Why Not Us? Village

In February, 2014, Clallam Mosaic held a Parent/Caregiver Meeting to determine the gaps & needs of the community supporting individuals with developmental disabilities.

• The discussions generated overwhelming support for the creation of the Home & Good Life Committee

A year & a half of work....

• Defined housing gaps on the North Olympic Peninsula
  • As of 2014
    • 413 clients in Clallam County
    • 138 Clients in Port Townsend
  • Currently 2 groups homes in the Clallam County serving 6 individuals each, both full 
  • An individual requiring 24 hour care with medical needs would have to be placed in one of the 4 state facilities with the closest one in the South Sound/Tacoma area.
  • Peninsula Housing Authority has no current plans in their 5 year plan to meet the need  of  “elderly adults only  or only families with disabilities” in their houses.

A History of Developmental Disabilities & Community:

•  1960-1970’s
  • National recognition that institutions for special needs community was failing
• ​1980
  • Civil Rights of Institutionalized Person Act – which led to…Closing Institutions – so families were left to start from scratch

• 1990

  • Americans with Disabilities Act – promoted rights of mentally and physically disabled  persons.

• 1999

  •  

    Olmsted vs L.C. – the United States Supreme Court ruled that “forcible 

     

    institutionalization violated the ADA”  And it required states to now support disabled individuals to “stay in mainstream society”

• ​2007

  • Medicaid began offering assistance for housing in the form of waivers for those individuals who “waived” institutional care.  These waivers pay for a majority of a person’s housing costs in the Developmentally Disabled Community.  BUT  they are hard to get as there are only so many $$ available to utilize for all.

• 2014

  •  

    ​Affordable Care Act – redefining how waivers can be used in what settings

     

In the Meantime....

• Since the 1980’s the education system has been working towards inclusion throughout the individual’s school years

• Our “kids” are used to doing what their friends and siblings do – classes, dances, sports, going to the mall, sleepovers, birthday parties, proms, graduation, etc.

• ​So, when, at age 21, they graduate with their class – they expect to move on to college or work “like everyone else”

• College campus “dorm” style living
• Moving away from home (ie Mom and Dad)
• Getting jobs and supporting themselves
• Having meaningful relationships with peers
• Interacting in the community they live in – i.e. church, city councils, pool, library, etc.
• Living in a neighborhood with peers – i.e. when you have young children, you look for a community with good parks, schools and a safe neighborhood to live in with other children for yours to play with

And....

• We have the 22-30 year olds entering mainstream society wanting to live as independently as possible

  and 

• We have those older adults - 81% of whom have been living with parents and siblings. The family caretakers are aging (The Gray Tsunami!) 

  and

• if anything were to happen to these family members, the adult with developmental disabilities is at risk of becoming homeless.