Our Independent Living Skills Training is designed to assist in developing or enhancing daily living skills to attain or maintain the desired level of independent functioning. 
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Here are just a few examples of the Skills Training we provide at SWCIL:

Communication:  Social Skills and Manners, Interpersonal Skills such as Coping with Teasing, Bullying or Anger Management, Assertiveness Skills

Education/Training:  Post-Secondary Educational Exploration and Applications or Registration for Services

Employment:  Resume Development, Interview Skills and Techniques, Job Seeking Skills, Getting and Keeping a Job
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Finances:  Spending Habits, Addressing Insurance Coverage, Comparison Shopping, Banking and Financial Management

Personal Growth & Self Help:  Self-Esteem Building, Problem Solving, Goal Setting, Disability Awareness, Peer Counseling, Relationships

Self-Care & Daily Living:  Nutrition and Cooking, Laundry Skills, House Cleaning and Home Maintenance, Hygiene and Grooming
Click here for a list from PACER Center on Personal Care Skills

Transportation:  Driver's Education*, Adaptive Equipment, Community Transportation, Travel Safety, Community Access

Youth Transition Services:  Preparing for: Employment, College, Living on Your Own, and Other Aspects of Life after High School

*SWCIL assists individuals in studying the MN Drivers Manual only. We are not a replacement for the formal classroom education.
Other Independent Living Program Services Include: ​

Consumer Success Stories...

Confidence and Lifeskills
Alaina has had so much fun working with Shanda at SWCIL. It has helped her talk about a lot of different situations we don't always think to talk about at home. It does nothing but build her confidence and she always looks forward to their meetings. We appreciate the service for her life long quest of being as independent as possible! As her parents, we need a team of people around her, helping us also, to help he reach her full potential. Shanda helps me just as much as she helps her". 
Picture coloring of elephant
Coloring of Elephant done by Alaina
A Home of her Own
In October of 2019, Charlene came to Redwood County with nothing but her emotional support cat and dog, a free government-program cell phone, and a few days' worth of clothing. She stayed with her family for a couple weeks but was unable to stay longer due to the restriction on the lease. 
Charlene had been homeless, living in one cheap hotel or another and couch-surfing for over two years. Her meager Social Security was just enough to cover the cost of having a roof over her year. It left nothing for the other things she began to feel were the finer things in life such as food and clothing. Unlike most hotel guests, she was not allowed to eat the continental breakfast or enjoy any other luxuries some hotels offer their guests. 
Charlene reached out to SWCIL for help finding a place of her own to live and get some in-home help with bathing and other things she couldn't do on her own. After contacting multiple area agencies, Charlene was put at the top of the waiting list for income-based housing, and was told she had an apartment to call her own....Charlene repeatedly says how grateful she is to SWCIL and has said, "I don't know where I'd be without your help. I never thought all of this was possible." 
Meal preparation and healthy eating.... 
Jimmy is a friendly guy who loves to golf, read, watch TV and practice his newfound talent: cooking. Jimmy began services with SWCIL in August of last year. In addition to Jimmy's disability, he has also been dealing with the loss of his mom, who was a key support in his life. 
Jimmy wants to become more independent and to learn daily living skills such as food prep, meal planning, and cooking/baking. Since Jimmy has begun working with SWCIL, he has learned how to plan out meals (which includes reading through recipes ahead of time in preparation to make sure he has the correct cookware), making shopping lists of needed grocery items, and do the necessary food preparation. 
Another skill that Jimmy has learned is how to measure ingredients, both liquid & dry, which has involved revisiting the old math concepts learned in high school such as adding and subtracting fractions in order to measure accurately. He has also learned the definitions and techniques for cooking/baking terminology like folding, whisking, and kneading. 
Jimmy has also been working on putting together his own individualized cookbook, which is a compilation of his favorite recipes organized in a binder, including recipes from his beloved mom's cookbook. ​
Picture of Jimmy O'Malley, a white, middle aged man wearing a green hoodie sweatshirt, black rimmed glasses and a chef's hat. Jimmy is stirring food in a pot on the stove.
Jimmy O'Malley
Contact SWCIL to request more information about our Independent Living Program, Request accommodations, or to obtain forms in alternate formats. 

SWCIL OFFICE: 109 S 5th St. #700, Marshall, MN 56258
Phone: 507.532.2221  or 800.422.1485 (for MN Relay, dial 711)
​Email: swcil@swcil.com