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Community Living Services (CLS) is supported living. It is a component of Casa Allegra Community Services that supports adults with developmental disabilities to live safely and successfully where and with whom they choose on an ongoing basis; it may be in a shared house with friends or in an apartment, condo or townhome.
Supported Living Services are about:
- Visualizing dreams, NOT creating models
- Supporting people, NOT fixing or changing them
- Figuring things out together, NOT having the answers
- Change and evolution, NOT maintenance
- Letting go and shared power, NOT control
- Lives, NOT models and replication
- Focusing on gifts, NOT deficits
- The community and citizenship, NOT the path of clienthood, isolation, and disconnectedness
- Regular and ordinary, NOT specialized and professionalized
- Creation of gifts, NOT diagnosis of differences
- Standing by people, NOT conditional relationships
- Life and living as we all know and experience it
Participants and families have said this about CACS Supported Living:
- Jared's dad, Robert said, "Jared has an increased sense of empowerment."
- Joelle's mom, Patty, said, "Joelle is given opportunities to make decisions and she has become more sure of herself."
- JR's friend and advocate, Alison, said, "JR is showing more ownership over where he lives."
- Robin's sister Jennifer said, "Robin has been allowed freedom and choice and she has become more independent and attuned to her desires and what she wants."
- Manetta feels she has more control over her life. She does not have to be in a group home anymore. She said, "I like my life!"
- Lupe, Krystal and Scarlett live separate lives but share a home in a quiet surban neighborhood in Novato. These good friends like feeling that they, as Scarlett said, "All have a place to hang out." Krystal likes that they each "Have our own room." Lupe likes the backyard. "We sit in the swing, that's the best thing we like to do." Scarlett said she does not get bored, "Things change all the time."
- Kevin said that his favorite thing is that "You could do whatever you want to do. I enjoy it." His support staff, Gerry, said that Kevin "Walks around using the walker more than he ever did."
- Kevin's sister, Mary Ellen, said, "There is such a big difference in our relationship now. I am closer to Kevin because of his care at Casa Allegra. He was on so much medication he was like a zombie. Casa Allegra has been on top of things. Kevin would not be in this good conditon without Casa Allegra."
- Marina's mom, Barbara, said, "The staff give Marina a sense that they are truly listening to and hearing her when she speaks."
- Dusty said, "I am a great woman, I have love, I can make my own breakfast and lunch and I have my own business."
Links to outside sites:
Meet CACS Supported Living participant Gannet in a documentary about disability, caregiving, community integration and interdependence. The Key of G
Meet CACS Supported Living participant Robin. Focus on Me: A Portrait of Robin
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