Community Healthcore — Community Living Network

Project Goal
Increase local capacity to provide community-based supports and services for people with developmental disabilities (DD)

Project Summary

Community Healthcore implemented a strategic plan to strengthen the capacity of the East Texas Community Living Network. The network included a diverse group of organizations that provided person-centered and family-centered health care, behavioral supports, and respite care for people with DD living in nine East Texas counties. A primary objective of the network was to decrease the need for people with DD to be admitted to an institution.

The network’s activities promoted positive behavioral supports such as person-centered thinking to identify essential tools and skills while applying self-determination principles in support of people with DD. Training resources developed by the network helped families create “one-page profiles.” The profiles offered person-centered information to family, friends, and service providers to help them support people with DD.

Using a program based on applied behavioral analysis (ABA), the network taught parents how to set and implement goals for children with DD. The network also expanded respite services by providing support for faith-based groups and other community organizations.

Impact

• Trained more than 300 people on person-centered thinking principles
• Coordinated ABA therapy for over 45 people
• Supported five community leadership teams to aid people with DD using asset-based community development strategies
• Created a self-assessment tool to help health care providers serve people with DD
• Promoted positive stories about people supporting those with DD in their communities
• Shared information and best practices for community inclusion at the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities Conference in 2018

Project News

• Community Healthcore Video Champions Inclusion (blog post): Community Healthcore created a video to highlight the people, projects, and laws that increased opportunities for people with DD in East Texas to be included in their communities.