4 Tips for Achieving a Fully Constituted SILC

Are you one of the states whose SILC has difficulty securing appointments or, just as bad, get appointments that do not meet the federal requirements for SILC membership? Here are a few tips for turning that situation around.

1. Work with your Centers to identify consumers and board members who will make good council members. Since you need 51% people with disabilities who are neither employees of a CIL or the state — and since they need to have knowledge of Centers — this is your top source for membership.
2. Help great applicants navigate the governor’s appointment process. Work with the appointment office to clarify the number of seats, the terms, and the requirements and help them stay up to date on those key items. Use their application process or, if they don’t have one, develop your own.
3. Let your Program Officer at ACL know if you are having difficulties. They can make a call and speak with authority to your governor’s office about the requirements in the composition of your SILC. Some states have found that this phone call moves the applicants forward quickly so that the SILC is in compliance with the requirements.
4. Support leadership development of people with disabilities throughout your state. Some states are using the Leaders without Limits model that we are presenting in Houston in September. As the SILC and Centers provide training, the individuals involved develop their confidence (and their resume) the voice of the disability community will be heard in every forum that matters to us including on the SILC. Isn’t that what it takes to really change the status quo? I hope you will join us in Houston for:
   Leaders Without Limits: A Community Leadership Academy
   Train-the-Trainer September 19 – 21, 2016
   The Leaders without Limits Community Leadership Academy is a proven model that prepares people with disabilities for active, effective involvement on boards, committees and councils, serving local government, your state and your nonprofit organization, including your SILC. This Train-the-Trainer event will prepare you to create, fund, and implement a Community Leadership Academy within your CIL and your state.
    Registration

    There is no registration fee for this training but you are required to register.