NYSACRA

Rebuild and Remodel to Meet the Needs of Specific Individuals

The Arc of Monroe wants to downsize to provide accessible homes with fewer people, more individualized supports with the goal that individuals can age in place. The Arc of Monroe, NYSARC, Inc. Options for People Through Services Executive Summary The Arc of Monroe County proposes to downsize the census of 2 high capacity Individual Residential Alternatives. Both houses are old convents and have been in operation for over 30 years. The consumers who live in these houses have told us loud and clear that these homes are too big, too noisy, and out-dated. Fourteen people live in each house, and although they each have their own bedroom, the rooms are so small they barely accommodate a bed and dresser. Frequently, the chaos and noise levels are overwhelming. As these consumers age, their needs cannot be met in these large non- accessible facilities. Young people, exploring the idea of moving out on their own, are not interested in homes like these. The Arc of Monroe wants to downsize these “dinosaurs”. In their place we plan to provide accessible homes with fewer people, more individualized supports with the goal that individuals can age in place. We intend to utilize the positive qualities the 2 large facilities have to offer-- their locations! They will be rebuilt and remodeled to meet people’s needs. These houses are both located in city neighborhoods, where people can walk to shops, banks, and get a bite to eat. We propose to accomplish this monumental task in 4 phases. We also believe completing these tasks in phases would cause the least amount of disruptions. Phase I: Create 2 four person IRAs. These would be home to 6 individuals from East Henrietta and 2 consumers from the NYSCARES waitlist. The census of the East Henrietta IRA is reduced from 14 to 8. Phase II: Create 2 five person IRAs. These would be home to 7 individuals from Brooks Avenue, 1 from East Henrietta and 2 NYSCARES. The East Henrietta Road census would be reduced from 8 to 7 and Brooks Avenue’s census would be reduced from 14 to 7. Phase III: The 7 individuals at Brooks Avenue would temporarily relocate to East Henrietta. At this time, Brooks would be renovated into four 2-bedroom training apartments and a small living space for overnight guests to visit. The space for guests is needed as 3 of the 8 individuals who will live there are non-custodial parents but like to have their children visit. This physical plant arrangement would help facilitate this. Phase IV: The existing 14-bed house on East Henrietta Road would be demolished and a new accessible home would be built on the lot. This would allow for the individuals who love the location of East Henrietta Road to remain in the neighborhood they enjoy. A temporary relocation would be planned for the folks living at the house. The new and improved East Henrietta site would become home for 6 East Henrietta consumers and 1 NYSCARES candidate. Locations and individual make-up of these new IRAs were determined in response to feedback we have received from our constituents. We held a community forum and discussed the ideas and wishes of our customers and their families. Meetings were held at each of the two larger houses to discuss what people were happy with and what changes they would like to see. Each individual was offered the opportunity complete a questionnaire detailing their wishes and dreams in regards to housing. The Arc proposes to use resources from NYSCARES for the construction and/or purchase/renovation of these proposed homes. If granted, we would use funds through OPTS to finance these proposed projects. An evaluation committee has been formed to evaluate and measure if the creation of these smaller houses is having a positive impact on the lives of the consumers and to determine if we are achieving the desired outcomes. The evaluation committee plans to meet in September 2004 to begin discussion of this OPTS proposal. As a community of service providers, we have come a long way. The days of Willowbrook are gone, we moved to large community residences, and ultimately to smaller IRAs. We believe we must continue to move forward and provide smaller homes that meet people’s needs, enhance their well-being and provide long term stability as they age. The Arc of Monroe County is committed to achieving this goal.