Join Us
Clearbrook’s advocacy work is built on a simple promise: a person’s life should be shaped by the potential they hold, and nothing more. We believe Illinois has the opportunity not only to protect our most vulnerable residents, but to help them enrich their lives and embrace all that they can do. Achieving this will require the state to invest in the programs that determine whether people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) can live with dignity: Early Intervention funding for infants and toddlers, community living supports for adults, mental health support for all, CILA funding to keep our neighbors home, Supported Employment incentives to empower people through work, and DSP wage increases to invest in those who care for our most vulnerable neighbors.
These aren’t abstract issues. They’re about whether a toddler gets the therapy that changes their developmental trajectory, whether an adult with a disability can stay in their own community instead of being pushed out of it, and whether our systems actually reflect our values. When we organize around this work, we’re not just changing policy — we’re proving, together, that we take care of each other.
Clearbrook serves over 8,000 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), as well as their families, in over 160 communities in northern Illinois. We provide support across the lifespan through a variety of personalized program and care options. We’re proud of our deep expertise that spans six decades—allowing us to care for an array of unique needs. Our advocacy network exists to empower those entrusted to us— and all other individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Illinois—to maximize their independence, enrich their lives, and embrace their potential.
Make your voice heard!
We need your help to make sure that the Illinois General Assembly prioritizes the issues that affect our community. Illinois ranks among the worst states when it comes to spending on I/DD services, leaving more than 16,000 individuals on a waiting list to receive essential supports. Clearbrook and other similar agencies depend on government funding for the vast majority of our budget, and with Illinois lagging behind the rest of the country, providers struggle to pay their frontline staff adequate wages. This has resulted in the Direct Support Professional (DSP) staffing crisis, which has prevented these individuals from accessing services.
DSPs are crucial to the lives of individuals with disabilities, and invaluable to Clearbrook and every other community provider. However, their wages do not reflect their value nor the impact they have on the lives of thousands, resulting in high turnover rates and vacancies among DSPs. The reason more than 16,000 people cannot access services is because community providers lack the staff to support more individuals. The DSP staffing crisis affects every aspect of the services we provide to individuals with I/DD, and must be addressed in order to create a fair and equitable system.
In order for us to address these issues, we must stand united as grassroots advocates and demand that Illinois lawmakers continue to make long-overdue investments into the I/DD system. Your voice is powerful, and the more voices we have supporting our efforts, the more influential we will become.
Join our network today!
Sign up today to become a Clearbrook champion and be an ally to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We will keep you informed on the issues and empower you to take action with just a few clicks. Together we can stand up, speak out, and make a change.