Client Advocacy/Crisis Intervention is available for individuals with disabilities who are in crisis and need immediate assistance beyond that which direct service programs can provide. Services may include intervention and/or assistance with the legal system, medical care, protective services, residential services, guardianship, and other services that are needed to stabilize individual circumstances. Louisville Metro Government funds the Help Now portion of this program.

Citizen Advocacy is a program that matches a competent, capable and interested volunteer with a person who has a disability. The volunteer advocate looks out for the interests and concerns of the person with a disability as if they were his/her own. The relationships are individually and uniquely developed around the needs and desires of the person with a disability, range from friendship to adoption and guardianship, and often last many years.

The Self Advocacy Connection invites adults with disabilities to work together in concert with other advocates in the community and to seek improved services and opportunities.

Parent Outreach matches an experienced parent of a child with disabilities with a parent of a newly identified child with a similar disability. The experienced parent provides information, shares practical tips, and extends support and encouragement to the new parent. On-going parent and family support groups and networks are an important component of this program.

Guardianship and Planning for the Future seminars are conducted through the Parent Outreach program to assist and support families in preventing crisis and planning for the smooth transition of their family members with disabilities through the various stages of life. Louisville Metro Government funds the Help Now portion of this program.

Information and Referral activities include the sharing of information about services and programs in the community serving individuals with developmental disabilities and their families and assisting families in accessing those programs.

Educational Advocacy & Support assists parents and families navigate the public school systems in order to obtain the most appropriate quality special education services for their children. The Committee also monitors public schools, visits classrooms, and provides the local school district with recommendations and opportunities for collaboration in order to improve the general quality of education programs for all children.

Find a Future is an online database of providers, agencies, and organizations that offer programs and services to persons with disabilities and their families. FIND a Future was developed to help consumers and families find needed programs and services, especially during times of transition. Check it out at http://www.findafuture.org.

Training, Education, and Information activities include the provision of accurate information about disabilities and the value and capacities of persons with disabilities; the proactive presentation of issues of importance to individuals with disabilities and their families to the general community, policy and decision makers, and professionals and service providers in the field; and the provision of training, workshops, and seminars by knowledgeable parents, professionals, and volunteers.

Client/Family Advocacy activities include active intervention with or on behalf of individuals with disabilities and/or their families as they seek solutions to their individual needs or deal with unresponsive systems within the community. In some cases advocacy efforts are done on an individual basis; however, it is more often done on a group or class advocacy basis. The desired outcome of this work is to assist service systems to become more responsive to the needs of individuals with disabilities.

Governmental Affairs & Disability Policy: This program monitors public policies, legislation and regulations that impact persons with disabilities. By negotiating with Executive Branch officials and communicating with legislators, the program seeks to amend and propose policies and legislation that best serve the interests of individuals and families. Primary goals include recruitment and training of advocates, building relationships with policymakers and establishing the Council as a trusted and influential resource.