Community Homes
Community homes (also known as group homes, community living arrangements or residential habilitation services) are shared residences designed to foster and enhance daily living skills and community involvement.
They provide ongoing support to individuals as they make personal choices and establish a preferred quality of life. Community homes house between one and four individuals, offering safe, comfortable living environments, each with its own unique décor. Most homes have private bedrooms.
Trained staff assistance, support, and guidance are available to individuals residing in community homes up to 24 hours a day across all areas of wellbeing, skill development, everyday tasks, and planning. These resources offer behavioral, emotional and medical support as needed.
At the heart of community homes is the belief that person-centered planning is key to developing, maintaining and improving skills necessary to living and participating meaningfully in a community, and to living more independently. A Program Specialist works closely with individuals (as well as with their families and support teams) to create an Individual Support Plan, or ISP, that makes personal preferences a reality.
Throughout each and every day, individualized support is provided in a respectful manner that is congruent with Step By Step’s belief that people with developmental disabilities and their families have both the right and the ability to lead the decision-making that influences their lives.
Each Step By Step community home offers:
- Residential living within the community
- Person-centered planning and support
- Opportunities to establish relationships with housemates (where applicable) and fellow community members
- Supports needed for daily living (i.e., personal care, health maintenance, communication, mobility, etc.)
- Encouraged community involvement and support
- Encouraged volunteer involvement and support
- Access to behavioral support (including emotional and psychological assistance) as well as occupational, physical and speech therapy as needed
- Promotion of independent living and socialization
- Health care coordination with community medical providers
For More Information Contact:
Lehigh Valley Office (610) 867-0688
Northeast Office (570) 829-3477
Southeast Office (610) 352-7837
Western Office (412) 655-8677