Our Founders

Dr. Bennett and Dr. Brooks started Individual Advocacy Group (IAG) in 1995. IAG provides training services, therapies and residential support programs for children and adults who have developmental disabilities, mental illness, behavioral disorders or who have sustained brain injury. IAG focuses its programs for people who do not have families and for people who have trouble being accepted by other service organizations when seeking the supports they need. IAG provides its services in 21 different counties throughout Illinois.

  • Dr. Charlene Bennett

    Dr. Bennett is co-founder and has been the Executive Director of IAG since its creation in 1995. She has a Doctorate in Education and over 25 years of advocacy for children and adults with cognitive, physical and medical disabilities. Dr. Bennett created and implemented one of the first educational programs for children with severe disabilities in Chicago. Before founding IAG she had extensive executive leadership experience as the director of not for profit organizations. Dr. Bennett also lead the development and revision of the State’s Medicaid service program rules and quality assurance system dramatically improving the services , health and safety of over 70% of the people with developmental disabilities in Illinois. Dr. Bennett’s organizational leadership and innovative approaches to individualized supports and to community integration gives people with a disability who have no family or who have been turned away by other organizations a place to fit in and a place to succeed.

  • Dr. David Brooks

    Dr. Brooks is cofounder and Chief Executive Officer of Individual Advocacy Group. Dr. Brooks was a university professor for over 20 years, conducted research in Cognitive Processes and was presented with several teaching awards. Nearly 30 years ago, he developed a behavioral support program that successfully returned children and adults with severe behavior disorders from out of State placements back to Illinois community programs. From 1986-1987, Dr. Brooks initiated and advanced the movement for a class action suit filed against Illinois for its failure to provide required Medicaid services for the more the 3,000 people with developmental disabilities in nursing homes which is a successful initiative now known as the “Bogard class action suit”. Dr. Brooks was then hired to create a special Bureau in the Illinois Medicaid program to reduce the decertification rate of 70% for State Operated and privately operated ICFsMR. He developed the Medicaid reimbursement system and organizational structure of the Illinois ICFMR – Developmental Training Program, which are still in use today. The impact of the changes, including a new quality assurance system, reduced the decertification rate of ICFsMR from 70% in 1988 to less than 1% in 1993. Dr. Brooks on behalf of the Bureau received federal recognition by the Department Health and Human Services for the “significant improvements in the quality of services … for people with developmental disabilities in Illinois”. Dr. Brooks has had a long interest in organizational systems and programs for people with disabilities with a special interest in persons with behavioral and emotional challenges.