Community Support Services, Hartford

Program Director: Sheila Boilard

Community Support Services encompasses three areas of service that all focus on being a part of the community. These programs engage consumers in their homes, within a recreational day service and a weekend respite program for people needing support in accessing recreational opportunities to enjoy on Saturdays and Sundays. The programs within Community Support Services include a more traditional day support option; Life Enrichment Opportunities, second program, Supported Living Arrangement and the third presently referred to as, Weekend Respite.

Life Enrichment Opportunities

Life Enrichment Opportunities (L.E.O.) is a day service option available to adults with developmental and physical disabilities. The program’s mission is to provide facility-based and community inclusion experiences for all participants assisting in the development of leisure interests (individual and group) and recreational activities.

With community experiences participants can choose from a wide variety educational, recreational and general inclusion opportunities, along with participation in established local community programs and volunteer services. Self-determination and freedom of choice is the basic principle underlying all L.E.O. activities. There is flexibility within the structure of the program to accommodate individual consumer needs and interests. Activities are designed to assist in the development of socialization, communication, physical and recreational skills which facilitate participation in community life.

The staff is active with the participant’s Interdisciplinary Team; there is consistent communication with the individual, their families, residential providers, DMR Resource Managers, and DMR Case Managers.

The staff is trained in the Connecticut DMR Medication Administration program, CPR (adult), First Aid (standard), DMR Policies and Procedures, Human Rights, Abuse and Neglect Prevention, Physical Management Training (PMT), Defensive Driving, and obtains and holds a current CT Public Service Driver’s License.

A referral process through the Connecticut Department of Mental Retardation initiates admission to the L.E.O. program. The assigned Case Manager with the department completes the referral information and submits it to the Placement and Resource Allocation Team (P.R.A.T.). The chairperson of this committee distributes the information to appropriate service programs for review. At this point the consumer and their guests are invited to come to L.E.O. for a tour of the facility and the opportunity to have their questions answered.

Supported Living Arrangement

The people who are in Supported Living receive services from Goodwill Industries in a variety of ways. The one way that is consistent throughout is that the services are based from the consumer’s home. The services provided are driven by the consumer and what is determined as a need through their Individual Program Plan. Current services include assistance with money management, meal preparation, grocery shopping, maintaining the home, laundry assistance, personal responsibility, health and safety, transportation to work, medical appointments, and recreational outings. The hours of services are throughout the day, seven days per week, 365 days per year. The specific time of day for services is based on the consumer’s schedule and area of need being addressed. Through the Individual Plan, the consumer establishes their personal goals, the Supported Living staff provide the necessary support in guiding and teaching the skills needed for the individual to be successful in the goal the consumer has set out to achieve.

The current funding source is the Connecticut Department of Mental Retardation. Those who have an interest in the services this program has to offer will need to be referred by the DMR Planning and Resource Allocation Team (P.R.A.T). The initial step is to contact the assigned DMR Case Manager and generate a referral to P.R.A.T., P.R.A.T. will distribute information to Goodwill Industries and then to the director of Community Support Services. Contact will be by the director once the material is reviewed.

Weekend Respite

A program in development that will offer the same opportunities described in the Life Enrichment Opportunities program but services will be available on the weekends. Recreational activities will be in the community as well as time spent within the LEO facility. Community services can include movies, bowling, shopping, lunch at restaurants, recreation in area parks, gymnasiums, visits to museums, etc. All activities offered will be based on consumer interest and level of individual need. This program is geared for consumers who may have little to no access to activities out of the home during non traditional work or DSO hours. It is geared to be assistance to families who provide day-to-day care for their family member so their time can be spent the way they need for a few hours on the weekend.

Interest in this type of service can be initiated as in the other offered services and that is through your assigned DMR Case Manager, a referral process to establish that this program is a need for the consumer and the family. The referral is to be made to the DMR Planning and Resource Allocation Team (P.R.A.T). P.R.A.T. will review the material and will contact Goodwill Industries expressing interest in this service. Goodwill Industries will share the information with the Community Services’ director. The director will then make contact with the assigned DMR Case Manager and the process begins, soon to be followed by quality services.