New York State Independent Living Council, Inc. (NYSILC)
New Member Orientation Manual
2024
Table of Contents
I. What you need to know for your first council meeting
II. Important council member forms to review
III. Important documents to review
Introduction
The New York State Independent Living Council, Inc.’s (NYSILC’s) New Member Orientation Manual provides you with important information about the council, key documents, and background about Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILCs) and their primary purpose - the 3-year State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL).
In terms of your peers, a link to NYSILC’s council member listing is located at:
https://nysilc.org/council/council-members. An organizational chart informs you that the NYSILC office is small (three staff) with a group of specialized vendors. This is typical of most SILC staff/offices nationwide.
Refer to:
https://nysilc.org/nysilc-org-chart. To get a sense of background/history on the council, refer to the following link related to “NYSILC’s Accomplishments:” https://nysilc.org/about/accomplishments.
I. What you need to know for your first council meeting
NYSILC is a not-for-profit state council whose primary purpose is to jointly develop the 3-year State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL). NYSILC has the unique task of developing, monitoring, and evaluating the implementation of the State Plan with the Federal Centers for Independent Living (CILs) in the New York network as State Partners, along with Adult Career and Continuing Education Services (ACCES-VR), who act as the Designated State Entity (DSE). The DSE serves in an administrative role, particularly related to the fiscal distribution and monitoring of the Part B funds related to the SPIL.
A. Officers/Executive Committee
As a non-profit, the council has officers, identified at the top of the council member listing (Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, and Member-at-Large). They also comprise an Executive Committee (along with an ACCES-VR non-voting member). The Executive Committee meets monthly to conduct the business of the council in between the Full Council Meetings (FCMs). They provide minutes and communicate to all members at the FCM. To understand more about the duties of each officer and the function of the Executive Committee, refer to Sections 5.5-5.9 and Section 7.2 of the updated NYSILC By-Laws: https://nysilc.org/nysilc-bylaws.
B. Meetings/Logistics
The council has four FCMs a year which tend to occur in March, May or June, September, and November. Council meeting dates are posted on the NYSILC website at: https://nysilc.org/council/meetings-calendar. Meetings start at 9:30 am and end around 1:30-2:00 pm (depending on the agenda).
C. Meeting/Agenda
Meetings are run by the Chair of the council according to an agenda. An agenda and packet are sent out electronically 7-10 days in advance of the meeting. A sample agenda is provided below:
(New sample agenda coming soon)
D. Council member involvement on committees
New council members are expected to join one committee at first. Depending on what committee is selected (some meet monthly – others meet as needed during certain months of the year, or certain years of the State Plan cycle), a member might decide to join more than one committee. Eventually, new members tend to grow into multi-committee involvement once they learn about the various committees and match their knowledge and skills up with their interests and time availability. The only committee that members can’t join on a voluntary basis is the Executive Committee. Members of the Executive Committee are the officers of the council and must be voted into the positions. Refer to the following link to reference NYSILC Committee Materials: https://nysilc.org/committee-mats. Contact your mentor, Emily, or Denise if there is a particular committee you're interested in joining.
E. Reimbursement form for travel expenses
After each FCM, members submit a travel reimbursement form to get reimbursed for their expenses. Think in terms of how you traveled to the meeting (train or car) and any connecting transportation (cabs, uber/lyft, subway, bus, other). Include related fees (tolls, parking). You get reimbursed for meals. The GSA meal rate for Albany is $61 a day. Keep this in mind as you are getting coffees, breakfast, lunch and perhaps dinner the evening before the council meeting and on the way home. There is a final section on the form for support services if they are required. Some members, due to their proximity to the Capital District, will not need to complete a travel reimbursement form. Refer to the following link to reference the NYSILC Travel Reimbursement Form: https://nysilc.org/images/member_orientation/NYSILC_Travel_Reimb_Form_2020.pdf. Email completed reimbursement forms to Denise within 30 days of the FCM.
II. Important council member forms to review
Council member responsibilities
Council member duties and responsibilities are defined in two documents: a job description for council members and a statement of agreement. Refer to the following link to reference both documents:
https://nysilc.org/images/member_orientation/Council_member_duty_forms.pdf. Please review these documents. You will need to sign and date the statement of agreement. If you have any questions about the statement of agreement, please email Denise. If you are fine with the statement/agreement, you can send the signed/dated forms via email to Denise.
Conflict of Interest (COI) Policy
To comply with Federal and State law, NYSILC has a Conflict Of Interest (COI) policy for members to be able to express “no known conflicts,” “a potential conflict,” and to explain the process the council will use to proceed with a potential conflict. Refer to the following link to reference the council’s COI policy:
https://nysilc.org/images/member_orientation/NYSILC_Updated_Conflict_of_Interest_Policy_COI.pdf. Please review this document. You will need to fill out the disclosure statement. If you have any questions about the policy or disclosure statement, please email Denise. If you are fine with both, you can send the completed disclosure statement via email to Denise.
III. Important documents to review
Title VII of the Rehabilitation Act, as amended
Independent Living is addressed in Title VII of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. The Rehabilitation Act, and several other federal disability laws, were recently amended in 2015 with the passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Relevant sections include 701 Purpose, 704 State Plan, and 705 Statewide Independent Living Council. Refer to the following link to reference these IL sections of the Rehabilitation Act: https://nysilc.org/title-vii-rehab-act-sections.
New York State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL)
As mentioned earlier, the primary purpose of the council is to jointly develop, monitor, and evaluate the implementation of the 3-year State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL). The SPIL was recently amended to add a fourth year (2024) to the current plan. However, we are in the process of developing the next 3-year SPIL for 2025-2027. The plan has a new template and is based on a logic model. All documents related to the current and upcoming SPIL can be found on our page here: https://nysilc.org/about/current-state-plan
Other council policies and documents
As council members, it is important to be aware of other NYSILC policies. They are in the updated NYSILC ByLaws (link previously noted above). The council’s Whistleblower policy is noted in Section 3.11 and attached (item # 4), along with the council’s Fiscal Policies, referenced in Section 8.1 and attached (item # 6). Last, refer to the following link for Common Acronyms: https://nysilc.org/acronyms. We use a lot of acronyms in our line of work and do our best to review them at FCMs. If you ever need clarification on an acronym at any point let us know or review our guide linked above.