What are Independent Living Services?
Independent living (IL) services help people with disabilities achieve greater independence in the home and community.
As of Aug. 31, 2016, all IL services have been outsourced to and are provided by centers for independent living (CILs), which are located across the state. CILs are nonresidential, private, nonprofit organizations that help people with disabilities achieve their independent living goals.
Learn more about the outsourcing of IL services.
Who Can Get Help?
You may be eligible for independent living services if you:
- Have a disability that results in substantial barriers to your ability to live independently.
- Are determined able to benefit from services.
People with Vision-Related Disabilities
- Blindness
- Significant visual impairments
- Deafblindness
People with General Disabilities
- Behavioral and mental health conditions
- Hearing impairments, including deafness
- Alcoholism or drug addiction
- Intellectual, learning and developmental disabilities
- Physical disabilities
What Type of Services can I Receive?
Independent living services help you:
- Live and accomplish daily tasks more independently
- Participate in your favorite activities
- Improve communication access and ability
- Improve transportation access and mobility
- Gain a better understanding of your disability
- Increase confidence in your abilities
- Increase access to the community and participation in society
Core Services
You may be eligible to receive the following core services from any of the 27 Texas centers for independent living:
- Information and referral – get help accessing the information and resources you need to achieve your goals.
- IL skills training – receive training in specific everyday skills essential to living independently, such as meal preparation.
- Counseling – get a better understanding of your disability and help setting and reaching your goals.
- Advocacy – receive training in self-advocacy skills and receive assistance advocating for accommodations, equal access, and other rights.
- Transition services – receive help moving from nursing homes and other institutions to home and community-based residences, or help transitioning from high school to employment and post-secondary education opportunities.
Additional Services
You also may be eligible to receive the following services from CILs that have contracted with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to provide them:
- Counseling – receive assistance adjusting to your disability.
- Orientation and mobility – learn how to navigate without vision
- Recreation and socialization – take advantage of opportunities to stay active and develop confidence in social settings
- Rehabilitation technologies – receive assistive devices such as wheelchairs, artificial limbs, hearing aids, or vehicle modifications
- Examinations – receive assistance with eye and other required examinations
People 55 and older who are blind
Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind (IL-OIB) helps people 55 and older who have significant visual impairments live independently in the home and community. These services are coordinated with the Texas Workforce Commission.
Where Do I Call to Get These Services?
If you are a person with a disability or a family member, contact your local center for independent living to learn more about services and determine if you are eligible.
Use the directories below to find location and contact information for centers for independent living that provide independent living services to eligible Texans with disabilities.
CILs Providing Core Services
Brazos Valley Center for Independent Living
1869 Briarcrest Drive
Bryan, TX 77802
www.bvcil.org
Phone: 979-776-5505
Email: jpacha@bvcil.org
Counties served: Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Madison, Robertson, Walker and Washington
East Texas Center for Independent Living
4713 Troup Hwy.
Tyler, TX 75703
www.etcil.org
Phone: 903-581-7542
Toll free: 1-877-581-8289
Email: jnichols@etcil.org
Counties served: Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Delta, Fannin, Franklin, Gregg, Harrison, Hopkins, Hunt, Kaufman, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Rains, Red River, Rusk, Smith, Titus, Upshur, Van Zandt and Wood
Heart of Central Texas Independent Living Center
222 E. Central Ave.
Belton, TX 76513
www.hoctilc.org/
Phone: 254-933-7487
Toll free: 1-800-326-4921
Counties served: Bell, Bosque, Coryell, Falls, Hamilton, Hill, Limestone, McLennan, Mills and Navarro.
Mounting Horizons Center for Independent Living
4700 Broadway Ave.
Suite E100
Galveston, TX 77551
mhitx.org
Phone: 409-356-4809
Email: info@mhitx.org
Counties served: Galveston
REACH Center for Independent Living (Dallas)
8625 King George Drive
Suite 210
Dallas, TX 75235
www.reachcils.org
Phone: 214-630-4796
TTY: 214-630-5995
Email: reachftw@reachcils.org
REACH Center for Independent Living (Denton)
404 South Elm St.
Suite 202
Denton, TX 76201
www.reachcils.org
Phone: 940-383-1062 V/TDD
Email: reachftw@reachcils.org
REACH Center for Independent Living (Fort Worth)
1000 Macon St.
Suite 200
Fort Worth, TX 76102
www.reachcils.org
Phone: 817-870-9082 V/TDD
Email: reachftw@reachcils.org
REACH Center for Independent Living (Plano)
720 E. Park Blvd.
Suite 104
Plano, TX 75074
www.reachcils.org
Phone: 972-398-1111
Email: reachftw@reachcils.org
RISE Center
755 South 11th St.
Suite 101
Beaumont, TX 77701
www.risecil.org
Phone: 409-832-2599 V/TTY
Email: jbrocato@risecil.org
Counties served: Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Newton and Orange
CILs Providing Core and Additional Contracted Services
ABLE Center for Independent Living
4803 Plaza Blvd.
Suite 401
Odessa, TX 79762
www.ablecenterpb.org
Phone: 432-580-3439 V/TTY
Counties served: Andrews, Crane, Ector, Glasscock, Howard, Loving, Martin, Midland, Pecos, Reeves, Terrell, Upton, Ward and Winkler
ARCIL
525 Round Rock West Drive
Suite A120
Round Rock, TX 78681
arcilinc.org
Phone: 512- 828-4624 V/TDD
618 S. Guadalupe St.
Suite 103
San Marcos, TX 78666
arcilinc.org
Phone: 512-396-5790 V/TTY
825 E. Rundberg Lane
Suite E6
Austin, TX 78753
arcilinc.org
Phone: 512-832-6349 V/TTY
Counties served: Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Fayette, Grayson, Hays, Hood, Johnson, Lampasas, Lee, Llano, Milam, Montague, Parker, Rockwall, San Saba, Tarrant, Travis, Williamson and Wise
Brazoria Center for Independent Living
1104 D E. Mulberry St.
Angleton, TX 77515
www.hcil.cc/
Phone: 979-849-7060 V/TTY
Toll free: 1-888-872-7957
Email: houstoncil@yahoo.com
Counties served: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Harris, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Waller and Wharton
Coastal Bend Center for Independent Living
1537 7th St.
Corpus Christi, TX 78404
cbcil.org
Phone: 361-883-8461 V/TTY
Toll free: 1-877-988-1999
Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Duval, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Live Oak, McMullan, Nueces, Refugio and San Patricio
Crockett Resource Center for Independent Living
1020 E. Loop 304
Crockett, TX 75835
www.crockettresourcecenter.org
Phone: 936-544-2811 V/TTY
Toll free: 1-800-784-8710
Counties served: Anderson, Angelina, Bowie, Brazos, Burleson, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Delta, Fannin, Franklin, Freestone, Gregg, Grimes, Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, Houston, Hunt, Kaufman, Lamar, Leon, Madison, Marion, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Polk, Rains, Red River, Robertson, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Smith, Titus, Trinity, Tyler, Upshur, Van Zandt, Walker, Washington and Wood
Disability Connections (A CIL of LIFE Inc.)
2809 Southwest Blvd.
San Angelo, TX 76904
www.dcciltx.org
Phone: 325-227-6624 V/TDD
Counties served: Coke, Concho, Crockett, Irion, Kimble, Mason, Menard, McCulloh, Reagan, Runnels, Schleicher, Sterling, Sutton and Tom Green
Disability in Action
317 N. Willis St.
Abilene, TX 79603
www.disabilityinaction.org
Phone: 325-672-5460
Email: info@nwucil.org
Counties served: Archer, Baylor, Brown, Callahan, Clay, Coleman, Comanche, Eastland, Erath, Fisher, Haskell, Jack, Jones, Knox, Mitchell, Nolan, Palo Pinto, Scurry, Shackelford, Somervell, Stephens, Stonewall, Taylor, Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger and Young
Fort Bend Center for Independent Living
12946 Dairy Ashford Road
Suite 110
Sugar Land, TX 77478
www.hcil.cc
Phone: 281-980-2219 V/TTY
Email: houstoncil@yahoo.com
Counties served: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Harris, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Waller and Wharton
Houston Center for Independent Living
6201 Bonhomme Road
Suite 150 S.
Houston, TX 77036
www.hcil.cc/
Phone: 713-974-4621 V/TTY
Counties served: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Hardin, Harris, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Newton, Orange, Waller and Wharton
LIFE/RUN
8240 Boston Ave.
Lubbock, TX 79423
www.liferun.org
Phone: 806-795-5433 V/TTY
Counties served: Bailey, Borden, Cochran, Coke, Concho, Cottle, Crockett, Crosby, Dawson, Dickens, Floyd, Foard, Gaines, Garza, Hale, Hardeman, Hockley, Irion, Kent, Kimble, King, Lamb, Lubbock, Lynn, Mason, McCullen, Menard, Motley, Reagan, Runnels, Schleicher, Sterling, Sutton, Terry, Tom Green and Yoakum
Palestine Resource Center for Independent Living
421 Avenue A
Palestine, TX 75801
www.palestineresourcecenter.org
Phone: 903-729-7505 V/TTY
Toll free: 1-888-326-5166
Counties served: Anderson, Angelina, Freestone, Henderson, Houston, Leon, Nacogdoches, Panola, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity and Tyler
Panhandle Independent Living Center
417 W. 10th Ave.
Amarillo, TX 79101
www.panhandleilc.org
Phone: 806-374-1400
Counties served: Armstrong, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Collingsworth, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Donley, Gray, Hall, Hansford, Hartley, Hemphill, Hutchison, Lipscomb, Moore, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Roberts, Sherman, Swisher and Wheeler
San Antonio Independent Living Services
1028 South Alamo St.
San Antonio, TX 78210
www.sailstx.org
Phone: 210-281-1878 V/TTY
Counties served: Atascosa, Bandera, Bell, Bexar, Bosque, Calhoun, Comal, Coryell, DeWitt, Dimmitt, Edwards, Falls, Frio, Gillespie, Goliad, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Hamilton, Hill, Jackson, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Kinney, La Salle, Lavaca, Limestone, Maverick, McLennan, Medina, Mills, Navarro, Real, Uvalde, Val Verde, Victoria, Wilson and Zavala
Valley Association for Independent Living
1824 W. Jefferson Ave.
Suite B
Harlingen, TX 78550
Phone: 956-428-1126 V/TDD
1419 Corpus Christi St.
Laredo, TX 78040
Phone: 956-523-1411 V/TTY
3016 N. McColl Road
Suite B
McAllen, TX 78501
Phone: 956-668-8245 V/TTY
Counties served: Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Starr, Webb, Willacy and Zapata
Volar Center for Independent Living
1220 Golden Key Circle
Suite C
El Paso, TX 79925
www.volarcil.org
Phone: 915-591-0800 V/TDD
Brewster, Culberson, El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis and Presidio
Where Can I Learn More?
For questions about independent living services contact your local CIL, listed above.