Frequently Asked Questions

CILA stands for Community Integrated Living Arrangement — Illinois' term for community-based residential support for adults with developmental disabilities, delivered in a home within the community rather than an institutional setting.

Adults with an intellectual or developmental disability who have been determined eligible for Illinois Developmental Disability (DD) waiver services. Eligibility is determined by the state, not by First Zion directly.

PUNS (Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services) is the statewide database Illinois uses to track individuals seeking DD waiver services, including CILA placements.

An Independent Service Coordination (ISC) agency helps coordinate, refer, and link individuals to services like First Zion. Most referrals to First Zion come through an ISC, though families can also start an inquiry directly.

Timelines vary based on documentation, funding status, and staff availability. First Zion will review the inquiry and communicate expected next steps after making contact.

To start, we only need basic contact and qualification information — no diagnosis or clinical detail is needed in the initial inquiry. Staff will provide an approved method for required referral documents after reviewing the initial details.