Are you hoping to live in a Specialty Adult Family Home for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD)? Or do you know someone else who is on a waitlist or simply hoping for this option in the future? Your voice is needed for a new conversation!
If you're a teen or adult with I/DD, the family member or caregiver of a person with I/DD, or simply a person interested in advocating for a diverse and inclusive community for all of us, you are a stakeholder in this conversation, and your voice is needed! The Washington State Department of Developmental Disabilities (DDA) is revisiting a process begun before the pandemic, in response to the 2019-2020 session passage of Senate Bill 5672 by our legislature in Olympia. The DDA has scheduled a series of Specialty Adult Family Home Stakeholder meetings. These will take place over Zoom and are open to all stakeholders.
Here in Washington State, we have an array of housing options for adults who have I/DD. A number of our Vitalize Kitsap members have found that Specialty Adult Family Home living suits them well, and we have other members who would love this option if only it were available to them where they'd like to live. At the moment, it can be very difficult to find an opening in a Specialty Adult Family Home set up for specifically for adults with I/DD. We'd all love to see this housing option receive more recognition, support, and availability in Kitsap County and across our state. More Adult Family Homes dedicated to people with I/DD means we will all reap the benefits of having people with I/DD integrated into our communities as valued neighbors.
We are grateful to Community Homes for sharing the following information and list of meetings complete with links:
Attend one of four Zoom stakeholder events that focus on the following questions:
What are you looking for when considering an AFH as your long-term residential option?
What services and supports in this model are the most important to people with IDD?
What training is important for an AFH provider to meet the needs of people with IDD?
What would you expect of an AFH with a mission to serve people with IDD? Please select a date below to register for a virtual Zoom meeting: March 30, 2022: 9 a.m. to Noon Click here to register March 31, 2022: 1- 4 p.m. Click here to register April 13, 2022: 9 a.m. to Noon Click here to register April 14, 2022: 1 - 4 p.m. Click here to register If you need an accommodation, please contact Paula Costa by March 23, 2022, to let us know how we can make this event accessible to you. Paula can be reached at 206-806-1292 or paula.costa@dshs.wa.gov.