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“Home is where the heart is,” and that is just where CDC’s Supported Living
Services (SLS) fit in... SLS staff assist individuals with a wide variety of
tasks, always with the goal of helping them enjoy life in their homes and
communities.
Supported Living Services have resulted in
marked success for children and adults challenged by disabilities.
Individualized assistance is at the core of a person-centered framework
promoting independence, educated choices, and self-worth.
Individuals who live on their own or with a housemate can be assisted by SLS
staff with any part of daily life that needs support. Staff are trained to help
as much as needed without getting in the way of independence. Some individuals
receive 24-hour care, while others need only a few hours a week—it all depends on
the plan the individual’s team that ties to the person’s needs and their funding.
SLS staff only use a “cookie cutter approach” for baking in the kitchen, not for
planning service schedules. Each person has goals developed with their team to
identify areas where staff can help them build their skills.
Some activities staff may assist with include:
- Household cleaning
- Personal Hygiene
- Administering Medications
- Attending medical appointments
- Meal preparation
- Grocery and other shopping
- Recreational activities with friends both at home and in the community
- Money management
- Transportation as needed to participate in above activities
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"I have a lot of fun in yoga class."
- Consumer
"This service allows our daughter to enjoy the many
activities in our local town."
- Parent
"It's hard to believe how much Jane has improved since
she entered Medicaid Waiver."
- Guardian
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Individuals who live with family / caregivers can also work with staff from the
SLS program. Respite services allow individuals with disabilities and their caregivers
a chance to pursue activities independently from one another. Staff are trained on
each individual’s needs, so caregivers can be confident their loved ones are in good
hands while they are busy with other things. Respite time may be used at home or in
the community. Individuals who live with family may also receive services with
residential goals as described above to help prepare them for moving out on their
own some day.
SLS services are flexible and adapt as an individual’s needs change. You may have
seen SLS staff assisting individuals in the community, and if we were doing our job
well, you didn’t notice the individual had staff—you just saw an individual with
disabilities pursuing the same daily activities as anyone else, with support as needed
from a companion.
With the volume of services provided within the five county area, CDC's Supported
Living Services group has substantial depth so that when one staff cannot make a shift
at the 11th hour that somebody else can fill in for them. CDC utilizes software to
schedule and track staff services and there is 24 hour on-call supports for every
consumer.
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