Summit Independent Living history

Housed initially in a duplex on Clark Street in Missoula, in February 1982 the center begins offering advocacy, skills training, and attendant management training to residents of Missoula County.

October 1983 – Summit receives additional grant monies to begin limited outreach services in Ravalli County.

November 1985 – Summit’s peer advocate program is launched with the first peer training workshop held in Missoula.

From its founding until August 1988, Summit was operated as a department of Community Medical Center, with input from a consumer-controlled advisory council.

July 26, 1990 – Summit celebrates as President George H.W. Bush signs the Americans with Disabilities Act into law, the culmination of a long national campaign to extend civil rights protections to persons with disabilities.

September 1991 – As part of the RWJF planning grant Summit hosts “Independent Living in Montana: Coming of Age in the ’90s,” a statewide conference on systems advocacy and coalition building.

May through August 1992 – Summit establishes satellite offices in Kalispell, Ronan and Hamilton through the RWJF implementation grant to expand and improve independent living services to people with disabilities in rural areas.

August 1997 – Summit initiates self-directed personal assistance services, the first independent living center in Montana to participate as a provider agency in the Medicaid Self-Directed PAS program.

July 2000 – Summit celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act in conjunction with the national Spirit of ADA campaign.

2001 – Summit begins teaching a class for high school boys & girls with disabilities at the YMCA. The class was called; Respect Attitudes Values and Education (RAVE).

2002 – Respect Attitudes Values and Education (RAVE) moves to high schools and is taught to girls with disabilities.

2003 – The initial curriculum for Building Advocacy and Learning Leadership Skills (BALLS) is developed and taught in three local high schools to boys with disabilities.

January 2006 – Big Sky Bonanza is approved.

June 2007 – Road to Freedom campaign, a cross-country bus trip inspired by the journey of Justin and Yoshiko Dart, stops in Missoula.

2008 – Youth Opening Doors through Advocacy (YODA) rebooted as a youth advisory council.

May 2009 – Montana CIL advocacy leads to Gov.

Medicaid for Workers with Disabilities (MMWD) goes into effect on July 1, 2010.

NOTE: As of July 1, 2011, Big Sky Bonanza will become an option under Home- and Community-Based Services.

2012 – Summit plays an integral role in advocating for the State of Montana to apply for a Money Follows the Person grant from the Federal Government in order to assist individuals to move out of nursing homes and into more integrated settings in the community.

2013 – Summit helped to successfully lobby the 2013 State Legislature to approved funds allowing the Department of Public Health and Human Services to implement the Community First Choice Option in Montana.