The On My Own of Michigan® Independent Living Program provides support to people with developmental disabilities who are either actively preparing for the transition to independent living or who are already living on their own.
Please note, our Independent Living Program does not include housing.
Members of our Skill Building Program who are preparing to live independently within 12 months or who are already living on their own and live within 15 minutes drive time of our office are eligible to participate in our Independent Living Program. Independence College graduates who live within 15 minutes drive time of our office are also eligible for our Independent Living Program.
Our Independent Living Program is designed to provide you with the customized support you need to transition to and maintain successful long-term independent living.
If you're thinking about living on your own within a year or are currently living on your own but want a bit more support, our Independent Living Program may be right for you!
Independent Living Program support is provided, on average, for 45 minutes per week, though is dependent on where you are on your journey to independent living. Members who are successfully maintaining their independence may have support meetings less frequently.
Most of our members meet with their support staff during traditional business hours (Monday through Friday, 9 am - 5 pm), though you'll create the schedule that works best for you and your support staff when you begin receiving services.
In addition to a weekly meeting, members of our Independent Living Program also have access to our 24/7 emergency phone line to help them through urgent issues.
Finally, families of members in our Independent Living Program are also provided assistance in creating a long-term family plan to answer the important question: "what will happen when I'm no longer around?"
Here's a deeper look at what's provided in our Independent Living Program:
Life coaching (included in monthly Independent Living Program membership fee):
- annual assessment of skills to identify annual goals, quarterly objectives and monthly milestones
- creation of an annual plan focused on independent living, employment and quality of life
- creation and annual review of a continuity of care plan
- help applying for and maintaining government benefits
- help hiring, training and managing direct care staff to ensure skill and goal attainment
- up to weekly, 45-minute life coaching sessions focused on the annual plan
- 24/7 emergency phone support for issues that cannot wait for the next life coaching session
Direct care (available as needed and billed at $25 per hour):
- 1:1 skill building
- financial monitoring support
- medication monitoring support
- employment support
- appointment support
- transportation support
- in-person emergency support
The Independent Living Program costs $250 per month. This is in addition to the Skill Building Program cost of $275 per month, as all Independent Living Program members must also be in our Skill Building Program. In total, full membership is $525 per month.
Some members may be able to have their $250 Independent Living Program cost covered by Medicaid through Community Living Services of Oakland County.
If you're already a member of our Skill Building Program, no application is needed. Just talk to a member of our staff and we'll help confirm your eligibility and get you started with the next steps!
If you aren't yet a member of our Skill Building Program, please follow the application instructions for joining that program first.
To learn more, contact Director of Education Emily Lourim at emily@onmyownofmi.org or (248) 649-3739 x 221.