Presentation from "Who Cares for Our ASD Adult Children After We're Gone?" May 28, 2014, at Palo Alto JCC, featuring Anthony Rowe, Director of Operations, Greater Opportunities, based in Santa Clara, CA.
Sponsored by Autism Society San Francisco Bay Area.
You can watch the full talk here: http://vimeo.com/98229383
2. ABOUT GREATER OPPORTUNITIES!
Greater Opportunities is a private non-profit
organization, founded by parents in 1983.
Greater Opportunities was founded by parents of
daughters and sons with developmental disabilities
to provide a variety of independent living support
services. Since its inception, the organization has
grown and evolved to include supported living
services and day services.
3. MISSION AND VISION STATEMENTS
Our Mission
Is to empower persons with developmental
disabilities to achieve greater self-sufficiency and
lead richer lives.
Our Vision
Is to meet the needs of the consumers we assist by
providing high-quality and innovative support
services.
4. OUR SERVICES
Day Services-Adult Development and Activity
Center
Independent Living Services
Semi-Independent Living Services (Transitional Housing
with Group Instruction)
Supported Living Services
5. WHAT IS SUPPORTED LIVING?
Living in your own home with
whatever supports are required
to live a healthy and successful
life
Participating in the
hiring/selecting, training,
supervising, and dismissal of all
assisting staff personnel to the
best of your ability
Having a choice of roommate or
no roommate
Fully participating in your
community as determined by
individual preference
Natural supports developed and
used when it makes sense
Using generic resources for
additional support
Relationships determined by
individual preference, which
resemble relationships
experience by peers who do not
have disabilities
Fund by San Andreas on an
individual basis
((Source- SARC)
6. WHAT SUPPORTED LIVING IS NOT
IT IS NOT independent living
IT IS NOT segregation by disability
or income
IT IS NOT a test to see if you can
live with no problems and if not, get
sent back to a group home
IT IS NOT having permission to live
in an agency-controlled apartment
IT IS NOT justified because it is
necessarily cheaper than group living
IT IS NOT emergency placement
IT IS NOT Living in your parents
home
IT IS NOT a “program” to fix or
change people
IT IS NOT forcing people to live the
way we think is good for them
IT IS NOT expecting that the amount
of staff support will always decrease
IT IS NOT another name for
“downsizing” or renaming existing
services
IT IS NOT a group home
IT IS NOT CCL-licensed
7. WHO CHOOSES SUPPORTED LIVING?
Adults 18 or
older
Person wants to live in own
home
Being capable of living
independently or being
employed are NOT
prerequisites for SLS
Person may have
medical and/or
behavioral
conditions
Persons determined eligible
for Regional Center services
8. POSSIBLE SUPPORT ARRANGEMENTS
2 Bedroom apartment
1 Live in staff person
(Roommate)
High support needs
Overnight support
Day Program Services
IHSS
1 Bedroom apartment
No Live in staff person
Low Support needs
No overnight support
Denied IHSS
Joe Jane
9. CIRCLE OF SUPPORT
Title 17, Div 2
Chapter 3 - Community Services
SubChapter 19 - Supported Living Service
Article 1 - Definitions
“Circle of Support” means an informal but identifiable
and reliable group of people who…. meet and
communicate regularly to offer support, at a
frequency and in a manner consistent with and
appropriate to the need, to the consumer for whose
benefit it exists
10. CIRCLE OF SUPPORT EXTENDED
Out of state Friends and
Family
Close friends
Neighbors
Other relatives
Community Members
Parents
Service Coordinator
Service Providers
Other
Person
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
11. ASD AND CIRCLE OF SUPPORT
Keys to a successful circle:
Sharing ESSENTIAL information about a person
(what is required to have a good day?)
Train others on successes and struggles (past
experiences…)
Write down home routines, and explain why each
component is may or may not be essential to
success
12. AND BEYOND………
Who will watch out for your Son or Daughter when
you are no longer here?
Primary Circle (Trust the circle)
Establish Conservatorship (solo or plural)
Trustee for Financial management
