Spotlight on Business: LI Center for Independent Living

The following was provided to Patch by the Levittown Chamber of Commerce.

The Long Island Center For Independent Living, Inc., (LICIL) was established in 1980, and located in Levittown at 3601 Hempstead Turnpike, with Patricia Moore as the Executive Director.  LICIL has been a member of the Levittown Chamber of Commerce for six months.

LICIL’s Mission is to serve as a down-to-earth home base where persons with disabilities access services and information that can open doors for a more productive, healthy and secure life.

As an independent living center, they offer persons with disabilities and the frail elderly the following:

Benefits Advisement: SSI, Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare and other benefits.

Peer Counseling: Communicating with someone who has been through the same or similar situations. 

Advocacy: Help consumers strengthen their advocacy skills.

Housing: Provide information on low-income housing listings, the Section 8 program and housing search techniques. 

Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP): Having a personal assistant at home whom the consumer directs. The assistant can be a neighbor, relative or a good friend. This program is for Medicaid-eligible individuals.

Services offered include information and referral, independent living skills and an equipment loan bank.  All LICIL services are made available to the Hispanic Community through our Hispanic Outreach Services. Limited wheelchair-accessible van transportation services are also offered for getting around Nassau County, as are workshops that are fun and informative.  Something they are very proud of are their LICIL Turnpike Players, a reader’s theatre group that anyone can join. LICIL also has a library that is open to the public. (call them for library hours).

LICIL staff consists of disabled and nondisabled experienced professionals who are dedicated in assisting consumers in getting the services they need. All of their services are free except for their transportation service (a five dollar donation is requested per round trip) and the equipment loan bank (they ask for a small returnable deposit for equipment that is borrowed).

To learn more about the center, visit their website at www.licil.net or call their office at 516-796-0144 for brochures, information and assistance.

On February 13, 2012 the LICIL Turnpike Players are presenting an adaptation of Joseph Kesselring’s “Arsenic and Old Lace” from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.  Call for a free reservation if you would like to attend.