"Thanks to SAIL, I have a job that matters. I have an opportunity to be of service to fellow human beings."
- Colin Van

Community Support

Contact: Michelle Christunas, Nursing Facility Transition Coordinator, michellec@upsail.com

SAIL helps coordinate the many different supports people with disabilities need, including services for independent living, nursing home transition, and Native American outreach programs.

Independent Living

Tailored to the individual, these supports may include:

• Case management of all services, supports, and/or treatment
• Job development, training, and supervision for supported employment
• Community living supports to increase or maintain self-sufficiency
• Counseling and/or mental health care
• The transportation services key to success in education, employment, and community participation
• Guidance for individuals and families evaluating housing options
• Respite services for caretakers
• Information for families planning their child’s transition to adult services, Social Security application, guardianship, wills and trusts, and other adult issues
• Support for U.S. Veterans through a fee-for-service arrangement with the Department of Veterans Affairs

Nursing Home Transition

As part of Michigan's Single Point of Entry program, SAIL also provides information and supports for people who want to move from nursing homes to the housing of their choice.

We help individuals:

• Create a plan for transition
• Evaluate housing options
• Assess housing for potential barriers and find ways to overcome them
• Create checklists and shop for furniture, groceries, and other items for new housing
• Set up cleaning service, meals, transportation, and community activities

American Indian Outreach

Contact: Colin Van, American Indian Outreach and Youth Development Specialist covan@upsail.com.

SAIL provides outreach services to several American Indian communities throughout the Upper Peninsula. We can offer:

• Peer support
• Assistance finding employment
• Support in accessing health care
• Coordination of community services for independent living
• Advocacy for people with disabilities and their families

Our staff has worked with several Native American communities in the Upper Peninsula, including Lac Vieux Desert, Sault Ste. Marie, and Bay Mills. SAIL also attends several powwows offered throughout the Upper Peninsula during the year.

SAIL provides independent living and mentoring services, including:

• Planning college visits
• Accessing transportation and housing
• Teaching about good health
• Exploring recreational options
• Peer support mentoring on substance abuse and other barriers to living as fully and independently as possible
• A recent free 8-week course on maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a disability like diabetes

Resources and Links

• Women Center / Domestic Violence
  www.wcmqt.org

• Michigan Commission for the Blind

  www.michigan.gov

• Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth – MRS www.michigan.gov