A Group Home for Adults with Developmental Disabilities
Since the Council For Jews With Special Needs began in 1985, developing Jewish residences for adults who have disabling conditions has been part of its long range plans. In 2001, the Council established its first group home for adult men who have developmental disabilities.
Unlike other cities in which a Jewish agency becomes a licensed residential agency and purchases or rent homes and apartments, the Council is trying a less traditional approach to offer residential assistance. The Council is working with adult residents, their parents/guardians and the state agencies to find a more affordable solution. Potential residents must meet the criteria to receive services from both the Arizona Division of Developmental Disabilities (to qualify, they must have a diagnosis of autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy or moderate to severe mental retardation) and the Arizona Long Term Care System. If they qualify, they are eligible to receive state-funded, trained staff to provide respite care and habilitation services through a Medicaid Waiver. Those services are available in whatever location the qualified adult resides. By providing staff paid for by Title 19 funds, the state can encourage families whose adult children qualify for this assistance to explore ways to set up their own private homes. Unlike existing secular or Christian group homes run by for-profit or non-profit agencies, in a private home such as Shalom House, the residents and their parents/guardians can select their house mates, design their own style of living (including religious observation) and participate in the selection of the staff and its supervising agency. The state-funded staff oversees day to day issues such as food preparation, grocery shopping, house cleaning, etc. The Council staff supervises areas of Jewish concern, such as Shabbat and holiday observances, dietary restrictions, etc.
In the summer of 2001, the Council established a home for young men who have been long-time, active participants in the programs sponsored by the Council. These men meet the state’s eligibility tests and are compatible in their levels of function, communication skills, ages and personalities. They are all employed, receive a salary and are able to pay their monthly living expenses, including building maintenance, utilities, food, insurance and taxes. The funds to purchase a home were raised through private donations. The families of the residents contributed to the fund raising efforts, and each resident furnished his own bedroom. The rest of the furnishings and appliances were either donated or purchased with donations designated for that purpose.
The Council created Council Properties, LLC to oversee the purchase and maintenance of Shalom House and future residences for Jewish adults with special needs. The Council For Jews With Special Needs is the sole member of the LLC. All funds are maintained in separate accounts; there are also separate insurance policies for each entity.
Under the Council’s plan, in addition to being a Jewish residence for these adults, this first home also serves as the permanent meeting place for Yad B’Yad, the Council’s social group for adults with a variety of special needs. After a decade of moving their monthly meetings from place to place, never knowing where they will gather for their next activity, the two dozen men and women members of Yad B’Yad now have a home to visit for Shabbat meals, holiday celebrations, Hebrew classes, lessons in Jewish cooking and much more. They have built their own sukkah and hosted over 30 guests for a Chanukah party!
Other Jewish communities report that additional residences take up to five years to establish after the first one. With the first home as a model, the Council hopes to encourage parents to explore the full spectrum of potential residences including private homes, condominiums and apartments. The Council offers assistance to families in finding compatible roommates and designing residential programs for their adult children.
The Council maintains a residential services waiting list of adult men and women who are residents of Arizona, qualify for DES-DD and Title 19 funding and who might be interested in exploring Jewish residential options. To learn more, contact the Council at 480-629-5343 or on-line at info@cjsn.org.
The Council For Jews With Special Needs is a constituent agency of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix: www.jewishphoenix.org
