Background

The notice inviting applications for the RSA-funded national independent living training and technical assistance project included absloute priorities. CHIRP addressed the absolute priority of coordinating services and developing cooperative working relationships between Centers for Independent Living (CILs) and state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies. As is often the case, funds for this national project were limited. CHIRP chose Texas as our "incubator" state, where we would develop and test the training and facilitation techniques and then disseminate the information nationally.

Texas CILs had a history of animosity with the state VR agency. While CILs in some communities had been able to get past this history and work together, in some communities the challenge of just getting CIL and VR staff in the same room was daunting. We knew that a paradigm shift would be required in order to establish an environment in which collaboration could take place.

Creating Communities of Support

One of the goals of the CHIRP project was to build communities of support for young people with disabilities in transition by strengthening collaboration between CILs, VR, schools and other local agencies and organizations serving young people with disabilities. We encouraged the building of these communities of support by using the community of practice elements outlined by Etienne Wenger in the Foreword to the IDEA Partnership manual on Communities of Practice, A New Approach to Solving Complex Educational Problems.

Coalescing Around Issues

Ensuring Relevant Participation 

Doing Work Together

Leading by Convening

Coalescing Around Issues

People need a reason to collaborate, something that they care about, something that is important to them. The successful transition of young people with disabilites from school to adult roles in the community is an important issue for CILs and for VR. RSA has made transition a priority for state VR agencies, and whether or not CILs have a mandate for working with youth, they are facing an imminent need to recruit young leaders to the disability movement. CHIRP provided a structure for joint problem solving, networking and learning.

Ensuring Relevant Participation

Inviting the right participants was perhaps the most time-consuming task of the CHIRP project. Even when we had help from the local agencies, identifying representatives who could make decisions, respond to requests for help or infomation and authorize the use of resources was a challenge.

At the beginning of the project, the University of Arkansas CURRENTS brought togther leaders from the Texas Association of Centers for Independent Living, the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (both Division of Rehabilitative Services and Division of Blind Services), the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities and other agencies for a state-level "Incubator Meeting." At the meeting, these leaders agreed to support the participation of their members and staff in local CHIRP efforts.

Having obtained buy-in from the top, we then focused on working with the local VR offices and CILs to identify participants. Because CHIRP was an independent living training and technical assistance grant and because the priority was on developing collaboration between CILs and VR, UA CURRENTS only invited CIL and VR staff at each of the eleven CHIRP sites. When those core groups had established their vision and goals, they identified other partners who could help them accomplish their goals and invited them into the group.

Doing Work Together

The CHIRP project was established on the principle that we can accomplish more together than we can separately and that each partner brings a unique perspective and strengths that contribute to solving the problem or achieving the goal.

When we first met with each of the CHIRP groups, we promised them that CHIRP would not be just another meeting to attend. We knew that none of us could afford that. In the first meeting each group established a vision and goals and objectives that would move their community toward that vision and committed to taking the next steps.

 Leading by Convening

One of the factors that contributed to the success of the CHIRP project was the fact that UA CURRENTS had established relationships with the VR offices and the CILs in Texas and was a trusted provider of training, technical assistance and facilitation. As a trusted and neutral partner, UA CURRENTS could bring both groups to the table. CURRENTS provided resources for meeting rooms, materials, facilitators and refreshments. (Yes, if you feed them, they will come.) Most importantly, follow up and ongoing technical assistance were included in the project design, so that the CHIRP groups had continuing support beyond the initial training sessions.