Statewide

Services Provided:

• Technical assistance and training in the areas of Early Intervention Early Intervention, infant mental health and trauma-based care practices, inclusive practices in schools, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports and Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports in schools, learners with low incidence disabilities (vision, hearing, deaf-blindness) Dual Sensory, transition from high school , and community-based employment strategies for youth and adults.
• Services include:
o Instruction and mobility services to children who are blind or visually impaired.
o Educational Advocates for students with disabilities who are in state care.
o Benefits counseling and assistance for Social Security beneficiaries.
o Family support and navigation of services.
o Support group for self-directed support users (DDD)
o Plan writing for self-directed support users (DDD).
o Support for parents with intellectual disabilities.
o Support to students in post-secondary education.

Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities, founded at Rhode Island College in 1993, is a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). UCEDDs are evidence driven and designed to advance policies, practices, and research that improve the health, education, social, and economic well-being of people with disabilities, their families, and their communities. There are 67 UCEDD programs in the United States. This national network is administered through the United States Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Developmental Disabilities.
The Sherlock Center partners with state and national agencies, schools, institutions of higher education and community providers to implement its core functions: preservice preparation, services (including technical assistance, community education, and direct services), research, and information dissemination. As of 2016, the Sherlock Center is a LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities) Program.
Areas of Emphasis:
Early Childhood and Education
Inclusion and Community Membership
Low Incidence Disabilities
Self-Determination
Transition, Employment and Adult Life
Workforce and Professional Development

Medicaid eligible. Coverage areas include: Barrington, Bristol, East Providence, Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Narragansett, Newport, North Kingstown, South Kingstown, Portsmouth, Providence, Tiverton, Wakefield, Warren and Westerly.

Looking Upwards provide an array of services to children and adults that have a developmental delay.

Children & Families link

• Home Based Therapy Services HBTS link
• Personal Assistance Services and Support PASS link
• School to Career Transition Services link
• Behavioral Consulting link
• School Services link

There is a separate directory listing for Early Intervention at Looking Upward  

Adult Services link

• Supported Living
• Shared Living
• Community Based Family Services
• Day Enrichment
• Employment Services

Looking Upwards is a place where people discover new possibilities. It’s where adults with developmental disabilities explore what’s meaningful to them and create satisfying lives. It’s a place where families of children with special healthcare needs find support so their children get the best start in life and thrive as they grow. Looking Upwards is a resource for school departments and a variety of professionals, expanding their options for how they serve their communities.

For over 35 years, Looking Upwards has been helping individuals to live to their fullest potential.

There are programs at Trudeau for all stages of life. Each program has eligibility requirements.

The J. Arthur Trudeau Memorial Center provides a wide range of comprehensive services for all ages including :

Community Supports and Home Based Children's Services link

• Family Support Services
• Applied Behavior Analysis(ABA)
• Home Based Therapy Services (HBTS)
• Respite
• Personal Assistance and Support Service(PASS)

Adult Services link

• Employment Concepts
• Residential Services
• Adult recreation
• Shared Living
• Works for me

Additional Directory Listings of Trudeau Programs

• Early Intervention-listed on a separate Directory entry
• Pathways Strategic Teaching Center's school for children with autism

Our mission is to promote an enhanced quality of life for individuals with developmental disabilities. Trudeau has served as the area’s leading provider of services for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We are one of the few human service organizations that serves individuals at all stages of life. We currently work with over 3,000 consumers annually throughout Rhode Island and in some cities and towns in nearby Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Eligibility criteria depends on program. Must be Medicaid eligible for children's services. Coverage areas: Charlestown, Coventry, East Greenwich, Exeter-West Greenwich, Hope Valley, Hopkinton, Narragansett, North Kingstown, Richmond, South Kingstown, Warwick, West Warwick and Westerly.

Services for children ( age 3-21) Children Services link

• Home Based Therapy Services (HBTS)
• Personal Assistance and Support Services (PASS)

Services for adults link

• Residential
• Vocational Services through Napatree
• Day Services
• Mentor Program

The Frank Olean Center provides an array of services to individuals of all ages with Developmental Disabilities.

Is my child eligible?

Contact Jason Lanzillo at 401-315-0143 x103 to learn more.

criteria for program eligibility varies.

Child and Family Services
The Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention for children on the Autism spectrum( ages 2-15)
Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention

Home-Based Therapeutic Services (HBTS)
HBTS

Personal Assistance and Supports (PASS)
PASS

Children's Residential Services

Perspectives' Youth & Family Services Residential program provides a home for children, ages 13 - 20, who have been diagnosed with special health care needs. Residential

Transition Services Transition


Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program details are in a separate Directory entry.
Adult Services are listed in a separate Directory Entry

Perspectives Corporation is a multi-faceted and dynamic private agency providing services and support to children, youth and adults with disabilities in Rhode Island.

Additional Directory listings include:
Perspectives Child & Family Services Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program and 
Perspectives Adult Services

Video Phone: (401) 372-2012 

Accessible Rhode Island is a website that lists restaurants, museums, cinemas and cultural sites in Rhode Island that have been surveyed according to the guidelines for identifying accessibility outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

The purpose of Accessible Rhode Island is to inform and inspire those persons living with disabilities, and to enlighten the rest of us to their needs. A project of the MS Dream Center.

The MS Dream Center welcomes people with Multiple Sclerosis, their care partners, family and friends. There is no fee to join.

Weekly classes are provided in the area of chair yoga, tai chi, reiki, exercise to music, and strength strengthening. Many of these classes are offered virtually due to Covid Pandemic. https://www.msdreamcenter.org/programs

Painting and Art enrichment classes

Hairstylist comes to center once a month to provide haircuts for a nominal fee.

Support groups

The MS Dream Center goal is to bring awareness to the disease and reach out to those living with it, empowering them and offering important respite opportunities for care partners.

To be eligible for vocational rehabilitation services, you must - 1) have a physical, intellectual or emotional impairment which is a substantial barrier to employment, and 2) require vocational rehabilitation services to prepare for, secure, retain, or regain employment, and 3) be able to benefit from vocational rehabilitation services in terms of an employment outcome. link

Transition services information

 Transition services are activities and supports designed to help the student to identify his/her interests and strengths so that they can work on the skills needed to be successful in employment and adult living. These services are provided by schools, families, community members, and agency providers. Students set goals, develop a plan to meet the goals, and participate in transition services to begin their preparation for life after high school.

Pre Employment Transition Services information

 (1) Job Exploration Counseling, (2) Work-Based Learning, (3) Counseling Opportunities for Enrollment in Comprehensive Transition or Post-Secondary Educational Programs, (4) Workplace Readiness Training, and (5) Self-Advocacy.

Services for Blind and Visually Impaired link

ATEL link

The Rhode Island Adaptive Telephone Equipment Loan (ATEL) Program provides landline/home telephones and wireless devices on loan to qualified individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, have a speech disability, or have neuromuscular damage or disease that hinders them from using a standard telephone. 

A public state and federally-funded program that assists individuals with disabilities to choose, prepare for, obtain, advance in, and maintain competitive integrated employment. 
ORS Counselors provide technical assistance, consultation, information and referral services to school systems and work in close partnership with Regional Educational Collaboratives, netWORKri and other agencies to improve transition planning.

• Lunch and Learn seminars
• Peer Support
• Advocacy
• Young Adult Transition Program
• Independent Living Skill Training and Assessment
• Home Accessibility and Adaptability
• Assistive Technology 

Ocean State Center for Independent Living , OSCIL, provides information on community resources and services to persons with disabilities and their families, service providers, and the general public, as well as receiving referrals for our agency for direct services. Information is provided by phone, email, mail, and one-on-one to walk-ins to our Center.

To keep our staff and consumers safe, OSCIL offices will remain closed to the public, with staff working staggered schedules and remotely, until further notice.

You may call our offices and speak to or leave a message for our staff members. 

If you would like to speak to our Information and Referral Specialist, call 401-738-1013 ext 13. You may also email her at info@oscil.org.

Additional location in Pawtucket

• Lunch and Learn seminars
• Peer Support
• Advocacy
• Young Adult Transition Program
• Independent Living Skill Training and Assessment
• Home Accessibility and Adaptability
• Assistive Technology 

Ocean State Center for Independent Living , OSCIL, provides information on community resources and services to persons with disabilities and their families, service providers, and the general public, as well as receiving referrals for our agency for direct services. Information is provided by phone, email, mail, and one-on-one to walk-ins to our Center.

To keep our staff and consumers safe, OSCIL offices will remain closed to the public, with staff working staggered schedules and remotely, until further notice.

You may call our offices and speak to or leave a message for our staff members. 

If you would like to speak to our Information and Referral Specialist, call 401-738-1013 ext 13. You may also email her at info@oscil.org.

Additional location in Warwick

Eligible individuals can open the account for themselves, or an authorized individual can open an account on their behalf. There are a few requirements that individuals with disabilities must meet to be able to have an account.

You're eligible if:

• Your disability was present before the age of 26; and
• One of the following is true:
  • You are eligible for SSI or SSDI because of a disability
  • You experience blindness as determined by the Social Security Act; OR
  • You have a similarly severe disability with a written diagnosis from a licensed physician that can be produced if requested.

With RI's ABLE, you can save for qualified disability expenses without losing your eligibility for certain assistance programs, like SSI and Medicaid. The earnings on your investments are federally tax-deferred and tax-free, if used for qualified disability expenses.

FAQ's

The Member Plan is sponsored by the state of Rhode Island and administered by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) and the State Investment Commission.

The Member Plan is one of the qualified ABLE plans issued by the Ascensus ABLE Consortium Trust. Ascensus College Savings Recordkeeping Services, LLC, the Program Manager, and its affiliates have overall responsibility for the day-to-day operations, including investment advisory, recordkeeping and administrative services.

The Member Plan offers a series of investment options within the Ascensus ABLE Consortium Trust. The Member Plan is intended to operate as a qualified ABLE plan to be used only to save for Qualified Disability Expenses, pursuant to the Section 529A of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, as amended.

Therese Curran
Director of Transition and Vocational Services (401) 941-8353 (Ext. 124)

Coventry , Cranston , Foster, Glocester , Scituate , Warwick and West Warwick and included in the student's Individualized Education Program.

We offer a number of programs and services, sometimes in conjunction with member districts and outside agencies, including:

• Alternative learning and special education programs K-12 link
• Transition and vocational services for young adults who are ready to enter the workforce link
• Physical therapy services and Special Education Services
• RI Transition Academy in separate directory listing
• Professional Development link
• Adult Education link 

Every Student, Every Learner, Every Day!

This is our focus at West Bay Collaborative, and we work to make sure every one of our learners has access to high-quality, innovative, and responsive educational programs and resources that can allow them to reach their individual successes. Every individual can learn, and we provide the means for them to achieve that. Whether they are in elementary school, just starting the path to a career, or looking to improve themselves, we strive to meet their needs.

The Transition Academy is designed for students with disabilities 18 to 21 who:
· Have an IEP, are currently enrolled in high school and are near completion of their academic program.
· Are eligible for Office of Rehabilitation Services
· Need a community-based functional skills/vocational curriculum
· Can achieve independence (with initial support)
· Can become semi-independent on a college campus

OVERVIEW

The Transition Academy is located on the campus of Roger Williams University where students prepare for the world of work and access the college community. The Transition Academy is designed for students with disabilities 18 to 21 who:

• Have an IEP, are currently enrolled in high school and are near completion of their academic program

• Are eligible for Office of Rehabilitation Services

• Need a community-based functional skills/vocational curriculum

• Can achieve independence (with initial support)

• Can become semi-independent on a college campus

The Academy Programs @ Roger Williams University are unique educational programs that provide motivated students an opportunity to complete their high school education while building transition skills on a college campus and in the community.

Additional Information FAQs

Funding stream for services for adults with Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. Must meet eligibility criteria. 

The Division of Developmental Disabilities is responsible for planning, funding and overseeing a community system of services and supports for adults with developmental disabilities.

Developmental Disabilities

Individuals and families may also receive self-directed services.

Mental Health Services Where to get help?

Substance Use Disorder Services and Prevention Where to get help?

Healthy Transitions Guide Take Charge of Your Mental Health English Spanish

Available in English/Spanish This Guidebook provides a roadmap to help 14 – 25 year old's in navigating the sometimes complex system of behavioral healthcare services. There are many resources listed to guide you, should you need them.

Mission: To serve Rhode Islanders who live with mental illness, substance use disorder and/or a developmental disability by maintaining a system of high quality, safe, affordable and coordinated care across the spectrum of behavioral health care services. To promote the health, safety and well-being of all Rhode Islanders by developing policies and programs that address the issues of mental illness, addiction, recovery and community support.

Special Education Advocacy

Building Inclusive Futures

The goal of The Building Inclusive Futures Program is to offer support, resources, and services to families, participants, and/or students (age 18 and over) transitioning from high school who want to be proactive and design their future.

Circles of Connection program which helps combat social isolation, build interest-based support networks, and nurture advocacy skills link

The Arc Rhode Island Family Advocacy Network leads state-level public policy activities as well as provides training, public awareness and education, and grassroots advocacy building to protect the rights of Rhode Islanders with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).

0-21+
Criteria varies depending on program.

Perspectives Corporation offers specialty consultation for Rhode Island Early Intervention Providers who are working with infants and toddlers with an identified hearing loss. Early Intervention


Home-Based Therapeutic Services (HBTS) This intensive, in-home, therapeutic model is designed for children and families who would benefit from working with a team of behavioral health professionals for several hours each week on treatment goals and objectives. This service also offers formalized American Sign Language Classes at a reduced cost to parents in this program. HBTS

Personal Assistance Support Services (PASS)
This program promotes skill development both in the home and community environments where the focus is to improve the child's ability to complete daily living skills, make safety and self-preserving decisions, and to participate in social roles and social settings. This service is designed to be less intensive than HBTS.
PASS

Transitional School Services (TSS)
The Transitional School Services program is committed to the fundamental values of dignity and respect for all students making the important transition from school based services to adulthood. Transition

Supported Employment Services

Perspectives Corporation proudly supports community-based, integrated employment as a first priority and preferred outcome for people with intellectual, developmental and other disabilities in Rhode Island. We offer a variety of professional services to help individuals with developmental, intellectual and other disabilities prepare for, obtain and maintain integrated, community-based employment. Supported Employment Services

Perspectives Corporation provides an array of therapeutic services accessible to individuals who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing in Rhode Island. Our specialized team consists of licensed clinical social workers, mental health counselors and behavior specialists who are highly knowledgeable in the fields of mental health and deafness.

Additional listings for Perspectives Corporation include Child and Family Programs and Adult Services Programs.

Video Phone: (401) 372-2012 

Video Phone: (401) 372-2012

Criteria varies with each program. Except for Employment Services, participants will need to qualify for funding from services from Behavioral Health Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH) and Medicaid Eligible.

Adult ServicesFor Adults with Disabilities Ages 21+

Our Adult Services provide community-based supports that offer individuals the opportunity to achieve greater independence and engage in a healthy, active lifestyle that meets their hopes and expectations.

Self-Directed Services

Shared Living

Residential Services

Day Services

Independent Living Services

For over 40 years our creativity, flexibility and commitment to those we support and their families has helped hundreds of individuals with disabilities to become independent and fully enjoy their lives, and has made us one of the largest human service agencies in Rhode Island.



Additional directory listings for Child and Family Programs and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Programs

• Gain the employment skills and confidence to obtain or retain a job with minimal or time limited supports
• Acquire the functional and daily living skills necessary to reach their potential independence
• Explore opportunities in higher education and credentialing training programs
• Reinforce and improve functional academic skills to be better prepared for the workplace or post secondary training programs
• Develop the social skills and self-confidence to find success with interpersonal relationships at work and at home
• Develop confidence, self-advocacy, and self-awareness to understand the rights and responsibilities of adulthood, knowledge of themselves, and the ability to seek assistance if needed.

RITA is a program for 18-22 year-olds who have IEPs, located on the campus of a Rhode Island local college. This program is geared toward individuals who have completed the academic courses necessary for graduation but would benefit from an additional year to acquire employment skills, functional life skills and social skills to better prepare for adult life. The R.I. Transition Academy provides students with classroom and community instruction in an adult learning environment.

• 18-22 years old, have an IEP and are currently enrolled in school
• Eligible for services from the R.I. Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS)
• Require additional time to achieve transition goals to complete their high school requirements
• Are motivated to attend and fully participate in program activities
• Can follow the rules and expectations of a community college setting

Therese Curran
Director of Transition and Vocational Services
Phone: (401) 941-8353 (Ext. 124)
tcurran@westbaycollaborative.org

• community-based residential transition programming
• employment services
• advocacy services
• benefits counseling
• arts and recreational programming. 

Vista Life offers programs and pathways to independence
for young adults with neurological disabilities.

Additional location

1356 Old Clinton Road, Westbrook, CT 06498

Do you know you can work while receiving SSI/SSDI disability benefits?

Yes, it is true! If you receive disability benefits and want to work, program rules known as “work incentives” make it possible. You can learn about work incentives from various publications published by the Social Security Administration (SSA), by attending a public information session, and/or by connecting with a Certified Work Incentives Benefits Specialist. To learn more visit the Work Incentive Information webpage [w3.ric.edu] of the Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities, RI College.

The Arc provides vocational training, employment opportunities, therapeutic and recreational supports and more. 

Employment

The Arc builds community connections every day to ensure that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities have the tools to achieve in the work place, at home and in their neighborhood. 

Children ages 5-13 with diagnosed ASD or other related social-emotional challenges.

Teen Programs  14-19

Child, Teen and Adult Programs

Parent and Caregiver Programs

School Consultations and Professional Development

Camp program through Mass General for children ages 5-13 w/ ASD or other social/communication challenges. FAQs

• Groups of 4 to 6 children, based on age and needs, each supported by 2 camp counselors.
• Activities include swimming, boating, music, & art. Individual and social coaching provided.

Teen Summer Programs

Aspire, a MassGeneral Hospital Program, specializes in helping children, teens and adults on the autism spectrum achieve success. Our programming is uniquely designed to help participants with Asperger profiles develop positive self-awareness, stress management and social competency skills so they can succeed at home, school, work and in community settings.

Staff create a safe and supportive environment in which campers can learn, grow, make social connections, express themselves, feel successful and have fun.

You are eligible for Brokerage Support Services if you:

•  18 years or older

• Identify as having a documented Intellectual, Developmental, with/without other disability 

• Reside in the State of Rhode Island 

If you have considered Self-Directed Services, but are concerned about managing the responsibility associated with service provision, give us a call to have a conversation about what brokerage can do for you!

We provide Brokerage Services for persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

 A support Broker helps to arrange services for an adult with an Intellectual or Developmental Disability as outlined in their Individual Service Plan (ISP). 

A Broker is the liaison between the individual and the programs or people providing services. 

They assist with whatever is necessary to identify the individual’s needs, special requirements, or resources required to meet those needs. 

A Broker acts as an agent for the individual, taking all direction from the individual receiving services.

Rhode Island Resident with a disability

Ages 16-23

See Flyer for additional criteria

A summer camp opportunity for teens and young adults to develop employment and independent living skills in a supportive environment at the beautiful Camp Canonicus in Exeter , Rhode Island.

August 7-11, 2023

Resources to help prepare youths for living on their own.

Services Include:

• Consulting: Ongoing strategic consultation at no cost to child welfare systems and tribes.
• Public Policy: Comprehensive child welfare information to support policymakers
• Research and Analysis: Information to support decision-making, bolster system integration, build capacity, and support sustainability.
• Casey Life Skills: Free practice tool and framework for working with youth in foster care. It assesses independent living skills and provides results instantly. Intended to be done between a youth and their social worker, case manger, or other mentor.
• Direct Services: Operates nine field offices in five states (Arizona, California, Idaho, Texas, and Washington) that provide direct services to urban, suburban, and rural communities.