Empower Cherokee of GA

Our services provided:CRA services are provided in a licensed community living arrangement, 24hours/7days per week and target individuals who require intense levels of support. Services are provided in daily and weekly routines that directly relate to each individuals interests, choices and preferences; and will accommodate fluctuations in his/her needs for various supports. Assistance with and/or training activities of daily living skills such as bathing, grooming, other personal hygiene, feeding, toileting and similar tasks; household care such as meal preparation and supervision of nutrition, clothes laundering, bed-making, housecleaning and other similar tasks.Services also include medically related activities such as arranging medical appointments, basic first aid, supervising self-administration of medication, and assisting with therapeutic exercises.These services also consist of implementing behavioral support plans designed for individuals to reduce inappropriate and/or maladaptive behaviors; the ability to intervene if a crisis arises.Transportation is provided to medical appointments, other waiver services and as needed to facilitate the individuals participation in community activities and personal shopping.EC ensures the capacity to support individuals through client/staff ratios (1:4 or as designated in the ISP) that reflect the needs of the individuals; professionals with experience in developmental disabilities that can address the needs of the individuals served; program flexibility to accommodate individual and family needs; and provides on-going training of both staff and individuals served.Individual Service Planning is the development of a plan that identifies personal outcomes, life goals, and needed supports for health, safety, and welfare. Through the use of person-centered practices, we promote self-determination, and exploration of personal outcomes and goals. On an ongoing basis we use person centered tools that help people discover things that are important to and for them, and how people can be best be supported. The plan is always focused on the person and builds on their strengths, gifts and interests. We try to build a One Page Profiles that highlight peoples gifts, talents, and what people appreciate about the person, highlight what is important to them, and how they would like to be supported. This also helps us to match people with the staff that share their interest and would support them best.Community Access Group services are provided in the community or at Empower Cherokee Day Center. Services are individually determined and planned using person-centered tools and approaches to discover the individuals interests, gifts, choices, and what is important to and for the individual. We learn about and listen to the individual, their support needs, health and safety, and their dreams and desires. Their individual plan is created around this foundation. Community Access services are provided outside the individuals place of residence. These services can occur during the day, the evenings, and weekends. Services include design of activities and environments for the participant to learn and/or use adaptive skills required for active community participation and independent functioning. These activities include training in socialization skills as well as personal assistance as indicated in the Individual Service Plan (ISP). Community Access services cannot be provided in the participants home or family home, personal care home, community living arrangement, or group home.Community Access Individual (CAI) services are provided to an individual participant, with a one-to-one staff to participant ratio. CAI services are directly linked to goals and expectations of improvement in skills. The intended outcome of CAI services is to improve the participants access to the community through increased skills, increased natural supports, and/or less paid supports. CAI services are designed to be teaching and coaching in nature. These services assist the participant in acquiring, retaining, or improving socialization and networking, independent use of community resources, and adaptive skills required for active community participation outside the participants place of residence. CAI services may include programming to reduce inappropriate and/or maladaptive behaviors. CAI services are not facility-based.Community Access Group (CAG) services are provided to groups of individuals, with a staff to individual ratio of one to two or more. The direct care staff to individual ratio for Community Access Group services cannot exceed one (1) to ten (10) and is determined based on individual need level of the participants in the group. CAG services are designed to provide oversight, assist with daily living, socialization, communication, and mobility skills building and supports in a group. CAG services may include programming to reduce inappropriate and/or maladaptive behaviors. CAG services may be provided in a facility or a community as appropriate for the skill being taught or specific activity supported.Specialized Medical Supplies (SMS) Services include various supplies that enable individuals to interact more independently with their environment and contribute to an enhanced quality of life, as well as a reduced dependence on physical support from others. SMS includes items such as food supplements, special clothing, diapers, bed wetting protective chucks, and other supplies that are specified in the approved Individual Service Plan and are not available under the other Medicaid non-waiver programs. Ancillary supplies necessary for the proper functioning of approved devices are also included in this service.Specialized Medical Equipment (SME) Services include various devices, controls or appliances, which are designed to enable individuals to interact more independently with their environment thus enhancing their quality of life and reducing their dependence on physical support from others. SME services also include assessment or training needed to assist participants with mobility, seating, bathing transferring, security or other skills such as operating a wheelchair, locks, door openers, or side layers. These services additionally consist of customizing a device to meet a participants needs.Supported Employment services provide supports that assist individuals with disabilities with planning their career goals by discovering their personal interests, gifts, and strengths. We help them find employment, which includes job development through activities such as interview preparation, filling our applications, resume building, and networking. Once employed, EC provides job coaching, training and support for the person to maintain successful employment. Or self-employment through the operation of a business, including helping identify potential business opportunities, assisting in the development of a business plan, identifying the supports that are necessary for them to operate a business, and ongoing assistance, counseling and guidance once the business has been launched.