Through this service Community Living Access Support Services currently purchases support for individuals who have identified their wish to live in a family environment. To support the individual's request and identified support needs Community Living Access Support Services has contracted with local families. Implementing policies and procedures as recommended in the Home Provider Guidelines from the Ministry of Community & Social Services.
Supports are provided to individuals who have chosen to live with a family. Individuals are included in the interview and request to live with these families. Community Living Access has been purchasing this type of support successfully for the past 15 years. Supports have been altered to accommodate individuals changing support needs.
This support is set up to accommodate many individuals with different preferences. Living with a family, sharing accommodations with an individual (contracted by CLASS to provide support). This could include living in the country/town, on a farm, in an apartment, duplex/triplex, granny flat, townhouse, semi detached or a single dwelling home.
Individual Living Supports provides support to individuals in their home and/or out of the administration office. Presently Community Living Access Support Services provides supports to adults living independently in the community requiring supports in everyday living skills. Some individuals have moved from Group Living Supports to this type of support as they have gained and developed their skills to enable a more independent life style. CLASS has been flexible with this support as individuals' support needs increase/decrease. Some of the supports offered include intense case managment with ongoing specialized service with Clinical and Behavioural supports. Individuals with increased medical issues have required ongoing collaboration with service providers such as Community Care Access Centre, Mental Health, Diabetes Society and the Centre for Wellness-Dimential & Alzheimer's. Our community supports individuals requiring community Crisis Plans that are registered with the local emergency response system, involving hospital and police assistance. A great deal of time and effort has resulted in successful coordination between CLASS, emergency and the justice system.
The type of daily individual living support is different for every individual based on what they require to be successful to live independently in their community. The hours also vary according to the individual and are often flexed between individuals in order to respond to creisis and priorities of the day. Supports vary from budgeting and money managment, to advocacy, shopping, cooking, social and leisure skill development.
Individuals access support out of the administration office or space of their choice in the community. This support focuses on assisting an individual to be successful participating in community life, different from daily living skills. The support is according to the individual and what is requied to be successful in participating in the community.
Adult Community Living Access Supports provides support to individuals who were identified as needing on going service to assist with medical appointments, connection to and participation in community events, grocery and menu planning, budgeting that was previously provided by the APSW and was identified as an on going support/service rather than an advocacy/protection type of support. Other individuals receiving this type of service are individuals living in a nursing home/longterm care facility who have been identified as needing an enhancement ot their support service to enable them to access their community and events, who otherwise would not due to their diagnosis (v=developmental disability). This service requires ongoing collaboration with service providers and members of the community so that individuals can continue to have minimal support as offered by CLASS through this service type.
Individuals 18 and older have access to group living support to assist them in their everday living. Support is diverse and requires staff to be adept in the implemenation of crisis prevention intervention, behavioural, medical and physical/attendant supports as well as facilitative support. Support is according to the individual and focuses on assisting an individual to be successful participating in community life and daily living. An individual in receipt of group living supports does not mean that, the individual can not do some things independently in the community or in their daily life. Support is usually shared between three to four adults who have chosen to live together or close to one another to share supports required. It is recognized that individuals living together do not necessarily have the same interests or require the same level of support. Best matches regarding suitablilty are sought. Identified in their support plans, some individuals can be left alone for periods of time and/or access their community independent of supports.
For individuals who require intense supports indentified in their support plans CLASS' success in supporting individuals is contributed to a strong support circle of Family, Community Crisis Response, Police, Hamilton Helath Science Centre and Regional Support Associates implementing a sonsistent approach and a mutual understanding of everyone's role and ability to implement specific supports. Individuals require ongoing consistent behavioural/mental/health related supports that in the past required intense supports continue to be connected with professionals outside of CLASS to assist with maintaining continuity in their lives.
Similar to Individual Living Supports increased medical issues have required ongoing collaboration with service proders such as Community Care Access Centre, Mental Health, Alzheimer's and the Diabetes Society. Individuals have community Crisis Plans that are reigisted with the local emergency response system. Coordination between CLASS, Emergency and Justice has been successful.
Individuals who have identified employment as an interest to pursue have been supported to seek community employment services abailable in our community, including Ontario Disability Support Program's employment program. CLASS has continued to facilitate for all people to participate in what the community has to offer for everyone. Many individuals are supported to volunteer and connect with local services, clubs and interest groups.
This is a program offered in partnership with Community Living Haldimand (CLH) and Community Living Access Support Services (CLASS). April 2005 marks the fourth year of operation. Young people can access the Foundations program if they are between 18 to 21 and are completing high school. They can receive service from this program for up to seven years or until they are 28. Through this program people have been supported to find mentors to learn a specific skill (like HAM radio operation or DJing), to explore various arts, move out of their parents' home into their own apartment, plan weddings, start a Duke of Edinburgh club, as well as connecting people to mental health services, other medical services and services for people who are gay or lesbian. Needless to say, we provide support to quite a diverse group of young people. It is designed to help young people make connections in communites through life planning, goal setting and dreaming. Young people will receive assistance to access community resources and information. It provides an option of support for young people who live in Haldimand and Norfolk counties that do not use residential services.