Getting Started
How CILA Works
One idea per step, in the order most people need it.
What is a CILA?
A Community Integrated Living Arrangement (CILA) is Illinois' term for community-based residential support for adults with developmental disabilities — delivered in a home within the community, not an institutional setting.
Who qualifies?
Adults with an intellectual or developmental disability who have been determined eligible for Illinois DD waiver services.
What is PUNS?
PUNS (Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services) is the statewide database Illinois uses to track people seeking DD waiver services, including CILA.
What is an ISC?
An Independent Service Coordination (ISC) agency helps coordinate, refer, and link a person to services like First Zion.
How a referral reaches First Zion
Most referrals arrive through an ISC agency, though a family can also start the process directly.
What happens after a referral
First Zion reviews the referral, schedules a consultation, and communicates expected next steps at every stage — so no one is left guessing.