Work Community Independence Inc

Residential deaf, hard of hearing and deaf/blind supports individuals in the deaf supports residential division are all deaf, hard of hearing or deaf blind. There are 48 individuals in 15 homes providing 24 hour deaf residential supports and the division also includes six (6) apartments with eight (8) individuals in individual (in home) supports, receiving less than 24 hour supports. Two (2) individuals live in their own condominium. One 24 hour deaf home closed in march of fy'22 in belmont & the individuals moved to a different home in waltham. There was a reorganization where individuals moved into other available vacancies. These supports are linked to services and programs that promote growth and independence. Staff support people in personal care, appearance, meal preparation, shopping, diet, nutrition and exercise, chores/housekeeping, healthcare, management of medical conditions, medication administration, money management including budgeting, banking, personal spending, paying bills, planning leisure time and vacations, community integration, understanding important documents, ensuring people have interpreters for appointments and important meetings. Staff are primarily fluent in american sign language for those who need it or deaf or hard of hearing themselves. The level of support and supervision varies greatly depending on the needs of each person. The people in this division have varying communication needs as well from object communication and basic sign language, use of an ipad to fluency in asl. Adaptive equipment is essential to the services provided to people with sensory needs. Wci facilitates and provides the necessary adaptive equipment to assist them with more independent living. Wci provides interpreters for individuals and staff to facilitate communication in various meetings and activities. Staff to individual ratios range from 1:4, 2:3 to 3:5. Some of the individuals in this division use the services of the clinical team and our nursing staff, given their diagnoses and their needs. Individuals may have significant psychiatric and behavioral issues or significant medical needs. Coronavirus pandemicin mid-march through june 30, 2020, the coronavirus began and the individuals lived at home 24 hours/day, 7 days a week as our day program and other agencies' day programs were closed during this time and continued into fy'21. During fy'22, several individuals continue to remain at home and do not attend their day program given the workforce staffing shortages and our inability to hire staff. Wci's day programs are at 72% capacity.

24 hour supports the 24 hour residential supports division provides services and supports to 24 individuals in 6 homes. The six (6) homes provide staff support 24 hours per day. Throughout their lifetime, individuals are assisted in the areas of personal care, shopping, meal preparation, diet, nutrition and exercise, chores/housekeeping, money management, community integration, relationship building, arranging medical care and treatment, medication management, human rights, vacation planning and other individualized areas of need. Each individual chooses whom they live with, where they live and identifies their personal isp goals that are meaningful and bring them a sense of accomplishment and self-worth. Individuals, typically 4-5, live in single family homes matched with housemates and receive staff supports around the clock. Some require awake overnight staff and others have asleep overnight staff. Staff to individual ratios range from 1:4 to 2-3:4. This division has four (4) homes with individuals with significant medical conditions. Our nursing staff work closely with these homes as well as the rest of the division.abi - this newly accessible home was developed for five (5) men with acquired brain injury. It is under the 24 hour division. In fy'20, wci worked with cil (who owns the home) and the dds northeast region to develop, lease and start up this home which opened in august, 2020. The home is fully accessible for the men in wheelchairs. It has hoyer lifts for those who need them and other adaptive equipment. Wci provides management of their health care needs, involves them in cooking, shopping, hobbies of interest, community activities of choice, vacations, developing relationships, human rights and supporting many other needs.coronavirus pandemicin mid-march through june 30, 2020, the coronavirus began and the individuals lived at home 24 hours/day, 7 days a week as our day program and other agencies' day programs closed. They gradually opened throughout fy'21 and fy'22. At this time, some individuals continue to reside at home and are not attending their day program. The wci employment & day program is at 72% capacity at this time.

Employment/day supportsthe employment & community based day supports division supports about 72 people at 45 rumford avenue, and common street combined. Eventhough our day programs opened, wci, along with other providers have been in a staffing crisis during the pandemic and were not able to return all of the individuals to their day programs. By june 30, 2022, wci was at 72% capacity. There are a variety of options including competitive employment, individual and group employment, volunteer opportunities, community, art, crafts and a therapeutic day habilitation program, including: 1. Community competitive employment and volunteer services, individual, group and cbds;2. Social skills (cbds), cbds and group employment;3. Deaf employment & day supports (individual & group employment & cbds); and the4. Life skills day habilitation program which includes a registered nurse, part-time physical therapist, speech pathologist and occupational therapist. Individuals within this division also have significant behavioral challenges and receive support from our clinical department. Wci has also created and expanded its art program, which is available to the individuals who enjoy art at 45 rumford avenue. Individuals create with support framed acrylic paintings, note cards, jewelry, votives using cement, crafts, scarves, using looms; and refurbish furniture.coronavirus pandemicin mid-march through june 30, 2020, the coronavirus began and the individuals lived at home 24 hours/day, 7 days a week as our day program and other agencies' day programs were closed during this time. In fy'22 many individuals returned to their day programs, but not all. Wci is currently at 72% capacity.individual (in-home) supportsindividual supports (or in-home supports) provides less than 24 hoursupports, to 10 individuals with 8 to 52 hours/week per individual in 9 apartments. One apartment in the gardencrest complex provides support to another apartment in the complex. The support staff are available to any of the individuals in each of the apartments in an emergency or if they have a need for additional support. One individual lives in a condominium owned by wci. Some people live on their own and others typically live with one other housemate. In addition, wci supports a married couple. Wci provides one man with about 20 hours of support while residing in his mother's home. This is not a new service to wci, as another gentleman did receive in home supports for approximately 15 years and eventually moved from his parent's home to a 24 hour home within wci. Staff provide support in assisting people to meet their varied goals in the areas of reading and interpreting their mail, meal planning, shopping, diet, nutrition and exercise, arranging medical services and providing treatment, planning leisure time on weekends, facilitating adult education classes or lessons, community integration, relationship building, problem solving, money management, budgeting and paying bills, vacation planning, chores, housecleaning, maintenance and addressing other individual needs. Staff provide support in the evenings throughout the week primarily and some weekend hours, as people are usually working or in some type of meaningful day program during day-time hours. This program allows people to live as independently as possible in the community with staff support.