Westchester Independent Living Center

What Westchester Independent Living Center does

Westchester Independent Living Center (WILC) is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) Center for Independent Living founded in 1981 by Joe Bravo and headquartered in White Plains, New York. The organization delivers a portfolio of integrated disability, transition, advocacy, housing, and health programs to people with disabilities across the seven-county Lower Hudson Valley region (Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Dutchess, Orange, Sullivan, Ulster) and, through its TBI and NHTD Medicaid Waiver Regional Resource Development Centers, across all five boroughs of New York City. Programs span core Independent Living Services (Deaf Services, Independent Living Skills, Peer Advisement, Information and Referral, Benefits and Entitlements Advisement, Trainings and Workshops, Transportation), Specialized Programs (NY Connects No Wrong Door, NHTD Waiver, TBI RRDC, Open Doors Transition Center, Olmstead Housing Subsidy, Rapid Transition Housing Program, Social Care Network, PreventT2 Diabetes Prevention), Advocacy programs (PTIC, Mental Health Peer Advocacy, ADA Consultation, Educational Advocacy), and Minority Outreach programs (Anger Management, Batter's Intervention, Partners for Success, Ready Set Work!, Community Outreach).

WILC operates three physical offices (White Plains HQ, Brewster PILS satellite since 2002, Yonkers Outreach at VIVE Pathways to Success since 2010) and uses assistive communications infrastructure including Sorenson Video Phone, a Caspio-backed White Plains Housing Registry, and a searchable online Resource Directory. The technology stack is operational rather than AI-enabled, with proprietary elements concentrated in clinical/educational curricula (Moral Recognition Therapy, Partners for Success vocational training) and a 20-plus-year ADA accessibility consultation practice.

WILC is funded primarily through federal (ACL), state (NYS Education Department, NYS Department of Health, NYS Office for the Aging), and county (Westchester County) government grants, foundation grants (Phelps Healthcare Foundation, Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation), fee-for-service contracts under Medicaid waiver programs, and individual donations. The organization operates 15 active grants totaling $6,462,660 in combined funding. All consumer services are provided free of charge; there is no paid product tier or subscription pricing. Revenue mechanics are grant-recycling rather than commercial: funding is renewed on annual/programmatic cycles tied to appropriations and compliance with federal CIL program standards. The organization is consumer-controlled (51%+ of board required to be persons with disabilities) and currently led by Executive Director Margaret Nunziato following founder Joe Bravo's 2020 retirement and his passing in March 2026.

Name

Westchester Independent Living Center

Legal name

Westchester Independent Living Center, Inc.

Website

https://wilc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Westchester Independent Living Center is a 501(c)(3) Center for Independent Living founded in 1981 that delivers disability, transition, advocacy, housing, and health programs to people with disabilities across New York's Lower Hudson Valley and New York City, funded primarily through federal, state, and county government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Services and Independent Living

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Community Housing Services (62422), Other Residential Care Facilities (623990)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH)

Keywords

• Independent living services
• Disability advocacy
• Peer support programs
• Benefits advisement
• Transition services

Headquarters

HQ city

White Plains

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal, state and county government grants: Funded as a Center for Independent Living by federal (ACL/Administration for Community Living) and state (NYS Education Department, NYS Department of Health, NYS Office for the Aging) agencies, plus Westchester County funding. Recurring grant-based funding tied to specific programs.
2. Foundation grants and private philanthropy: Foundation grants (e.g., Phelps Healthcare Foundation for the Phelps Post-Rehabilitation Transition Program, Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Quality of Life Grant) plus individual donations through the WILC donation page.
3. Fee-for-service contracts: Fee-for-service contracts supplement grant funding for services delivered under Medicaid waiver programs (NHTD, TBI) and regional resource center operations.
4. Individual donations and Amazon Smile contributions: Voluntary individual donations and Amazon Smile contributions directed to WILC as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (donor selects Westchester Independent Living Center as their Amazon Smile charity).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Core offering

Westchester Independent Living Center (WILC) is a consumer-controlled nonprofit Center for Independent Living that delivers a broad portfolio of disability services — including core Independent Living Services, peer advisement, benefits and entitlements advisement, Deaf Services, specialized Medicaid waiver programs (NHTD, TBI), housing transition and rental subsidy programs, post-rehabilitation transition support, ADA consultation, educational and mental health advocacy, minority outreach, and workforce re-entry programming — to people with disabilities across the Lower Hudson Valley and New York City. Services are provided at no cost to consumers and are funded through federal/state/county grants, foundation grants, fee-for-service contracts, and voluntary donations.

Product overview

Westchester Independent Living Center (WILC) is a peer-driven, community-based non-profit organization that delivers a portfolio of integrated programs and services rather than a single software product. Its offering is organized as a platform of services with several program modules: (1) core Independent Living Services (Deaf Services, Independent Living Skills, Peer Advisement, Information and Referral, Benefits and Entitlements Advisement, Trainings & Workshops, and Transportation); (2) Specialized Programs including NY Connects No Wrong Door, the Nursing Home Transition and Diversion (NHTD) Waiver, the Traumatic Brain Injury Regional Resource Development Center, the Open Doors Transition Center, the Social Care Network, and the Diabetes Prevention Program (PreventT2); (3) Advocacy programs including the Parent Training and Information Center (PTIC), Mental Health Peer Advocacy, Equal Access / ADA Consultation, and Educational Advocacy; (4) Minority Outreach programs including Anger Management, Batter's Intervention, Ready Set Work!, and Partners for Success; and (5) Housing programs including the Olmstead Housing Subsidy Program (OHS) and Rapid Transition Housing Program (RTHP). These programs are coordinated across three offices—the Main Office in White Plains, the Putnam Independent Living Services (PILS) satellite office in Brewster, and the Yonkers Outreach Office at VIVE Pathways to Success—and are supplemented by digital resources such as the WILC Resource Directory and Emergency Preparedness guides.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Putnam Independent Living Services (PILS): Satellite office of WILC established in 2002 in Brewster, NY, providing independent living services in Putnam County and northern Westchester, Dutchess, Orange, Sullivan, and Ulster counties.
• Pathways to Success (Yonkers Outreach Office)

Products and services

• Independent Living Services A foundational program offering Transportation, Deaf Services, Independent Living Skills, Peer Advisement, Information and Referral, Benefits and Entitlements Advisement, and Trainings & Workshops to support self-directed independent living for people with disabilities.
• Deaf Services Provides information and advocacy for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, including Sign Language Interpretation (ASL/ESL/Pigeon), Comprehensive Benefits Assessments, and coordination via Sorenson Video Phone.
• Independent Living Skills One-on-one planning assistance that helps consumers develop goals and objectives covering budgeting, financial services, housing information and advocacy, peer-to-peer support, and benefits such as SSI, SSDI, SNAP, HEAP, and Medicaid.
• Peer Advisement Guidance, emotional support, and practical advice from trained peer advisors with disabilities on disability-related issues, available individually, in groups, and at hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and mental health facilities.
• Information and Referral Provides resources and options to assist individuals in making informed choices about housing, transportation, mental/health care, senior services, assistive technology, legal services, systems advocacy, and ADA consultation.
• Benefits and Entitlements Advisement Certified Benefits and Work Incentives Practitioners help consumers apply for, appeal denials of, and prepare hearings for SSDI, SSI, PASS Plan, Medicare/Medicaid, Medicaid Buy-In, SNAP, Section 8, and other public benefits.
• Trainings and Workshops Catalog of workshops covering Advocacy, Special Education, Transition, Behavior Supports, Communication & Collaboration, and Medical topics for parents, professionals, and individuals with disabilities.
• NY Connects, No Wrong Door A free information and referral line covering seven Lower Hudson Valley counties (Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange, Sullivan, Ulster) that links individuals of all ages to long-term services and supports regardless of payment source.
• Nursing Home Transition and Diversion (NHTD) Waiver Hudson Valley Region Center assessing, planning, and supporting transition of nursing home and long-term care residents back into the community; includes Service Coordination, Independent Living Skills Training, Home Community Support, Structured Day Programs, and more.
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Regional Resource Development Center Hudson Valley and NYC Regional Resource Development Center supporting Medicaid-eligible individuals with TBI to leave nursing homes and long-term care facilities and access community-based services through the HCBS/TBI Waiver.
• Open Doors Transition Center Money Follows the Person (MFP) Transition Center assisting nursing home and Intermediate Care Facility residents to transition to home and community-based settings, with Transition Specialists, a Peer Program, and Olmstead housing subsidy access.
• Parent Training and Information Center (PTIC) Free technical assistance, workshops, and trainings for parents and professionals serving children (ages birth-21) with disabilities across seven counties, including the Family Empowerment Series (32-hour training).
• Mental Health Peer Advocacy Program delivered by a Certified Mental Health Peer Specialist providing peer advisement, benefits assistance, weekly wellness groups, one-on-one counseling, ParaTransit assistance, and advocacy empowerment; services available in Spanish.
• Equal Access and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Consultation ADA consultation services to consumers, businesses, and covered entities covering wheelchair ramps, parking, restrooms, visual/blind/deaf accommodations, barrier removal, walk-through inspections, and technical specifications.
• Educational Advocacy One-to-one case advocacy and technical assistance for families of children birth to 21 with special needs in Westchester, Putnam, and lower Dutchess County, including IEP/504/CPSE/CSE meeting support.
• Anger Management (Moral Recognition Therapy) Evidence-based Moral Recognition Therapy cognitive behavioral curriculum consisting of eight modules completed in eight group sessions, targeting individuals struggling to manage anger and frustration.
• Batter's Intervention Program Curriculum-based program offering guidance to individuals who have been violent in their relationships, helping them understand what is behind their abuse and how to change.
• Ready, Set, Work! Intensive work-readiness program for individuals involved in the criminal justice system using cognitive and scientific assessment, covering application creation, interview skills, job search, and retention planning.
• Partners for Success (PFS) Multi-day work readiness, vocational, and social rehabilitation training program designed by WILC, based on personal awareness, personal responsibility, and personal empowerment tenets.
• Community Outreach (Minority Outreach) Program ensuring Hispanic and African American persons with disabilities and their families have access to available resources through culturally appropriate services in English and Spanish at the White Plains and Yonkers offices.
• Olmstead Housing Subsidy Program (OHS) Statewide rental subsidy and transitional housing support program for high-need Medicaid beneficiaries, including apartment selection assistance, essential furnishings, rental stipend, and Section 8 application assistance.
• Rapid Transition Housing Program (RTHP) Statewide rental subsidy and supportive housing program for high-need Medicaid beneficiaries and homeless high-utilizers, providing housing locating, subsidies, and community transitional services across the Lower Hudson Valley.
• Social Care Network (Hudson Valley) Medicaid-funded program offering housing support (rent and utilities, housing search, in-home safety support), food and nutrition assistance, and non-medical transportation for Medicaid-enrolled individuals.
• Diabetes Prevention Program (PreventT2) CDC-recognized lifestyle change program that runs for one year to help individuals with prediabetes prevent or delay type 2 diabetes through healthy eating, physical activity, stress management, and coaching.
• Post Rehabilitation Transition Programs Program offering Case Management, Peer Support, and workshops to help newly disabled patients transition from hospital and rehabilitation care to life at home and in the community after a 3-to-6 week stay.
• Peer Integration Program (PIP) ACCES-VR Peer Integration Demonstration Pilot Program providing one-on-one core Independent Living services and group trainings with the goal of helping consumers obtain employment.
• WILC Resource Directory Searchable online database of disability programs and providers in Westchester County and surrounding areas, with searchable filters by zip code, service type, or keywords and visual map of resources.
• Emergency Preparedness Resources Curated planning resources for people with disabilities and seniors, including checklists for emergency supply kits, family communication plans, ability self-assessments, support networks, and links to FEMA and Red Cross guidance.

Named customers3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Burke Rehabilitation CentercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerReferral hospital partner for WILC's Post Rehabilitation Transition Programs; WILC's Transition Case Manager (Elizabeth Bussian, LCSW) provides Case Management, Peer Support, and workshops to patients transitioning from a 3-6 week Burke rehabilitation stay back into the community.
• Phelps HospitalcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner hospital for the Phelps Post-Rehabilitation Transition Program (PPRTP); since 2022 WILC has worked with 132 individuals bridging the critical gap between Phelps Hospital discharge and independent living.
• ACCES-VR (NYS Education Department — Adult Career and Continuing Education Services – Vocational Rehabilitation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState vocational rehabilitation agency partnering with WILC's Peer Integration Program (PIP); ACCES-VR consumers receive one-on-one independent living services with employment goals, group trainings, and technical assistance. WILC's PIP Specialist provides technical assistance trainings to partner agencies and ACCES-VR counselors.
• Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWILC's Open Doors Transition Center serves individuals transitioning from OPWDD intermediate care facilities into the community. References OPWDD at (518) 473-1890 for individuals injured before age 18, and coordinates transition specialists for developmental center residents in the Lower Hudson Valley.
• The VIVE School – Yonkers Pathways to SuccesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts WILC's Yonkers Outreach Office at 75 Riverdale Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10701; an intergeneration public school serving high-at-risk youth and families (majority Hispanic Spanish-speaking, also African American); WILC's Minority Outreach, Partners for Success, and Educational Advocacy programs operate from this site.
• Tompkins Mahopac BankminorOthersHosts WILC's Putnam Independent Living Services (PILS) satellite office in Suite 204 of the bank building at 1441 Route 22, Brewster, NY 10509.
• White Plains Police DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWILC's Deaf Services Specialist (Michele Bianchi) provides sign language classes to White Plains police detectives and officers; WILC also assists individuals referred by WPPD who experience Domestic Violence.
• PACE Women's Justice CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRefers individuals (some of whom are also Deaf) who experience Domestic Violence to WILC's Deaf Services for advocacy, interpretation, and benefits assistance.
• New York Knicks (NBA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsor of the NY Rollin' KNICKS, a National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) Division 1 team founded with WILC; team won the 2014 NWBA National Championship.
• New York State Independent Living Council (NYSILC)minorOthersWILC is part of the NYSILC network; founder Joe Bravo was a Board Member and past Chair of NYSILC and past Chair of AILCNY (Association of Independent Living Centers in New York).
• New York Association on Independent Living (NYAIL)minorOthersStatewide membership association of ILCs; NYAIL provides a map and directory of all Independent Living Centers in New York State.
• Amazon (Amazon Smile)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonors select Westchester Independent Living Center as their Amazon Smile charity and WILC receives donations from eligible purchases at no incremental cost to the donor.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bronx Independent Living Services (BILS): Bronx-based CIL delivering independent living skills training, benefits advisement, and transition services. Direct peer sharing NYC Medicaid waiver contracts and disability population served by WILC's NYC programs.
• Harlem Independent Living Center: NYC-based CIL providing independent living, advocacy, and peer support services to people with disabilities. Operates in overlapping service territory with WILC's NYC TBI and NHTD Waiver Regional Resource Development Centers.
• Resource Center for Independent Living (RCIL): CIL serving the Hudson Valley (Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Sullivan, Putnam and surrounding counties) with peer advisement, advocacy, and benefits services. Directly comparable to WILC's PILS satellite office operations and competes for ACCES-VR referrals in overlapping counties.
• Center for Independence of the Disabled in NY (CIDNY): Federally funded CIL serving New York City and the Lower Hudson Valley with independent living, advocacy, and benefits services. Most direct geographic and programmatic peer to WILC, competing for the same regional resource center designations and ACCES-VR referrals.

Others

• National Council on Independent Living (NCIL): National membership organization of CILs and individuals with disabilities that advocates for federal independent living policy and funding. WILC has received NCIL's Advocacy Award; the body sets funding and compliance standards WILC must meet as a federally funded CIL.
• New York Association on Independent Living (NYAIL): Statewide membership association of Independent Living Centers in New York. WILC is a member; NYAIL provides industry coordination, training, and policy advocacy that complements rather than competes with WILC's service delivery.
• New York State Independent Living Council (NYSILC): State council mandated by federal law to plan and coordinate independent living services in New York. Founder Joe Bravo served as past Chair; WILC is a network participant rather than a competitor.

Broad incumbents

• AHRC New York City: Large NYC-based nonprofit providing services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including OPWDD-funded programs. Broader incumbent serving overlapping disability populations with deeper institutional scale than WILC's specialized programs.
• Cerebral Palsy Associations of New York State (CPNYS): Statewide nonprofit providing rehabilitation, housing, and advocacy services to people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities. Comparable service-delivery scope to WILC but at significantly larger scale across New York.

Regional players

• Disability Rights New York: New York State's federally funded Protection and Advocacy system serving individuals with disabilities statewide. Comparable to WILC's advocacy and ADA consultation work but operates as a legal/rights organization rather than a service-delivery CIL.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuyAn3HkGMYutlTr7A9ggWw
• Facebookfacebook.com/WILCNews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wilc
• Instagraminstagram.com/Wilc_news

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Westchester Independent Living Center