M&L Special Needs Planning Is Pleased to Present Its Latest Housing Planning Workshop

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On Saturday, October 12, 2013 M&L Special Needs Planning, LLC will be hosting a housing planning workshop that will feature a presentation by the Center for Independent Futures (CIF), as a part of the CIF’s New Futures Initiative.

Washington, DC (PRWEB) October 03, 2013

The staff of M&L are very excited to make the following announcement: On Saturday, October 12, 2013 M&L Special Needs Planning, LLC will be hosting a housing planning workshop that will feature a presentation by the Center for Independent Futures (CIF), as a part of the CIF’s New Futures Initiative.

Regular visitor’s to the company’s website will no doubt remember M&L’s interview with CIF co-founder, Jane Doyle that was published via their weekly blog (please click here to read the interview in full). Throughout the course of this interview, Jane discussed the history of the organization, the services that the CIF provides for individuals with special needs and, of course, the Community Living Option Residences that CIF staff and volunteers created.

At the time of the interview, M&L staff were incredibly impressed with the way in which the CIF developed this amazing housing and independent living program, and were astonished at how it evolved and developed alongside the CIF organization itself. For those who aren’t familiar with the CIF (which was founded by two mothers looking to secure brighter futures for their children with disabilities), the organization created three Community Living options (CLO) residences over the course of its creation and development. These residences were created in conjunction with other families, and rely on minimal to no state funds. The CIF's proprietary method, which led to the creation of the CLO housing model, evolved from the CIF's own experiences as it developed, as well as collaboration with leaders in the field of community development.

When M&L staff learned that the CIF had recently received a grant from the Coleman Foundation (the New Futures Initiative) that enabled them to teach other families and organizations how to replicate this proprietary housing model, they decided that they wanted to participate in development of this model in the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia areas. As a result, M&L is bringing CIF co-founder Jane Doyle and Executive Director Ann Sickon to Maryland explain in detail what the New Futures Initiative is all about, and how it can be implemented in Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland.

In a nutshell, the New Futures Initiative training is intended to help families open doors to community-based supported living options within one’s own neighborhood. The presentation hosted by M&L will describe how CIF (a 501 c(3) nonprofit organization) adapted housing policies and practices that have been proven to be successful in Canada and other states to create new solutions for housing and day programs for adults with disabilities. The training is a yearlong process that takes participants through a series of four workshops. These workshops are designed to help interested groups replicate CIF's housing model, a process that has been proven successful. The workshops will provide the necessary tools, materials and professional resources while instilling the confidence to move forward. As part of this initiative, CIF also provides onsite consultation, offering the support needed to ensure that the process is sustainable and successful. Essentially, the New Futures Initiative provides a road map to help guide families on their path toward solutions for adults with disabilities.

The workshop will be held October 12, 2013 at the Bethesda Marriott(5151 Pooks Hill Road, Bethesda, MD 20814). The doors will open at 9:00 a.m., with the presentation following at 9:30. The presentation will run from approximately 9:30 to 11:30, followed by a question and answer period until 12 p.m.

For those interested in attending this workshop, please note that the advance registration fee is $40/person. To register in advance, please click here. There will be registration at the door on the day of the workshop (from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.), however walk in registration will be $45/person, and interested individuals are encouraged to register early.

M&L Special Needs Planning, LLC works to help families learn about and understanding special needs planning issues such as housing for adults with disabilities. Through the website, the blog, the workshops and other services these financial planners strive to educate families and help them better plan for their financial future. Those wishing to learn more about this topic and others can visit the M&L Special Needs Planning, LLC website and are encouraged to contact them for more information.

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