Benton County Dept. of Human Services (BCDHS)
serves as the County Coordinator for the Developmental Disabilities
Administration (DDA) Supported Employment and Community Inclusion Programs, as
well as Child Development Services.
BCDHS
also sub-contracts services for the local Parent Coalition, transition
services, Special Olympics, Spanish Parent to Parent services, and technical
assistance through Washington Initiative for Supported Employment (WISE).
Supported
Employment
Individual Supported Employment services are
part of an individual's pathway to employment and are tailored to individual
needs, interests, abilities, and promote career development. These are
individualized services necessary to help persons with developmental
disabilities obtain and continue integrated employment at or above the state's
minimum wage in the general workforce. These services may include intake,
discovery, assessment, job preparation, job marketing, job supports, record
keeping and support to maintain a job. These services are funded by DDA.
Group Supported Employment services are a
part of an individual's pathway to integrated jobs in typical community
employment. These services include many of the elements described in Individual
Supported Employment and offer ongoing supervised employment for groups of no
more than 8 workers with disabilities in the same setting. Examples include
enclaves, mobile crews, and other business models employing small groups of
workers with disabilities in integrated employment in community settings. These
services are funded by DDA.
Community Inclusion
Community Access/Community Inclusion services
assist individuals to participate in activities that promote individualized
skill development, independent living and community integration. Activities
must provide individuals with opportunities to develop personal relationships
with others in their local communities and to learn, practice, and apply life
skills that promote greater independence and community inclusion. These
services are funded by DDA.
Child Development Services
Child Development services are designed
to meet the developmental needs of each eligible child and the needs of the
family related to enhancing the child's development. Services may include
specialized instruction, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy,
physical therapy, assistive technology, and vision services and to the maximum
extent appropriate are provided in natural environments. These services are
funded by DDA.
Parent Coalition
The local Parent Coalition is a group formed
to provide the parents, families, and caregivers of people with disabilities support,
information, and education surrounding services provided to those individuals.
This is funded by DDA and local millage dollars.
Transition Services
Transition services are provided to families
in our communities by connecting them to services available for those in age
from 15 to 21. They are provided by the local Transition Specialist, who will
make connections in school districts in Benton and Franklin Counties to
identify needs of individuals with I/DD in the school district and their
families. The Transition Specialist will coordinate the Interagency Transition Network
(ITN) group and assist with coordinating the ITN Transition Fair. These are
funded by DDA.
Special Olympics
The Arc of Tri-Cities provides staff and
supplies to have a Special Olympics office locally and host games, provide team
registration, and coaching for individuals with disabilities. The Arc of
Tri-Cities will manage the program, as well as provide recruitment,
fundraising, and marketing of activities. This service is funded by local
millage dollars.
Spanish Parent to Parent
The Arc of Tri-Cities provides Spanish Parent
to Parent program which provides staff to reach out to Spanish-speaking
families in our community to connect them to available services for individuals
with intellectual/developmental disabilities. This service is funded by DDA.
Technical Assistance
Technical Assistance is provided by the
Washington Initiative for Supported Employment to customize, plan, and deliver
best practice training, collaboration to promote employment for Washingtonians
who experience developmental and intellectual disabilities, as well as offering
a variety of training delivered in ways that suit the needs of it’s attendees. The
County Coordinator will offer technical assistance in service plan writing,
delivery, case notes, Person-Centered Planning, and other services as needs
arise. This service is funded by DDA.