The SPIL is the plan for how Iowa will strengthen the network of Centers for Independent Living, and the services and resources that are needed for all individuals with disabilities, to help them live independently and not be forced to live in institutions. The plan is also a critical instrument in order for the state to receive federal funding to provide these services.

The State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL) is a required plan in order for a state to receive federal Part C and federal Part B funding for Independent Living Services.

In Iowa, the federal Part C funds are allocated directly to the six Centers for Independent Living. The federal Part B funds are allocated to Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS), and IVRS distributes the Part B funding to all the partners in the Iowa Independent Living Network in the manner outlined in the SPIL.

Those partners are:

• the six Centers for Independent Living (CILs),
• the Iowa Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC),
• Iowa Department for the Blind (IDB),
• and Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS).

IVRS also receives and distributes the State funding allocated to the CILs in the manner outlined in the SPIL.

Title VII, chapter 1 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (the Act), establishes the Independent Living Services and Centers for Independent Living programs. The purpose is to:

• promote the independent living philosophy, based on consumer control, peer support, self-help, self-determination, equal access and individual and systems advocacy;
• maximize the leadership, empowerment, independence, and productivity of individuals with significant disabilities; and
• promote the integration and full inclusion of individuals with significant disabilities into the mainstream of American society.

The newest State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL) 2021-2023 has been completed and was approved by the federal funding agency, the Administration on Community Living (ACL), on 1/7/2021. The new SPIL will be in force from 10/1/2020 (which is federal fiscal year 2021) through 9/30/2023 (which is federal fiscal year 2023). The SPIL is in force for three federal fiscal years, as follows:

Year 1: 10/1/2020 to 9/30/2021 (federal fiscal year 2021)
Year 2: 10/1/2021 to 9/30/2022 (federal fiscal year 2022)
Year 3: 10/1/2022 to 9/30/2023 (federal fiscal year 2023)

Below is an overview of the 2021-2023 SPIL. The full 2021-2023 SPIL is available on a Word or PDF document from the links listed below.

The Iowa SPIL is the plan for how Iowa will strengthen the network of Centers for Independent Living, and the services and resources that are needed for all individuals with disabilities, to help them live independently and not be forced to live in institutions.

Iowa receives a very small portion of the federal Part C funds and federal Part B funds because these funds are disbursed based on state population.  Iowa has a much smaller population than many of the other states and territories, thus receiving a much smaller portion of the federal funds.  This makes it very challenging to find ways to strengthen the CILs and the services and supports that individuals with disabilities need to live independently.

The SILC and CILs conducted a Consumer and Public Input Survey in the Fall of 2019 to gather input on specific disability priorities from the disability community and the general public.  The results of this survey were utilized to prioritize the goals of the Iowa SPIL.

This SPIL is a continuation of the previous SPIL, with a few modifications, as the CILs and SILC felt the goals, objectives, and activities of the previous SPIL were valuable ways for Iowa to strengthen the Independent Living Network, and the Consumer and Public Input Survey confirmed that these are still priorities for the disability community as well.

The SPIL has four goals which are geared to:

• Strengthening the IL Network as a whole, including collaboration with partners
• Strengthening Centers for Independent Living, including resource development
• Strengthening services and supports for Consumers through Systems Change Advocacy
• Providing outreach, including leadership and systems advocacy trainings for Consumers

The SPIL also outlines how any NEW federal or state funding is to be distributed to the partners in the Iowa Independent Living Network, which includes the six CILs, the Iowa Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC), Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS), and Iowa Department for the Blind (IDB).  Due to insufficient funding, the current six Iowa CILs are only able to serve 35 counties, with 30 of those counties being funded through a combination of Part C, Part B, and State funds, and five being funded through a combination of Part B funds and State funds.  The CILs have all agreed to expand services into additional counties when adequate new funding becomes available.

The CILs have developed a formula for the Adequate Level of Funding needed for each CIL, and have agreed that they do not want to start new CILs in Iowa, but rather have current CILs expand into unserved counties when adequate funding becomes available.  There can be no expansion into additional counties until the current counties are adequately funded, or unless other funding sources are identified.  The document does outline procedures for what happens to funding in the event a CIL would close, in the event a CIL would become ineligible for a funding stream, or in the event that one-time federal funding is received that is not ongoing funding.

The document also outlines the responsibilities of the State agency that is the Designated State Entity (DSE), which is Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS).  IVRS receives the federal Part B funds, and does contracts with the SILC and CILs for these funds and the State funds, and also provides oversight to ensure the funds expended are allowable expenses.

**NOTE:  CARES Act are one-time funds for CILs to respond to the needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The funds listed above are the TOTAL each CIL received in 2020.  Some of this will be expended in 2020, and some will be expended in 2021.

The previous SPIL was actually a 4-year SPIL because the federal funder, the Administration on Community Living (ACL), revised the SPIL document but was unable to finalize that document in time for States and Territories to complete new SPILs in the new format. Iowa chose to extend their SPIL for one year until the new document was available. Here are the dates that the 2017 to 2020 SPIL was in force:

Year 1: 10/1/2016 to 9/30/2017 (federal fiscal year 2017)
Year 2: 10/1/2017 to 9/30/2018 (federal fiscal year 2018)
Year 3: 10/1/2018 to 9/30/2019 (federal fiscal year 2019)
Year 4: 10/1/2019 to 9/30/2020 (1 Year Extension, federal fiscal year 2020)

To see the complete 2017-2020 Iowa State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL)