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DRCC Services

Residental Services   |   Semi Independent Living Services   |   Family Services   |   Accessing Services   |   Professional Services

Residential Services

Community Residences are licensed homes that provide 24-hour-a-day support and supervision for individuals with disabilities. Typically, three or four roommates share a home or an apartment. Each individual has their own bedroom and the roommates share the common areas such as the living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, and family room.

DRCC believes that the homes it operates are truly home for the individuals who live there. This means a place to relax, to have the freedom to be themselves, to be part of the community, and to spend time with friends and family. Individuals are encouraged and supported to make decisions that enable them to have control over their life choices.

Each home that DRCC operates is unique because of the people who live there.

There are common values that extend through all of DRCC’s homes. These are:

Safety and Health

First and foremost we work with the individual and their interdisciplinary team to make sure that the person has the necessary supports to be safe and healthy. Support levels will vary greatly from one person to the next. Some individuals may need vigilant protection from all hazardous situations while another person may need reminders on how to take the bus safely. DRCC works with each individual and their team to find the right level of support to provide safety while still offering freedom and choice.

Provide Rich Active Lives

DRCC believes it is important to provide individuals with a wide array of opportunities at home and in the community. Individuals receive staff support to participate in the activities they enjoy and are also encouraged to broaden their horizons by trying new activities. Individuals can participate at home in hobbies such as woodworking, painting, knitting, and gardening. In the community, individuals can participate in church, movies, restaurants, sporting events, plays, concerts, and outdoor activities.

DRCC also teaches individuals to be actively involved in carrying out the responsibilities of sharing a home with others. Roommates are responsible for assisting, as they are able, in the completion of the day-to-day tasks around the house such as cooking, cleaning, and laundry.

Relationships

DRCC believes it is important for individuals to foster and maintain their existing relationships and to develop new relationships. DRCC works to provide the supports necessary to facilitate this.

Semi-Independent Living Services (SILS)

Semi-Independent Living Services (SILS) are available for individuals who have many of the skills necessary to live independently in the community but still need some supports to insure that they can be successful.  SILS services generally focus on developing and maintaining positive relationships, staying healthy and safe, finding fun things to do, managing money, and successfully maintaining an apartment/house.

Within DRCC’s SILS services there are differing levels of support available.  DRCC provides what we call “Cluster SILS” apartments.  This is where two or more apartments are located in the same building or in close proximity to each other.  This allows the staff to provide a high level of support and supervision, while at the same time enable the individual to safely experience more independence and to assume responsibility for specific areas. 

DRCC also provides SILS support for individuals who live in their own apartments throughout the community.  The supports are individually structured to that staff are available based on the person’s needs.  As the person’s needs change, the support level can be readily modified to the desired level. 

Family Services

In-Home Family Support

In-Home Family Support Services (IHFS) provides assistance to individuals and their families when they are living at home. The program provides individualized training for the person that focuses on the acquisition of independent living skills, the development of interpersonal skills, and education to family members relevant to the needs of their son/daughter.

The supportive services provided by the In-Home Family Services program are individualized to meet the individual’s and family’s needs. The family, case manager, and DRCC work together to determine what supports are necessary, when services should be provided, and how many hours of support are needed. In all cases, the client and family’s needs drive the service.

Respite Service

Respite care is a service available to families to have time away from the demands of caring for an individual family member who has a disability. The family is able to schedule their respite time to best meet the family’s needs. Respite typically occurs in the home of a staff person, but also may take place in the family’s home or in another licensed location.

Consumer Directed Community Support (CDCS) and Fiscal Support Entity (FSE)

Consumer Directed Community Support (CDCS) offers individuals and their families more flexibility and control over how the available financial resources are allocated for their support services.  Individuals and their families are able to select who is hired, establish the wage and benefit levels, purchase items needed (within established parameters), and design a schedule that works best for them. 

The State of Minnesota makes available a specific amount of money to meet the individual’s support needs.  The individual/family works through their case manager to develop a support plan and budget that will utilize the resources to best provide the supports needed.  DRCC’s role is to support the individual/family in paying staff and other invoices, billing the State of Minnesota, and assisting in tracking expenditures. 

Accessing Services

There are a variety of funding sources available for individuals with disabilities. Each has its own eligibility criteria and benefits that are provided. For a person who needs assistance, it is important to understand the options available and what steps are necessary to access the services. DRCC works with many of the different funding sources and will help guide individuals toward options that may best suit their needs.

For most services, the local county social services agency is the starting point in verifying eligibility and authorizing services.

DRCC provides In-Home Family Support and Respite services in St. Louis, Carlton, Lake and Cook counties.

Professional Development

DRCC realizes the important role education plays in assisting employees to obtain the most up-to-date information regarding the services we provide. We are committed to creating annual training opportunities that are relevant to important topics within our field.

As an employer, DRCC strives to provide employees with training that will assist them as they support clients. We also realize the value of sharing opportunities with other providers, family members and the community.

A committee comprised of DRCC employees meets monthly to plan and implement training opportunities on a variety of topics that are important to the field of disability services. Topic and themes vary from year to year and are based on input from employees.

728 Garfield Avenue   ·   Duluth, Minnesota, 55802   ·   218-722-8180