Zimmerman-Horowitz Independent Living Program

The Zimmerman-Horowitz Independent Living Program

The Zimmerman-Horowitz Independent Living Program (Z-H ILP) is a highly-individualized, nonsectarian, person-centered supportive living program that enables people with disabilities to live as independently as possible. Services can either be private pay or covered with the NOW or COMP Medicaid Waiver, with the hours varying based on the client’s needs. Clients must be 18 years of age and meet the federal definition for an intellectual and/or developmental disability. Independent Living looks different for every client; medical concerns, family supports, and client ability are just a few of the factors that impact service type.

Community Living Support

Some clients receive Community Living Support (CLS) in their own homes; CLS staffing is typically about 4 hours a day, 5 days a week (minimum hours = 20 hours/week).

Community Residential Alternative

Others may have increased support needs, requiring staffing 24 hours a day. When a client has 24 hour care, they live with 2-3 of their peers in a Community Residential Alternative (CRA), which is often called a Group Home. No matter which type of services are being received, staff always receive personalized training, to ensure they understand the needs and abilities of clients.

Our staff works with each client to teach the skills needed for Independent Living. Common skills that staff assist clients with are money management, cooking and cleaning, household management, laundry and social skills.

The skills and method of learning are not the same for everyone. Some clients may need more of a hands - on approach in most aspects of independent living, while others may only need support to learn a few tasks of independent living. The Individual Support Plan (ISP), which the client participates in creating on a yearly basis, provides details about the clients’ likes, dislikes, medical needs, diagnosis, as well as other details.