Developmental Disabilities Program (DDS)
Developmental disabilities affect 14% of the nation’s population. In Connecticut, Volunteers of America's Charter Oak Community Support Services provides skilled and compassionate support to individuals living with a wide range of disabilities associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder, hearing and visual impairments, Cerebral Palsy, intellectual and neurological disabilities, among others.
Charter Oak can provide a full range of direct services to a client or provide consultative services to a client or family who want to manage their own care plan. We can act as a liaison to other service providers, help with money management, provide emergency back-up, and hire and train staff.
Individualized Home Support
This service teaches clients the skills they need to live as independently as possible including caring for one’s home and personal hygiene, money management, and preparing meals. This service primarily takes place in the client’s home.
Individual Day Services
Volunteers of America – Connecticut provides this service to clients in order to help them meet their own personal goals. Our staff works one on one with an individual to help them gain skills whether it is employment related, community-based or geared towards recreation, in order to increase independence.
Group Supported Employment
The ultimate goal of this program is to help clients become competitively employed and no longer require employment support. We accomplish this by creating measurable, mutually agreed upon goals, developing strategies to reach those goals, and closely monitoring progress. We challenge clients to reach that competitive level, working with them in small groups of 3 to 4 people, on the job, where they learn the value of independent work as well as the importance of team work, the importance of punctuality, following policies and procedures and other workplace skills.
Among other employers, Volunteers of America has relationships with TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Kmart, Borders Books and Bridgeport YMCA.
Supported Living
This service is available to individuals living in their own homes who, without supportive services such as these, might not be able to live independently in the community. Charter Oak staff refrain from completing tasks the client is able to do for him/herself, but provides all the guidance and support that is necessary and appropriate. A full range of services include budgeting and paying rent through rent subsidy programs.
Family and Individual Consultation and Support (FICS)
Volunteers of America – Connecticut offers guidance to clients and their families who wish to dictate their own individual support plans. We can help with managing a budget, provide assistance and teach families to hire and train their own staff, act as a liason to other vendor agencies, and provide assistance in developing an emergency back-up plan.
For more information on how to apply for the DDS Waiver please visit
www.ct.gov/dds
For more information about Volunteers of America's Charter Oak Community Support Services: (203) 612-9590