Homes and Apartments
Services Provided in People's Homes
Supportive Employment
Early Intervention and Children's Programs
Medicaid Service Coordination

Carolyn Squires, assisted by Paul Ward when she went to
visit the President and First Lady

HOMES AND APARTMENTS
The Adirondack Arc continues to be a leader in providing supportive home environments to people with developmental disabilities. Through the Arc, people are able to live in comfortable houses and apartments and are encouraged to become active members of their community. All of the residences the Adirondack Arc has supported the development of in the past fifteen years have been for a maximum of three people. In most cases, people choose who they want to live with.

The supports the Arc provides are designed to treat people like people! We discuss available options with each interested person, and their family or guardian. The Arc then develops a plan to assist each person to achieve his or her individual needs, desires and aspirations. The range of support services includes the basics like personal hygiene, cooking, and hobbies to the less tangible like assisting people to become valued members of the community at-large, and discussing opportunities to become involved in social and civic organizations.

Jan Fitzgerald and her son John

SERVICES PROVIDED IN PEOPLE'S HOMES (Home-Based Waiver)
The Adirondack Arc is able to support individuals living with their parents, or on their own, in their homes. Current participants range in age from 5 to 29 years of age. Utilizing a team approach, including the family and Adirondack Arc support staff, we put together a plan to identify areas we can assist in each person's individual development. Currently, we are providing supports in the areas of health, social, academic and recreational enrichment.

Home-based waiver participants are encourage to become more independent in their activities at home, in school, and in the community. Current supports coordinated by the Arc for people in the home-based waiver program includ: budgeting and finance, developing exercise routines, engaging people in volunteer work, play therapy, learning parenting skills, and exploring and planning leisure time.

SUPPORTIVE EMPLOYMENT
The Adirondack Arc provides job development supports including assistance with applications, screening, interviews and job placements. After a person gains employment, a job coach accompanies the new employee, assists in job training, and provides on- and off-site one-to-one support for the first 3 months on the job.

EARLY INTERVENTION AND CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS
The Arc operates three CHILDREN'S CORNER PRESCHOOLS, located in Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, and Malone. Our professional staff offers special education, play therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech and language services. The Arc teachers and therapists design developmentally-appropriate activities and work with children at The Children's Corner, within their homes, their day care, or wherever the family chooses. As part of our Early Intervention Program, the Adirondack Arc hosts community-based play groups for young children and their parents.

The Adirondack Arc has also been instrumental in the implementation of Universal Pre-Kindergarten program in association with the Malone, Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake School Districts.

MEDICAID SERVICE COORDINATION
The Adirondack Arc supports 120 individuals and families through its Medicaid Service Coordination (MSC) Department. Service Coordination is a state-funded program, operated by the State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD), available to a person diagnosed with a developmental disability. An MSC assists in the proposal process.

Qualified service coordinators use a person-centered planning process in developing, implementing and maintaining an Individualized Service Plan. The Adirondack Arc allocates the time and resources to an MSC for training that will assist the staff member to enrich people's lives. MSCs support families who are experiencing challenges with autism, school, attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder, learning disability, genetic disorders and guardianship.

The Adirondack Arc MSC departmental assists people with home and community-based services, referral and advocacy services, proposals for environmental modifications, access to specialized programs, and generally acts as a connector to other services a person may not otherwise be aware of to enirch the quality of their life.