Finding the Right Resources

Every neighborhood, state, county, town and country, boasts available resources for persons with disabilities.  A quick glance at a website or a quick review of a brochure would lead you to believe that help is readily available.  This, unfortunately, is not always the case.  Well- meaning non-profit, for-profit and government run agencies offer what appears to be one-size-fits-all programs and services.  Some claim their ability to tailor-make a program for you.  But essential here is your understanding that as a consumer the saying, “buyer beware” applies.  Here are a few guidelines that may help you when choosing a service provider:

1. Get a clear understanding of what the agency you are investigating offers.  Make sure that their programs meet your needs.
2. Get a clear understanding of their privacy policy.
3. Get a clear understanding of the criteria for acceptance into their program. Every agency needs the person seeking assistance to fit into their funding source’s set of requirements.  Some include age, age of onset of disability, type of disability, income, and immigration status.
4. Meet with the workers that will be providing services for you.  If you are not comfortable with the worker who would be assigned to you, you have the right to ask for another worker.
5. Network. Try to find families who have worked with the agency you are considering and ask about their experiences with them.
6. After you have been with the agency for a while, should you find that you are unhappy with their service provision, you have the right to request another worker or to request a referral to another agency with similar programs.
7. You do not need to limit yourself to one agency, as long as you are not duplicating services.  One agency might have a better vocational program, while another might offer better service coordination.