Peer support is when a person with a disability provides empathetic, non-judgemental, non-directive, and non-medical support. This means the Peer Support staff may share and discuss resources and options for the consumer to live to their fullest on the consumer’s terms. A Peer Support staff (also known as Independent Living Specialist) is a person who can generally say he or she has been in the consumer’s shoes, and are understanding to the issues and circumstances surrounding the individual consumer and social system-wide barriers. Peer support is accomplished in both individual and group settings in a non-threatening and nurturing environment. The purpose of these group settings is for people to share ideas about becoming more independent. One example of peer support, on an individual level, would be a person with a disability who is considering moving into his or her own apartment and that consumer asks for support coping with the stressors previous, during, and after move-in day. This service can be provided up to 8 hours weekly per person per goal.
Skills Training is a unique service that is provided to persons with disabilities by others with disabilities and can be defined as becoming skilled to live an independent life. For example, if you want to learn how to manage your finances on a fixed income, someone who has already developed that skill will work with you to demonstrate options to develop this skill. Skills are mastered in both individual and group settings. VFI offers a variety of classes ranging from topics such as attendant management to managing personal relationships. New classes can be created as necessary if there is not one currently. This service can be provided up to 8 hours weekly per person per goal.