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The Parent Center Network offers training and support to the parents of children with disabilities. Use their website to find a Parent Center near you

Parents Helping Parents (PHP) strives to improve the quality of life for any child with a disability of any age, through educating, supporting, and training their primary caregivers

Support for Families of Children with Disabilities has a large list of Internet resources, including specific links for learning about the transition to adulthood and for finding support from other parents

Disability.gov, which connects people with disabilities with opportunities, has an entire page of pamphlets, documents, and references

From Here To Career is an online tool to help students prepare for the transition from high school to life after high school

Education.com has information that helps parents be prepared when their disabled children transition from childhood to adulthood

The National Center for Learning Disabilities offers resources to help people with learning disabilities succeed in school, work, and life

The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities has information on transitioning to adulthood

The Institute for Community Inclusion supports people with disabilities so they will be included in all aspects of life

The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition has excellent publications for parents that promote involvement in their child’s education and transition

Parents, Let’s Unite for Kids has a great review of transition with easy to do exercises and clear explanations. Check out their Parents Guide to Transition: What Happens After High School? (Please note that the contact information given is not specific to California)

Community Based Organizations
Various community-based organizations provide staff to work with people concerning a range of options on state, federal, public, and private health and income programs. Counseling about benefits, as a community service, is an emerging field of expertise with different levels of services available. Some organizations may work with specific populations while others work with individuals with any type of disability.

Goodwill Industries services range from personal evaluation and office skills training to career counseling, childcare, and transportation. Some of these centers conduct Benefits Planning Assistance and Outreach for Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries related to work activity.

Goodwill IndustriesFind locations at http://www.goodwill.org, or by calling (voice) 1-800-664-6577.

California Foundation for Independent Living Centers logoThe California Foundation for Independent Living Centers lists 29 centers serving individuals with all disabilities. Many of these centers conduct Benefits Planning Assistance and Outreach for Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries related to work activity. Most independent living centers can refer callers to local benefit program information if they do not have these services.

Find the list of independent living centers at http://www.cfilc.org, or by calling (voice) 916-325-1690 or (TTY) 916-325-1695.

The AIDS Hotline database contains 1,300 organizations providing HIV/AIDS services throughout California. Some of these organizations offer case management, benefits planning, and benefits counseling services that can include assistance with public and private benefits programs.

Find the list of AIDS organizations at http://www.aidshotline.org, or by calling (voice) 1-800-367-AIDS (2437) or (TTY) 1-888-225-AIDS (2437).

Disability Rights California provides representation for consumers of public programs who are disabled. Website publications include topics on health care, benefit programs, and In Home Supportive Services.

Finding a Benefits Planner
The federal government pays benefits planners in communities around the country to help people think ahead about benefits issues. Social Security's Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) Program provides counseling to people who are planning for work and receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.

To find a benefits planner near you, use DB101's Benefits Planners Directory.