I tend to forget that he has any disabilities, because he deals with every situation in such a positive way. I really admire him; I’m inspired by him.
—Bobbie, who supports Jarrett
What We Do: Supported Living Services
What is SLS?
Supported Living is an individually tailored set of services and supports designed for adults who manage developmental disabilities. People using Supported Living Services create their own lifestyles and live in homes of their own, with or without housemates, according to their choice. With the support of family, friends and agencies, they choose their activities, companions and goals, creating lives that are typical of others in their communities. They participate in their communities and work, with individualized support, toward achieving their personal goals.
What is the process for implementing Supported Living Services through Creative Living Options?
Making the transition from living at parents’ homes or group
settings to living in a home of your own through Supported Living Services
typically takes a minimum of six months. The process includes but is not limited
to the following steps:
1. If you are a client of a Regional
Center, tell your service
coordinator that you want to include living in a home of your own and
receiving Supported Living Services as a goal on your Individual Program Plan (IPP). (See "What is an IPP?" on the FAQ web page.) If you are
not being served by a Regional Center, contact the center that serves your area and request an assessment to begin services. People whom CLO serves are under
the umbrella of the Alta
California Regional Center (ACRC) If your first contact is with CLO, we
will refer you to ACRC. Your ACRC service coordinator can also refer you to
CLO. CLO will assist you with the Regional Center process, which will include
referring you to a variety of SLS agencies. CLO encourages you to contact
other agencies because each agency has a unique culture, and we want you to
be able to choose an agency that is the best fit for your personal goals.
If you wish to discuss receiving SLS on a private pay basis, you may contact
CLO .
2. CLO arranges a meeting with you to begin to get to know you and learn about
your needs, desires and goals.
3. CLO requests ACRC to send us a personalized packet of information for you,
which can include a cover letter, your current IPP; assessments that indicate
your information, such as speech and communication, occupational or physical
therapy, medical or behavior plans; Client Development Evaluation Report (CDER);
and any other documentation that the service coordinator feels would assist
CLO to provide quality services for you. CLO will assist you with the Regional
Center process, which will include referring you to a variety of SLS agencies.
CLO encourages you to contact other agencies because each agency has a unique
culture, and we want you to be able to choose an agency that has practices
best suited to pursuing your personal goals.
4. The CLO intake team reviews the packet of information. They might request
additional information from you and/or ACRC, in the context of your interview
with CLO. You and CLO decide if you would make a good match.
5. The CLO intake team begins assisting with the transition process and schedules
visits with you to learn everything about you that they need to know in order
to support you. Visits can be at your current home, in the community, at a
work site and/or the CLO office. Creative Living Options has developed a comprehensive
assessment process using Person Centered Planning,
which we follow with each prospective person we support. The basic assessments
will include but are not limited to:
- Phase 1: Information gathering with you and, if possible, your circle of support, including family members and the ACRC service coordinator. Whether to include your circle of support is your decision, but CLO prefers that you do.
- Phase 2: Individual assessment, including specific daily living and communication skills.
- Phase 3: Future planning and summary.
7. CLO staff members help you look for suitable housemates, if having housemates is something you desire. We assist you in finding housing of your choice and furnishing your home.
8. CLO begins interviewing, hiring, and training the people who will provide direct support for you.
9. Direct support candidates meet with you, and together, you and CLO decide which people you want to support you. CLO encourages you to compile a list of questions to ask the candidates.
10. You, CLO staff members, and your circle of support arrange the details of your move (bank accounts, utilities, phone, etc.)
11. You move in to your new home.
California Regional Centers
Regional
centers are private, non-profit corporations that contract with the California
Department of Developmental Services to provide or coordinate services and
supports for individuals experiencing developmental disabilities, from birth
through adulthood. Twenty-one regional
centers are located throughout California to help find and access the
services available to individuals and their families. People whom CLO serves
are under the umbrella of the Alta
California Regional Center (ACRC).
The regional center provides a case manager, or service coordinator, for each
person it supports. The service coordinator works with the individual and
his/her circle of support (see "Circle of Support" in the FAQ web page) to develop an Individual Program Plan (IPP) (see "What is an IPP?" in the FAQ web page). If an individual wants to pursue the option
of Supported Living, he/she states it as a goal in the IPP. Some regional
centers reimburse Supported Living agencies for a portion of their expenses.
Agencies such as CLO and the people they support maintain a relationship with
service coordinators. The service coordinators, SLS agencies and consumers
meet periodically to review and revise IPPs and assess progress toward consumers’
goals.
