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ADULT AUTISM WAIVER SERVICES

We are enrolled with the State of Pennsylvania to provide the Adult Autism Waiver, Consolidated Waiver, and the Person/ Family Directed Support Waiver for behavioral and occupational services. If you have a "Supports Coordinator" then you may be eligible for these following services.

SPECIALIZED SKILL DEVELOPMENT

This service is used to teach participants skills to help with challenges participants may have. The Specialized Skill Development service includes the development of individual plans by experts in behavioral supports and independent living skills development to help the participant learn skills. Specialized Skill Development includes three levels of support:

  • Behavior Support Services/Behavioral Specialist Services (BSS) is used to provide support to participants with behaviors that are a problem for them. This may include disruptive or destructive behaviors, which make it hard to be active in the community or live at home. BSS includes the development of a Behavioral Support Plan (BSP).

  • Specialized Skill Building/Systematic Skill Building helps the participant learn skills that increase independence and participation in his or her community. These skills are not behavioral in focus. They include skills like cooking, using public transportation or keeping one’s home neat. The Systematic Skill Building Specialist looks at the participant’s abilities and learning style. The Skill Building Specialist then develops a Skill Building Plan (SBP). The SBP will explain how the participant can learn the skills that the participant needs to learn to increase his or her independence and participation in the community. The SBP will use Applied Behavior Analysis techniques to teach skills.

  • Community Support Services helps a participant gain, keep, and improve skills needed to live in the community. The goal of this service is for the participant to need less direct help. Some examples of Community Support services are helping the participant use public transportation, make new friends, and handle money. Community Support services can also be used to help the participant with personal hygiene, cooking, grocery shopping, or following a daily schedule.

  • Community Participation Support Services provide opportunities and support for community inclusion and building interest in and developing skills and potential for competitive integrated employment. This service may be provided in community locations, community hubs, licensed adult training facilities, licensed Older Adult Daily Living Centers and licensed vocational facilities. 

SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT

This service is for participants who need support to keep a job. Participants who get this service must have competitive, integrated employment. That means a job paying minimum wage at a job site that includes people without disabilities doing the same or similar work. The Supported Employment service may also be used to support a participant who is self-employed. Supported Employment has two parts:

  • Intensive Job Coaching provides on-the-job training and support to help participants learn how to do a new job for an employer or for a self-employment situation, when the participant is new to the job or the job duties have changed and the participant needs more support.

  • Extended Employment Supports are ongoing supports available for as long as needed for 20% or less of the work week. 

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An example of Supported Employment services is when a staff person goes with the participant to work until the participant has learned the routine of the workplace. Supported Employment services may be used to help the participant meet his or her co-workers. It can also be used to help the supervisor and co-workers get to know the participant and understand how to help the participant develop work skills specific to the job. Supported Employment services can also be used to teach the participant how to problem solve while at work.

CAREER PLANNING

We can help you identify a career direction and come up with a plan for getting a job at or above the minimum wage; and get a job in competitive employment (which means a job that is also done by people without disabilities.) This service can also be used to assist a participant with self-employment.

  • Vocational Assessment is used to develop a plan (called a Vocational Profile) to identify a career direction that meets the participant’s goals, needs and abilities and will result in a job that is also done by people without disabilities that pays minimum wage or more or self-employment. The Vocational Profile includes what the participant needs to do or learn to get the job the participant wants.

  • Job Finding services are services directed towards preparing individuals for and obtaining placement In competitive jobs Of choice. Services include but are not limited to interview skill training, Resume preparation, SSI (Supplemental Security Income) and SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) benefits counseling and job searching.

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