by Melanie Dallas, LPC
Every year during the month of March we recognize National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, and I have taken the opportunity to raise awareness of disabilities and the people in our communities who live with these conditions.
In past articles I’ve written about the critical importance of the COMP (Comprehensive Supports Waiver) and NOW (New Options Waiver) Medicaid waivers that support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) living in their community, advocated for employment opportunities for individuals with IDDs, and provided an overview of the many IDD services Highland Rivers Behavioral Health provides.
But the IDD services we provide – our four IDD Day programs (in Cobb, Haralson, Polk and Whitfield counties), supported employment for individuals with IDDs, family support, and even providing services in the community funded through the COMP and NOW waivers – could not be done without a dedicated staff of IDD professionals. So this year, I want to recognize the approximately 60 Highland Rivers staff that work directly with the nearly 450 individuals with IDDs our agency serves.
Highland Rivers’ IDD services are many and varied and include prevocational and supported employment (job coaching and assisted job search); social and community involvement (volunteer opportunities and Special Olympics); education and learning (computer training, art, nutrition); and recreational activities (movie and game nights, participation in community events).
Highland Rivers also provides a variety of residential options for individuals with IDDs, depending on their level of functional independence, family circumstances and living preferences. We work with dozens of local households who have opened their homes to individuals with IDDs as host homes, and we operate or contract with group homes for individuals with disabilities, including those who are medically fragile.
Although we…
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