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| Community Living Services: A Guiding Purpose |
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| Written by Ashley McGown | ||
| Sunday, 01 November 2009 00:00 | ||
Prior to 1984, a total of 12 institutions of this kind were in operation, and today, less than three decades later, there are none. According to Jim Dehem, president and CEO at CLS, the final institution in Michigan for people with developmental disabilities closed this past September. “When we were founded, there were three of these institutions operating in Wayne County, and our goal was to close all three,” said Dehem, who joined CLS in 1986 and has served as its leader since 1989. All three were closed by 1991.  Although its goal was to shut down state-run facilities, the organization itself was initially run by the state. Before long, however, responsibility relating to the services CLS provides was passed from the state to appointed counties, and eventually, CLS became a private, nonprofit entity, contracting with Detroit-Wayne County Community Mental Health Agency.The organization has served two primary areas throughout its history: Wayne County, which includes the city of Detroit and has a total population of roughly 2.5 million people, and Oakland County, which encompasses the areas just north of Detroit. In total, CLS services about 3,500 individuals. “In Wayne County alone we service roughly 2,900 people, and we support more than 550 individuals under contract with Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority,” Dehem explained. CLS recently began to expand operations into Kentucky, but because the out-of-state service area is so new, it only serves about 25 individuals right now. Dehem said an excitement filled the air at CLS in September when the last of the Michigan institutions closed. On that day, Michigan became one of just 11 US states to successfully eliminate all institutions designed specifically and exclusively for individuals with developmental disabilities. The event that marked a special point in CLS’s history coincided with the organization’s 25th anniversary, and although the founding goal has been achieved, the team at CLS still faces challenges looking into the future. Whenever an institution is shut down, Dehem and his team help all of the individuals who were residing there transition back into the community. Originally, group homes, housing no more than six individuals, were used as a primary choices of residence. Today, group homes are still used on occasion, but CLS’s first choice is to try to help people obtain their own homes, where they can live with two or three people they know. “Group homes are now the exception, and our next goal is to help everyone live in homes they or their families or representatives lease or own. Group homes have, in many ways, become smaller institutions in the communities,” Dehem said. Troubling financial times, however, have impacted the funding for many of those services. “During these times, we need to re-commit to the mission we’ve established, which is to use our financial resources in ways that achieve real-life outcomes,” Dehem explained. “We have found that when people and their chosen allies get to decide what they want and need, as opposed to professionals making those decisions, we see more efficient spending patterns,” he added. Ultimately, the team at CLS wants these individuals to be able to lead desirable lives. Still, the organization ensures these individuals receive the health and development services they need. These services, which may include all occupational, speech, and physical therapy, are obtained through community organizations. “In the past, we have contracted with smaller nonprofit organizations to hire staff to perform day-to-day personal support and home assistance. Now, they are being hired and held responsible by the individuals themselves,” Dehem said. At home, with support Although CLS has historically worked with people with developmental disabilities, the organization also uses its principles to help seniors as well as those recovering from mental illnesses. The philosophy is applicable because most seniors prefer to live in their own homes rather nursing homes, when given the choice; the same is true for most people recovering from mental illnesses. According to Dehem, the US Department of Veterans Affairs has begun to pilot these philosophies, which CLS refers to as the principles of self-determination, with some of the country’s Area Agencies on Aging. Once put into action, the end goal is to financially support disabled veterans and their families, enabling them to live in their own homes. “There are thousands of people in the US who still live in institutions simply because they’ve been identified as developmentally disabled, and that’s the sole reason they’re there. They’ve committed no crimes,” Dehem said. “There is no one living in an institution with a developmental disability who can’t be supported in the community,” he added. “With proper support, individual planning based on real-life outcomes, and control and authority over the resources, all of these institutions in the US can be closed.” |