which eight or fewer people with a mental illness or a developmental disability reside together in a supervised home environment including individual or family residences.

A CILA may provide different levels of supervision and support, depending on the needs of the individuals. The following are some examples of CILA living arrangements:

1. 1. 

   24-Hour Community-Integrated Living Arrangement (CILA). Services are provided in a group home or apartment where eight or fewer unrelated persons reside under the supervision of on-site shift staff available during all times when participants are present.

2. 2. 

   Intermittent Community-Integrated Living Arrangement (CILA). Services provided in a home or apartment where eight or fewer persons have staff available on-call 24-hours per day. On-site shift staff is available to provide both scheduled and unscheduled supports and services as needed by the participants served and as specified in each participant's support plan. For participants whose support plan documents that they do not require 24-hour on-site staff presence, Intermittent residential provides services to meet their needs and documents the situations in which participants may safely be away from direct staff supervision.

3. 3. 

   Family Community-Integrated Living Arrangement (CILA). Services are provided to an adult residing with their family. On-site staff is available to provide both scheduled and unscheduled supports and services as needed and as specified in each participant's support plan.

4. 4. 

   Host Family/Foster Care Community-Integrated Living Arrangement (CILA). Services provided in the residence of the person with a developmental disability. Host families consist of one or more persons who are unrelated to the participant with a developmental disability and who are under contract with the provider agency to provide host family services.

In order to be eligible to participate in a CILA program, you must:

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  Be at least 18 years of age, and

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  Have a mental or developmental disability, and

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  Be in need of an array of services and a supervised living arrangement; and

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  Meet the Department's priority population criteria.

In addition, a participant or their guardian must agree to help develop and implement their individual integrated services plan. Participation in a CILA is voluntary; a participant or their guardian must give consent to participate in all aspects of the CILA program.

In addition to assisting a participant with safe and stable community integrated housing, a CILA also must help them make progress toward the goal of self-sufficiency and economic independence. The CILA program should provide assistance with the following, depending on a participant's individual needs:

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  Locating and obtaining education or vocational training, or employment;

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  Obtaining necessary medical attention and rehabilitation services or therapy;

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  Developing independent living skills, such as bathing, housekeeping, cooking, and shopping;

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  Developing money management skills;

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  Meeting transportation needs;

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  Locating and participating in leisure, recreation, religion and social activities.

So that a participant receives the services they need, the program must develop an individual integrated services plan.

The individual integrated services plan is a written plan which includes:

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  An assessment of their strengths and needs;

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  A description of the services they need;

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  Their role and that of their guardian, significant others and family in implementing the plan;

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  A timetable for reaching their goals; and

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  The name of the person(s) responsible for providing and supervising the services called for by the plan.

In order to determine the services a participant will need, the CILA program first will perform a thorough assessment. This will include a medical and dental exam, an evaluation of a participant's mental condition, an evaluation of their education and work experience, and an evaluation of their ability to independently perform daily activities.

After the evaluations are performed, the mental health and/or developmental disability professionals working with the CILA program develop the service plan. A participants, parent or guardian, or other persons close to them, are entitled to be involved in the process of developing the plan. The CILA must complete the service plan within 30 days after the individual enters the CILA program. The program must re-evaluate the service plan every 6 months for participants with mental illness, and annually for persons with a developmental disability.

The CILA program for individuals having a developmental disability is funded by the Adult Home and Community-Based Services Medicaid Waiver under the Social Security Act 1915 (c).

The assistance provided under CILA is considered social services (SI 00815.050) and therefore is not income for SSI purposes. This assistance is not income because it is provided by a governmental social service program. Any cash (SI 00815.050D.1) or in-kind item including food or shelter (SI 00815.050E.1) that is not remuneration for services or incentive payments and provided by a governmental social service program is not income. The stated purpose of the state-funded program is to make sure that people participating in these programs receive appropriate care and services to develop independent living skills.

You can locate access to information on CILA programs and other supports and services, including other living arrangements, in your area by accessing the following internet site and selecting your county and the type of DHS Office. The internet site is http://www2.dhs.state.il.us/geosource. You may also contact the Illinois Department of Human Services using the 24-Hour Telephone Hotline by calling 1 800 843-6154 for both English and Spanish.