What does Life Works do?
 

Types of Services Offered 
 
 
We have two group homes located in residential areas of Longview and Kelso, Washington.  Both are wheelchair accessible and have Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible bathrooms and roll-in showers.  Staffing is on site 24 hours per day 7 days per week and each home has access to a wheelchair van to go on trips around town.  People do not have to need a wheelchair to live in these group homes but they do need to be able to get along with each other and be willing to accept staff help with their money and medications.

Our Group Homes, pictured to the right, each have room for 9 people with developmental disabiltiies to have their own private bedroom.  Staff focus on helping individuals and families create a plan to list the things that they want to learn how to do, places they want to go, people they want to have as friends, jobs they wish they could have, a future place they might like to live.  Staff and families then work together to help people achieve their goals and dreams.
 
 
Vocational Services

The Adult Developmental Center (ADC) Pathways to Employment provides training and support to people with disabilities to find employment opportunities in Cowlitz County.  ADC helps people develop work skills so that that they can keep jobs that match their interests and skills.

ADC provides employers with workers that are suited for the job, no cost recruiting, job ready applicants, technical assistantce, and long-term retention services. 

In addition to residential support to people with developmental disabilities, Life Works can help with classroom and parent training in the following areas:

• Introduction to Developmental Disabilities
• Person Centered Planning
• Positive Behavior Supports
• Seizure Conditions
• Lifting and Transferring people too and from a Wheelchair
• How to coach, teach, and help a person in positive ways while building their own ability to make decisions
• Other may also be available (inquire by contacting us)
• Consultation with Families
• Assessment of child's and family needs
• Developing an intervention strategy
• Working directly with the child in the family home
• Teaching parents and siblings effective interactions to reduce behaviors
• Meeting with physicians when families request help with medication issues
• Meeting with schools when families request help
• Developing a crisis plan for families
• Other assistance as needed
• Respite Care 

 
The REACH (Realizing Achieving Children's Hope) Home for children with Autism is a small home licensed to serve up to 6 children between the ages of 11 and 18.  The staff in this home help children to gain control of the behaviors, and understand how to get what they want in safe and healthy ways.  They help children be successful in school by working closely with teachers and attending school with children when necessary.

Staff work with families to develop a plan that outlines what parents and staff will do to make sure that children get the medical and personal care they need.  Staff will attend doctor appointments with children and parents, help set up and administer medications, and help children bathe and dress when necessary.  Staff cook meals and sit with the children at meal times.

We supply the group home with a van to transport children to school, community activities, medical and dental appointments, and sometimes just out for fun events.

Children placed in this group home often live there until they graduate from school at which time they move into adult Supported Living Services.  Some children, however, learn to manage their behaviors are are able to return home to their families.

Children who live in this group home often have families who are very involved, visit many times a week, and take their child home for weekends and holidays when their child is able to maintain safe behavior.  Children often have complicated medical and medication needs that the staff help sort out with families and physicians.

The CRIS (Chilren's Rehabilitative Intensive Support) Home provides respite care for families with children with disabilities.  Respite care provides parents/families a break from ongoing care demands to rest, refresh, and recharge.  Families can schedule week-long stays at the CRIS home.

Supported Living is the name of a service for adults with developmental disabilities which  is primarily staff coaching or hands on help as many hours of the day as a person needs to live successfully in their own rented or owned home.  Each person's needs are unique and their Supported Living Service is taylored to meet their unique needs.  Sometimes staff are in a person's home up to 24 hours per day 7 days per week because their needs are extensive. 

Individuals with developmental disabilities use their Social Security and Job Income to pay their protion of rent, utilities, food, clothing, recreation, and household items.  We provide the staff coaching and direct hands on help that a person needs to live their lives in the community, such as

• pay their bills
• get to the doctor
• find and furnish a home
• keep a job
• stay in contact with friends and family
• help people achieve their goals and dreams
• learn to manage their own behavior when needed
• do their hygiene routines if needed
• take the medicines they need
• and a host of other things that are necessary to live a good life.

Project Hope began in 2009 with a group of volunteers looking for innovative ways to help families that have children with a disability, mainly autism.  As a result of research and assessing community needs, the group helped to sponsor the Life Works sensory room and in-home supports and respite care for families in need.  Project Hope also sponsored the 2010 Cowlitz County Lose the Training Wheels event where children with disabilities learn to ride bike without the extra wheels.