Health, Happiness & Choice: The Inspiration Behind Families CCAN
By Sara Crimm, Families CCAN Director
What’s important to your family? Probably many of the things that we hold to be universal: the health, welfare, happiness and autonomy of our family members. And these are universal principles that apply to all of our family members, right?
But in practice, society does not always support these principles for our family members with disabilities.
That’s what we learned 10 years ago or so when we started looking at how adults with disabilities work, live and interact in the community. We were starting to think and plan ahead for our autistic son. What we saw were mostly disability-specific settings: workshops for employment, licensed group homes for housing, “special needs” proms, dances and events. These were settings that provided safety, accommodations for differences and opportunities to have friendship within the disability framework.
What was missing? The person-centered factor. The opportunity for these adults to exercise choice and control. The focus on community inclusion, participation, and belonging. The expectation that adults with disabilities can continue to grow, change, and develop their skills throughout their lifetimes.
We realized we were looking for solutions, especially in the housing arena, that did not yet exist.
Housing models for adults with disabilities in Pennsylvania have evolved in the last 35 years. These models have become less restrictive and more community-based, as evidenced by the closing of state institutions and the funding of licensed Community Living Arrangements (aka group homes). But that evolution has stalled.
Where can adults with disabilities live if they don’t qualify for group homes because of their waiver funding? What if the group home model doesn’t work for someone who wants to exercise more choice and control over their housing, their staff, their housemates? What if that model won’t work for someone with sensory needs or specialized support needs?
Seeking new solutions can be a circuitous journey. There is no solution that works for every individual. But we are not working alone. We have engaged the Families CCAN network of families on this journey, a journey which includes:
Exploring new ideas about disability through engaging experts in our work.
Building a large group of practitioners and professionals who support our goals.
Providing opportunities for individuals and families to actively pursue long-range planning tools and pathways to independence.
Recruiting and training qualified, thoughtful and caring professionals to design and facilitate our programs.
Developing a unique grass-roots housing process that engages families in planning for the housing setting that is right for their family member.
And providing opportunities for families to connect for friendship and support.
Join us on this journey!
Tune in for a Monthly Resource Meeting!
This free, virtual event offers not only education and resources from experts in disability-related fields, but also the opportunity for families to meet, connect, and be informed. We’ll share new ideas and programs, helpful resources, and new thinking about disability.
