Rural Institute

The University Of Montana Rural Institute: Center for Excellence in Disability Education, Research, and Service, is part of the national network of programs funded by the Federal Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD).

The Rural Institute focuses on helping people with disabilities to live, work and play in rural Montana. The goal is for people with disabilities to be as independent as possible and to be fully included in their communities.  Rural Institute activities include (click on the category to learn more):

• showing new ways to do things
• sharing information
• doing as much as possible with the money that is available
• studying new ways to do things
• providing services to people, and  
• providing assistance and training

The Rural Institute has been based at the University since 1978 and is a healthy and growing organization. Currently the Rural Institute employs 9 faculty and over 50 staff members working on 40+ projects covering a broad range of disability-related topics, including (but not limited to):

• American Indian Projects
• Assistive Technology
• Family and Consumer Involvement
• Health Promotion
• Health Maintenance
• Hearing Conservation
• Inclusion
• Independent Living
• Personnel Preparation
• Rural Rehabilitation
• Self-employment
• Social Security Work Incentives
• Supported Employment
• Transition from School to Adult Life
• Much, much more.
  

Transition Projects

The University of Montana Rural Institute Transition Projects has been a leader in the area of transition planning for youth with disabilities since 1995. Activities have included:

• Providing education and training to schools, families, students and agencies;
• Developing creative strategies and transition models;
• Offering training and assistance on-site and long distance;
• Promoting systems changes to support effective transition for youth from school to adult life; and
• Sharing information.

Since 2000, we've focused several of our projects on customized community employment for youth with significant disabilities. We have developed and implemented unique models of transition planning that continue to evolve as
we learn more from the youth and families with whom we work.

Our transition activities are unique in that they promote:

• Customized Employment strategies for youth with disabilities;
• The use of Social Security work incentives for students;
• Transition planning for middle school students;
• Collaborative funding across agencies to create individually-driven
  employment supports;
• Self-employment as vocational experience or as a post-school outcome; and
• Self-determination for youth as we empower them to identify strengths,
  skills, and needs for transition planning.