News

Metropolitan Center for Independent Living welcomes Mai Thor and Joan Willshire to its Board of Directors

ST. PAUL, MN (February 21, 2024): The Metropolitan Center for Independent Living (MCIL) is pleased to announce two new members have been appointed to its Board of Directors. They will join current board members, providing strategic guidance, valued perspective, and expertise in oversight of the non-profit organization. Guided by its mission: “To Advance the Independent Living of People with Disabilities by Removing Barriers and Promoting Choices,” MCIL assists people with disabilities in living their most independent lives for more than 40 years. Serving the seven-county metro area through a wide range of services, programs, resources, partnerships, and advocacy, MCIL is among the largest Centers for Independent Living in Minnesota.

New board members:

Mai Thor: Having advocated for disability rights for more than 20 years, Mai brings a deep-seated commitment to justice, equity, and inclusion. As a person living with a disability and a leader who has helped design more accessible and inclusive systems for people with disabilities, she has brought meaningful change to the community. A 2021 recipient of a Bush Fellowship and awarded a residency with the College of Liberal Arts Engagement Hub at the University of Minnesota, Mai is working to develop a community-informed disability justice framework to incorporate into social justice systems throughout Minnesota. Mai received her Bachelor of Arts from Augsburg University and a Master’s in Nonprofit and Public Administration from Metropolitan State University. She has worked with the Minnesota Department of Health, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, and non-profit agencies to advocate and advance disability community concerns and engagement.

Joan Willshire: With a passion and mission to advance disability inclusion and equity, Joan brings a depth of personal and professional experiences to her work. From disability rights, autonomous vehicles, transportation, healthcare, and emergency preparedness, she has deep knowledge of the issues impacting the disability community. Joan served as Executive Director of the Minnesota Council on Disability (MCD) for 15 years and has an acute understanding of navigating complex public policies across multiple state agencies, legislators, committees, and Governors’ administrations. She has championed disability rights and worked to transform policies and practices across Minnesota. Author, Speaker, Change Agent for Disability Inclusion, and President of Willshire Consulting, Joan currently works with businesses and organizations to embrace an intersectional, equity-driven approach to disability inclusion, citing how diversity and inclusion drive innovation, collaboration, and success.

“We welcome this ‘dynamic duo’ to the MCIL Board of Directors,” said MCIL Board Chair Beth Fondell. “Mai Thor and Joan Willshire bring impressive backgrounds, proven leadership, and deep commitments to the causes and concerns of the disability community. We are so pleased to have them join us in our continued work. I look forward to their contributions in advancing MCIL’s mission of Removing Barriers, Promoting Choices, in assisting individuals with disabilities to live their most independent lives.”

MCIL Executive Director Jesse Bethke Gomez, MMA, shared, “MCIL is honored that Mai Thor and Joan Willshire have joined our distinguished Board of Directors. The MCIL board is deeply dedicated, and I welcome the addition of these two extraordinary individuals and all they bring to complement our current board. Their combined experiences and advocacy are inspiring, and their input will be pivotal in supporting the board’s work and our mission. We are profoundly grateful for such a wealth of expertise and guidance to help position MCIL for a promising and productive future.”

About MCIL: The Metropolitan Center for Independent Living (MCIL) is a Twin Cities-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) person-centered organization founded in 1981. The mission of MCIL is " To Advance the Independent Living of People with Disabilities by Removing Barriers and Promoting Choices." The agency is dedicated to the full realization of the Independent Living (IL) philosophy in society by assisting individuals with disabilities in their pursuit of independent living. MCIL is one of eight Centers for Independent Living in Minnesota and is a member agency of the Minnesota Association of Centers for Independent Living. Visit MCIL-MN.org

Jesse Bethke Gomez Position on Physician Assisted Suicide

In my healthcare career in service to people with apparent, and non-apparent disabilities and to
older adults, I am deeply concerned about why legislation to legalize physician-assisted suicide in
Minnesota is especially harmful to people with disabilities and also to older adults. The proposed
bill would exacerbate many complex problems in healthcare, and would result in the devaluation
of people with disabilities and older adults.

Physician-assisted suicide is opposed by the National Council on Independent Living, the National
Council on Disability and the American Medical Association. In my role as Executive Director of
Metropolitan Center for Independent Living, we provide services to people with apparent and nonapparent
disabilities in advancing independent living. I join these national organizations and the
Minnesota Alliance for Ethical Healthcare in opposition to this harmful legislation that has the
potential to place in great risk people with disabilities and older adults.

As a former president for 17 years of a Rule 29 mental health clinic a licensed Rule 43 outpatient
treatment center for children, families and individuals, and a licensed day center for older adults, I
know that today, we face a severe mental health crisis for children, families and adults. The
current level of need for mental health services surpasses the behavioral health sector’s ability to
meet this demand throughout Minnesota. Legalizing physician-assisted suicide would make it a
“standard of care” requiring providers to provide both life-saving and life-ending medical advice.
Let’s stop for a moment and think about what that means especially for individuals with the nonapparent
disability of severity, chronicity and acuity of an ongoing mental health diagnosis. Any
individual with any level of a mental health diagnosis should not have to be placed in potential
jeopardy by a physician in which the option is life or death; The proposed physician assisted
suicide law would create such a reality. This potentially leads to the devaluation of people over
time.

The devaluation of those who are at-risk is underscored by a 2019 National Council on Disability
report that stated legalization of physician-assisted suicide perpetuates the “historical and
continued devaluation of the lives of people with disabilities by the medical community, legislators,
researchers, and even health economists” by promoting “unequal access to medical care,
including life-saving care.” The report goes on to say where physician-assisted suicide laws have
been enacted there is a suicide contagion such that, “In Oregon, government reports show a
statistical correlation between assisted suicide under the Oregon law and an increase in other
suicides.” Is this what we want in Minnesota?

For Minnesota, let’s make sure we understand the dire consequences of physician assisted
suicide laws. Physician assisted suicide could potentially create a rise in other suicides in
Minnesota. This would be especially concerning during a time in which the demand for services,
are greater than our ability to meet the acuity, severity and chronicity of that demand. Physician
Assisted Suicide legislation poses too many unintended consequences at a time our state’s
mental health service providers are in crisis in meeting current demand for services.

Furthermore, to highlight the unequal access to care for people with disabilities and older adults, I
point to federal laws, and related state services and benefits, that require asset limitations of
$2,000 for individuals and $3,000 for couples in order to receive those services and benefits.
Those monetary restrictions have been fixed at those same dollar amounts since 1983 – 40 years
of the exact same dollar amounts as fixed asset requirements. As a Nation and for Minnesota we
should not have laws with these fixed assets frozen in time for 40 years. People with disabilities
and older adults already see their care options severely reduced due to these severe asset
limitations. When real healthcare is expensive for people with disabilities and physician-assisted
suicide is cheap how will life-saving care be denied or rationed to those most in need? I would
rather see us as a Nation and as a State of Minnesota, eliminate the $2,000 individual and $3,000
couple asset limitations and include an adjusted cost of living for all on these benefits and
services and to require a cost-of-living adjustment annually, not just for some services but for all
benefits and services for people with disabilities and older adults.

Just as this notion of financial “burden” has become more prevalent, it’s not surprising that the
Oregon Department of Health has reported that 52 percent of patients stated their fear of being a
burden to family, friends and caregivers as a primary reason for seeking life-ending medication.
Fear of pain and suffering did not even make the top five. This view of disability and of aging, also
aligns with documented refusals by insurance companies to cover life-saving care, when we need
to disrupt all this as conventional thinking. The real question here is what is our commitment to
one another as a democracy, with regard to the historical gap in the level of benefits, services,
supports and asset limitations endured by people with disabilities and older adults over many
generations?

What is required, instead of physician-assisted suicide, is equity of care - better access to care
and community supports and integration for all. I am in favor of increasing funding, services and
benefits for people with disabilities and older adults. I am also in favor of increasing mental health
funding, services and benefits for children, families and individuals who are in need of them
throughout Minnesota especially in the area of suicide prevention. I am in favor of solving the PCA
worker shortage crisis across Minnesota and throughout the United States of America. It is time to
overcome the indifference to the needs of people with disabilities and older adults, which is at the
root cause of the growing crisis to thousands of people in Minnesota and millions of people across
the United States of America who seek to realize their inalienable rights to independent living.

Physician-assisted suicide legislation is not real healthcare. As we find our way as a society
having endured a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, too many individuals are already in crisis and too
much is at risk for children, families, individuals, people with disabilities and older adults. If we
have learned anything from this pandemic is that we are at our very best as a society, when we
work together to advance the ability of people to care for one another, and that ought to be our
guiding principle before us as a bridge over indifference in our legislative pursuits for the health,
and well-being for all, along with needed human services and supports for people who rely upon
them for daily living in Minnesota and throughout our Nation.

Jesse Bethke Gomez, MMA is Executive Director of the Metropolitan Center for Independent
Living which is a member of the Minnesota Alliance for Ethical Healthcare.

Community Gathering: Housing and Land Use

Please join MCIL and Metropolitan Council for a community gathering regarding housing and land use. Share your unique perspective and vision for the future. Make a difference for your community!

If you are an adult with a disability, come share your vision for the future. Personal protective equipment, refreshments, and a gift card to say thank you for joining us will be provided.

The event will be held on Wednesday August 23^rd from 9:30-11am at 530 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55101. Space is limited and registration is required.

To register, please contact the MCIL Covid Community Coordinator team at MDH@mcil-mn.org or the CCC Hotline 1-800-409-5594.

Event Flyer (PDF)

Let’s Connect: Public Health Emergency Ending – What happens next?

The public health emergency (PHE) ended May 11, 2023. This means changes for people in their benefits, waivers, caregivers, and access to COVID-19 tests, vaccines, and treatment. The Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will talk about these changes and what they mean for people with disabilities. This event is hosted by the Minnesota Consortium of Citizens with Disabilities (MNCCD), the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living (MCIL), and MDH. ASL interpreting and CART will be provided. Registration is free and open to the public.

Please find the CART in a word document format here: 5.31.2023 Let's Connect- CART

Please find the slide deck in a power point format here: Lets Connect 5.31.23 combined final deck

Agenda:

11:30 – 11:40: Welcome & Introductions (Alicia Munson, Arc MN and Rachel Garaghty, MDH)

11:40 – 12:00: Public Health System and the PHE Unwinding (Chris Elvrum, MDH)

12:00 – 12:20: Human Services and the PHE Unwinding (Dr. Nate Chomilo, DHS)

12:20 – 12:30: Legislative Updates (Alicia Munson, Arc MN)

12:30 – 1:00: Q & A from audience

MCIL invited to White House Convening

MCIL Executive Director Jesse Bethke Gomez to participate in White House Convening

March 1 meeting is themed “Communities in Action: Building a Better Minnesota”

February 24, 2023, ST. PAUL, Minn.: Metropolitan Center for Independent Living (MCIL) Executive Director, Jesse Bethke Gomez, MMA, has been invited to participate in a White House Convening, Communities in Action: Building a Better Minnesota at The White House on March 1, 2023. The event brings together leaders who are working on community-building efforts to find innovative, long-term solutions that address crucial issues facing communities to create opportunities and improve people’s everyday lives.

Bethke Gomez is attending the Convening at the recommendation of Administration on Disabilities Commissioner Jill Jacobs of the Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

MCIL has a well-earned reputation as a catalyst for tackling pressing issues impacting the disability community. The White House Convening provides an extraordinary opportunity for Bethke Gomez to share ways MCIL consistently brings together civic leaders, nonprofit organizations, academic innovators, community advocates, and others in pursuit of its mission of Removing Barriers, Promoting Choices in assisting people with disabilities in the Twin Cities seven-county metro area. With more than 240 employees, PCAs, and a wide range of services, programs, resources, and partnerships, it is among the largest Centers for Independent Living in Minnesota.

“It is an immense honor to be invited to participate in this important forum,” said MCIL Board Chair Beth Fondell. “MCIL and our partners have been working tirelessly to address the critical needs facing the constituency we serve. Being asked to share our insights, ideas, and efforts at this prestigious convening of leaders from across the country is tremendously rewarding. We are grateful for the opportunity to participate in this significant event.”

MCIL is currently working to bring sustainable, scalable solutions to address the expanding crisis within the PCA workforce. As our nation experiences the highest level of unfilled PCA positions in 40 years, and millions of Americans rely on PCAs as part of our overall nation’s healthcare platform, MCIL is leading the charge for meaningful change.

With a generous Community Innovation Grant from the Bush Foundation, and under Bethke Gomez’s leadership, MCIL brought together a team of four Minnesota State faculty and Valerie DeFor, Executive Director of Minnesota State HealthForce Center of Excellence, to develop a curriculum for a certificate program leading to the credential of a Certified PCA as a third voluntary tier in Minnesota’s PCA program. The program focuses on assessing a credit-based education leading to improved pay or career advancement and providing tiered credential options and career ladders for direct care and support professionals, and links to a PCA rate framework for an increased wage differential, based upon competitive workforce factors.

Most recently, MCIL initiated the "Pre-Launch" phase of a PCA College Service Corps pilot program. Diane Drost, a Minnesota disability advocate, along with Barbara Mace and Women Staying Strong, pushed for the need for a PCA College Service Corps for many years. Working with MCIL and HealthForce Minnesota, their collective efforts resulted in a grant to MCIL from The Margaret A. Cargill Foundation Fund at the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation. The pilot is managed by MCIL with input from the MCIL PCA College Service Corps Advisory Committee which includes individuals with the University of Minnesota; Minnesota State HealthForce Center of Excellence, Women Staying Strong; GUSU; and the Disability Services Division of the Minnesota Department of Human Services. The program is based on the AmeriCorps model and promises to transform the Direct Care Service industry.

The PCA College Service Corps pilot seeks to recruit 50 college students to receive an honorarium when serving as a paid PCA for a minimum of 10 hours per week over 30 weeks. The PCA Service Corps pilot plans to match the college student with an individual who is assessed at receiving 10 or more hours of PCA assistance per day and who direct their own care through Minnesota’s PCA Program, while also providing mentoring to college students during the 30 weeks. The pilot program sets the stage for college students to achieve success, creates a trained workforce ready to address current and future direct care service needs, and instills a renewed affirmation of the importance of service, dedication, and the hallmark of who we are as a civil society, namely, advancing the ability of people to care for one another.

“Thousands of individual’s dignity, civil rights, and fundamental rights are at stake,” stated Jesse Bethke Gomez, MMA, MCIL Executive Director. “Our nation is seeing a devastating decline in the PCA workforce. People with apparent and non-apparent disabilities and older adults are at the forefront of this crisis. Individuals’ needs are going unmet and, in some instances, with life-threatening consequences We are extremely proud to play a part in developing pioneering programs that will create scalable solutions to address the dire need while favorably impacting the lives of those receiving and providing direct care services. Working together, we need to change the arc of history for the better for all so that lives will be changed, and likely saved, today and for many generations in Minnesota and across our Nation.”

MCIL welcomes new members to its Board of Directors

February 17, 2023, ST. PAUL: The Metropolitan Center for Independent Living (MCIL) is pleased to announce that three new members have been appointed to its Board of Directors. The new members join the current eight-member board in providing oversight and strategic guidance to the non-profit organization with the mission of Removing Barriers, Promoting Choices in assisting people with disabilities in the Twin Cities seven-county metro area. With more than 240 employees and PCAs, and a wide range of services, programs, resources, and partnerships, MCIL is among the largest Centers for Independent Living in Minnesota.

New board members are:

Barbara A. Kleist, MEd, JD, FAAIDD. As program director for entrepreneurial and development programs at the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration focusing on state and federal projects to improve community services for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. She is a Person-Centered Thinking trainer and trained in ToP participatory facilitation methods. She is also a member of the MN Disability Law Center Advisory Committee, WINGS MN, The Learning Community for Person-Centered Practices (TLCPCP), and chairs the Legal Process and Advocacy Network of the American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD). As a Minnesota-licensed attorney with 30 years of experience, her commitment to the civil and human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities is grounded in her relationship with her sibling.

Ann E. Motl, Attorney. A product liability associate with Greenberg Traurig, LLP, Ms. Motl leverages her mechanical engineering background in her products liability practice, concentrating on the defense of complex medical devices. Ms. Motl is committed to advancing the profession through leadership and pro bono service, including representing clients in Social Security disability appeals. She founded the Minnesota Disability Bar Association, serving disabled legal professionals, including attorneys, judges, staff, students with disabilities, and nondisabled allies. And she has received numerous awards, including being a Minnesota Lawyer 2022 Diversity and Inclusion Honoree, and was recognized as one of the 2021 Minnesota Lawyer Up & Coming Attorneys.

Rachel A. Wobschall, Ed.D. CFRE. Ms. Wobschall has successfully managed high-performing teams across multiple sectors and is consistently chosen to lead governing boards in nonprofit and public sectors. She brings a proven record of effective executive leadership to her position as the planned and major gift officer at True Friends. Founded in 2013 as a successor to Camp Courage, which was established in 1955, the nonprofit organization provides life-changing experiences that enhance independence and self-esteem for children and adults with disabilities. True Friends programs serve more than 25,000 individuals annually and include camp, respite, retreats, team building, therapy and adaptive riding, and travel. Ms. Wobschall's academic accomplishments include an Ed.D. in Organization Development and Leadership, a Master of International Management, and a B.A. in Political Science, all from the University of St. Thomas. She holds a Certificate of Higher Education Management from Harvard University, is a Certified Fundraising Executive, and is a Policy Fellow at the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota Rule 114 Alternative Dispute Resolution Training.

“We are thrilled to have and welcome this extraordinary group of professionals join our Board of Directors,” said Beth Fondell, MCIL Board Chair. “They each bring a demonstrated record of advocacy and action in addressing concerns within the disability community. Their diverse experiences and expertise are unified in a shared commitment to creating a more inclusive world where all people can thrive. We look forward to all they will contribute to our mission and continued service.”

“It is an honor to have this accomplished group of individuals contribute their time and expertise as members of the MCIL Board of Directors,” said Jesse Bethke Gomez, MMA, Executive Director of MCIL. “Their knowledge and insights ideally complement our dedicated Board of Directors and will further strengthen our work. I look forward to the journey ahead and what we can accomplish with their guidance as we continue to advance our mission and independent living with the disability communities MCIL assists.”

MCIL Announces Pioneering PCA Curriculum Program

Pioneering PCA Curriculum Program will address critical direct care workforce crisis while offering meaningful career path and opportunities

May 5, 2022, ST. PAUL: The State of Minnesota, and our nation, face an unprecedented crisis in hiring and retaining direct care workers, also referred to as Personal Care Assistants (PCA). The PCA shortage holds dire consequences.

“For our elders and citizens living with disabilities there is no quality of life unless a well-trained, fairly compensated workforce of Personal Care Assistants and Direct Support Professionals is maintained,” stated Beth Fondell, Metropolitan Center for Independent Living, Board Chair. “The crisis of support has now become an emergency. Recognizing the lack of opportunities for growth and development in this profession has stifled recruitment and increased turnover to levels not previously witnessed.”

Metropolitan Center for Independent Living (MCIL), through a committee of stakeholders, is pleased to announce that a groundbreaking solution is underway.

The Bush Foundation provided MCIL a generous $208,000 Community Innovation Grant to help solve the PCA worker shortage crisis. Those funds support the work of MCIL’s PCA Community Innovation Project committee. The committee collaborated closely for the past three years in a shared mission to create meaningful, lasting reform that deepens career opportunities, attracts more people to new career paths,
and expands the PCA workforce. The committee’s collective effort has resulted in the landmark approach to solve the crisis by planning to develop a first-ever credit-based curriculum leading to the credential of a Certified Personal Care Assistant. Faculty at Minnesota State have also been identified to work on this far-reaching project.

The PCA Certification, based partly on the Independent Living Philosophy, is being developed as a voluntary third tier to Minnesota’s PCA Career Lattice for the 100,000+ PCAs in Minnesota and potentially for the nearly four million PCAs across the United States. Once the curriculum is completed, plans include, in cooperation and concurrence with appropriate institutions, offering this credited curriculum through high schools, post-secondary educational institutions, and workforce training centers, giving individuals direct access to a career offering professional growth opportunities, living wages, and immense personal rewards. The committee is also pursuing a formal PCA apprenticeship program with the State of Minnesota and the U.S. Department of Labor, which requires formalized education to be met by the Certified PCA curriculum. The committee is also interested in a PCA service corps education model.

“I do not know of a more severe crisis than what we are experiencing today in the Home and Community Base Services system with so many closings of Group Homes, Nursing Homes, severe worker shortages throughout our Long-Term Services and Supports system including Minnesota’s PCA Programs,” said Jesse Bethke Gomez, MCIL Executive Director. “We need to bring forth solutions such as the curriculum leading to the credential of the Certified PCA. With the development of this new Certified PCA curriculum along with the PCA Rate Framework passed into law in 2021, this is about solving the PCA crisis, and it is also about economic justice for PCAs."

The direct care workforce has the highest percentages of female and diverse workers than any other workforce sector and will see increased demand for services in the coming years. There are nearly 140,000 people employed in the direct care workforce in Minnesota, with the greatest proportion being Personal Care Assistants. The Certified Personal Care Assistant program addresses the workforce shortage while advancing economic equity through an industry-adopted credentialed career.

According to the state’s demographer, 612,000 Minnesotans have a serious disability. Furthermore, Minnesota’s elderly population in 2018 was 865,000 and is projected to rise to 1,262,000 by 2030. Dawn Simonson, Trellis President and CEO, shared, “As the metro region’s Area Agency on Aging, we applaud the development of a PCA curriculum that values the specific needs of older adults who need personal care to live in their home of choice. We appreciated the opportunity to provide input into the curriculum drawing on our perspectives as social workers and other professionals who touch the lives of more than 45,000 older adults every year.”

The Metropolitan Center for Independent Living (MCIL) played a critical role in drafting the Report on “Recommendations to Expand, Diversify and Improve Minnesota's Direct Care and Support Workforce.” MCIL Executive Director Jesse Bethke Gomez was among the technical writers for the Direct Care Workforce Report and served on the committee along with the then MCIL Board Chair Jeff Bangsberg. In March 2018, the Minnesota Omstead Sub-Cabinet approved the report and its recommendations, including “provide tiered credential options and career ladders for direct care and support professionals.”

In response to the report and in recognition of the workforce crisis, the legislature passed into law the Minnesota PCA Rate Framework in 2021, which considers competitive workforce factors such as compensation for similar positions. The new law, together with the Certified Personal Care Assistant program, can solve the equation of how, finally, a formal education program for PCAs, leads to higher, livable wages, long elusive for the PCA sector for the past 40 years.

Jesse Bethke Gomez, MCIL Executive Director: “We are grateful to The Bush Foundation and the MCIL Community Innovation PCA Committee who have helped to create the way forward and to Valerie DeFor, Executive Director of the Minnesota State HealthForce Center of Excellence, within Minnesota State, for her extraordinary expertise and leadership in working with the MCIL Community Innovation PCA Committee and on identifying faculty for the development of the college credit curriculum leading to the credential of a Certified PCA. We are thrilled to embark upon this endeavor as a scalable solution for Minnesota and for the United States.”

About MCIL: The Metropolitan Center for Independent Living (MCIL) is a Twin Cities based nonprofit 501(c)(3) consumer-directed organization founded in 1981. The mission of MCIL is "Removing Barriers, Promoting Choices" and is dedicated to the full realization of Independent Living (IL) philosophy in society by assisting individuals with disabilities in their pursuit of independent living. MCIL is one of eight Centers for Independent Living in Minnesota and is a member agency of the Minnesota Association of Centers for Independent Living. Visit MCIL-MN.org

The Road to Equity: Advocating for and supporting Minnesota’s disability community through COVID-19

MCIL is grateful to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) for their recently published story featuring an interview with our COVID Community Coordinators!

"Early in the pandemic, MDH was hearing a need from the disability community to have a stronger partnership and be able to provide more input on decisions regarding the COVID-19 response. As a result, MDH brought together a small team of staff to address the needs and concerns of people with disabilities in Minnesota during the COVID-19 pandemic. This team, which came to be known as the disability unit, has worked to provide ongoing assessment, community engagement, guidance development, and other critical advocacy related to persons with disabilities in the COVID-19 response. Since then, the work of this team and their partners have expanded to forge new partnerships, meet specific community needs, and engage community members. One partnership that MDH developed was with Metropolitan Center for Independent Living (MCIL)."

Read the full article on the MDH website.

(Please note we cannot guarantee the accessibility of outside links and resources)

MNSILC Seeking Youth Submissions

Minnesota Statewide Independent Living Council (MNSILC) is seeking submissions of creative works from youth around the state of Minnesota for their Fall Conference. They are interested in what our youth have to say and they want to hear from them as they strive to create a more independent living environment for individuals living with disabilities. Independent living is having opportunities to make decisions that affect one's life, the ability to pursue activities of one's own choosing - limited only in the same ways that one's nondisabled neighbors are limited.

The Details

What – MNSILC is looking for creative works from MN youth.
Theme – How can we change the world to make it a better place for people living with disabilities?
Reward – All works will be displayed at their Fall Conference as space allows. Selected winners will be published on MNSILC platforms and featured in some of their publications.
Who – Minnesota youth up to age 24
When – All submissions are due by June 30, 2022.
Where to send – Digital submission can be emailed to mnsilc1215@gmail.com and physical submissions can be mailed to MNSILC, 13189 Gladiola Way, Apple Valley, MN 55124.
How are winners determined – Representatives of the MNSILC will make the final choices.

What is a creative work?

A story
A poem
An article
A photograph
A painting, drawing
Music or a song
A video

Questions?

Call 612-518-1497 or email mnsilc1215@gmail.com

Resources to help you get vaccinated

MCIL is proud to be partnered with the State as a COVID-19 Community Coordinator. In this role, we are working with the State to ensure people with disabilities in Minnesota have access to the Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Connector and other COVID-19 information specific to their communities, including in multiple languages.

Our COVID Community Coordinator page now includes a "How to get vaccinated" section, which includes information about the latest opportunities to get the vaccine and how to get accessibility accommodations.

Click here to learn more.

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