This Issue Brief (PDF) is the first in a series of three that explores how collaborations between Independent Living Centers (ILs)—community-based, cross-disability, non-profit organizations that are designed and operated by people with disabilities, —and one or more community partners can improve health, reduce unnecessary emergency department (ED) visits and hospital admissions, and promote safe and stable community living for people with disabilities and older adults while also reducing costs.2 IL community partners in these promising collaborations include Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs), medical and behavioral health care providers, and other community-based service organizations.