COMMUNITY INTEGRATION
Rutledge Center’s day program offers a structured framework for lifelong learning for adults with developmental disabilities. Community Access activities support individuals to learn and retain the knowledge, skills and abilities they need to build relationships and to be active, contributing community members. To achieve the mission of “supporting adults with developmental disabilities to have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their communities”, we focus on the basics of communication, mobility and safety, as well as providing ongoing opportunities for community engagement. These opportunities may occur on-site or in locations throughout our community.
Rutledge Center offers Community Integration activities in group (CAG) and individual (CAI) settings as well as in pre-vocational (Pre-Voc) settings. Rutledge Center’s philosophy is “person-centered” and we wholeheartedly strive to ensure that each individual is engaged in activities that are important to and important for them. Community Integration is facilitated by a dedicated staff who has received extensive training to meet the health and safety needs of people receiving supports while engaging in activities of value and interest.
As part of Community Integration a person may participate in a variety of community life experiences or interactions that may include, but are not limited to:
- Leisure or recreational activities
- Communication activities
- Spiritual activities
- Cultural activities
- Pre-vocational activities
- Vocational pursuits
- Volunteerism in the community
- Educational and training activities
- Development of living skills
- Health and wellness promotion
CAG is provided to groups of individuals, with a staff to individual ratio of one to two or more but no more than one (1) to ten (10). The actual staff to individual ratio is based on individual need level of the participants in the group. CAG is designed to provide oversight, assist with daily living, socialization, communication, and mobility skills building and supports in a group. CAG is provided in a facility or a community as appropriate for the skill being taught or specific activity supported.
CAI is provided with one-to-one staff to participant ratio and is directly linked to goals and expectations of improvement in skills and teaching and coaching in nature. CAI is not facility based but rather is 100% community based. Through CAI one can expect assistance in acquiring, retaining, or improving: Socialization and networking, independent use of community resources, and adaptive skills required for active community participation outside the participant’s place of residence.
Rutledge Center believes that every individual, regardless of ability, should have the chance to explore income building activities. Because of this we offer the opportunity to build the skills needed for employment by teaching such concepts such as rule compliance, attendance, task completion, problem solving, endurance, work speed, work accuracy, increased attention span, motor skills, safety, appropriate social workplace skills and behavior.