Jespy House

TO ENABLE ADULTS WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES TO ACHIEVE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL AND LEAD INDEPENDENT LIVES. OUR PHILOSOPHY PROMOTES CHOICE,SELF-DIRECTION AND INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY LIVING FOR 250 CLIENTS IN SOUTH ORANGE, NJ.

THE DAY HABILITATION PROGRAM PROVIDES A STRUCTURED DAILY SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES FOR OVER 70 CLIENTS FIVE DAYS A WEEK FROM 9 AM TO 3 PM. OUR PROGRAM EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN ENROLLMENT THIS YEAR, AND NOW FOCUSES ON FOUR DISTINCT COMPONENTS: DAY HABILITATION, LIFE SKILLS, TRANSITION, AND AGING IN PLACE. OUR PROGRAM IS GEARED TOWARD CLIENTS WHO ARE RECENTLY OUT OF SCHOOL, THOSE WHO ARE NEW TO JESPY, AND THOSE WHO ARE NOT WORKING OR VOLUNTEERING ON A FULL-TIME BASIS. WITHIN EACH COMPONENT, CLIENTS PARTICIPATE IN GROUP WORKSHOPS THAT PROVIDE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES TO LEARN AND REINFORCE JOB AND MONEY SKILLS; MEAL PLANNING; HOUSEKEEPING; KITCHEN SAFETY; AND SOCIAL AND COPING SKILLS. IN ADDITION, THE DAY HABILITATION PROGRAM OFFERS CLIENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO UNWIND AND EXPRESS THEMSELVES THROUGH CRAFT AND ART PROJECTS; ENGAGE IN ATHLETIC AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES; AND ENJOY TRIPS AND OUTINGS INTO THE COMMUNITY. RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE PROGRAM INCLUDE GOAL SETTING; PROBLEM SOLVING; AND COMMUNITY AND INTERNET SAFETY.

THE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMUNITY-BASED SUPPORTS PROGRAM TRULY SETS JESPY APART FROM MANY OTHER PROGRAMS. NOW A MERGED PROGRAM, RESIDENTIAL AND COMMUNITY-BASED SUPPORTS (RCBS) OFFER CLIENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE ON THEIR OWN WITH THE SUPPORT OF JESPY'S TEAM OF CASE MANAGERS AND DAILY LIVING SKILLS (DLS) COUNSELORS. NEW RESIDENTIAL CLIENTS START OUT IN "THE RESIDENCE" --- A SUPERVISED APARTMENT SETTING WITH 24/7 SUPPORT. THE RESIDENCE OFFERS OUR CLIENTS THEIR FIRST TASTE OF WHAT IT IS LIKE TO LIVE INDEPENDENTLY. EACH CLIENT HAS HIS OR HER OWN BEDROOM AND SHARES THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE APARTMENT WITH THEIR ROOMMATES. OUR TEAM TEACHES OUR CLIENTS TO CARE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR APARTMENTS, GO SHOPPING, PREPARE MEALS, MANAGE MONEY, PAY BILLS, AND DO CHORES. WHEN READY, CLIENTS GO ON TO LIVE IN ONE OF OUR FIVE SHARED HOUSES WHICH OFFER A HOME-LIKE SETTING WITH ROOMMATES UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A CASE MANAGER, OR IN INDEPENDENT APARTMENTS OR CONDOMINIUMS (NOT JESPY OWNED) WITH SOME SUPPORTS.JESPY'S FIVE SHARED HOUSES ARE LOCATED WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE TO JESPY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. CLIENTS GRADUATED FROM THE RESIDENCE TO SHARED HOUSING ONCE THEY HAVE MASTERED THE SKILLS TAUGHT AT THE RESIDENCE AND HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE DESIRE FOR GREATER INDEPENDENCE AND CHOICE. IN THIS SETTING, CLIENTS LIVE WITH HOUSEMATES. EACH CLIENT HAS HIS OR HER OWN BEDROOM AND SHARES LIVING AND KITCHEN SPACE. THEY PREPARE MEALS TOGETHER AND SHARE RESPONSIBILITIES OF A HOUSEHOLD LIKE A FAMILY. EACH SHARED HOUSE HAS A HOUSE MANAGER WHO SERVES AS THE CASE MANAGER TO THE CLIENT IN THAT HOUSE. CLIENTS WHO REQUIRE DAILY LIVING SKILLS TRAINING STILL RECEIVE THOSE HANDS-ON SERVICES. MOST CLIENTS WHO LIVE IN SHARED HOUSING ARE EMPLOYED OR INVOLVED IN VOLUNTEER WORK. CLIENTS RECEIVE OVERNIGHT AND WEEKEND SUPPORT IN THIS SETTING.MOST CLIENTS WHO RESIDE IN THE JESPY COMMUNITY LIVE ON THEIR OWN IN THEIR OWN APARTMENTS OR CONDOMINIUMS WITH COMMUNITY-BASED SUPPORTS. THESE CLIENTS HAVE TRANSITIONED FROM ONE OF THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED LIVING ARRANGEMENTS, HAVING DEMONSTRATED THAT THEY ARE READY FOR THIS BIG STEP FORWARD. EACH CLIENT RECEIVES SERVICES THROUGH JESPY'S COMMUNITY-BASED SUPPORTS PROGRAM AND IS ASSIGNED A CASE MANAGER TO OVERSEE AND COORDINATE CARE. CLIENTS RECEIVE DAILY LIVING SKILLS TRAINING AND SUPPORT AS NEEDED.OUR CASE MANAGERS AND DAILY LIVING SKILLS COUNSELORS ARE KEY TO OUR CLIENTS' SUCCESS. CASE MANAGERS PROVIDE OUR CLIENTS WITH INDIVIDUALIZED SERVICES TO ENSURE THEIR NEEDS ARE BEING MET AND PROVIDE CLIENTS WITH ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT AS THEY WORK TOWARD INDEPENDENCE AND STRIVE TO REACH THEIR GOALS. OUR DAILY LIVING SKILLS COUNSELORS PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE, TOO, PROVIDING CLIENTS WITH HANDS-ON TRAINING BASED ON THE CLIENT'S INDIVIDUAL NEEDS, SUCH AS MEAL PLANNING, BUDGETING AND MONEY MANAGEMENT, CLEANING AND ORGANIZING. OUR RCBS PROGRAM ALSO WORKS WITH OUR CLIENTS ON GOOD SAFETY HABITS, HOW TO SAFELY USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, HOW TO INTERACT WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS AND BUSINESS PEOPLE, HOW TO SOCIALIZE WITH THEIR PEERS, AND HOW TO PURSUE AND OBTAIN A JOB OR VOLUNTEER POSITION.

ENGAGEMENT AND ENRICHMENT PROGRAM (EEP) WERE FAR MORE ROBUST AND INCREASED OVER 25%. CLIENTS EXERCISED THEIR INDEPENDENCE BY CHOOSING FROM SEVERAL GROUP ACTIVITIES SCHEDULED EACH HOUR. IN ADDITION, AN EMPHASIS WAS PLACED ON COMMUNITY INCLUSION THROUGH EXTENSIVE EXPOSURE WITHIN OUR LOCAL AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. SOME OF THE SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES CLIENTS ENGAGED IN WITHIN THE PREVIOUSLY LISTED GROUPS INCLUDE: GARDENING, BOOK CLUBS, JOURNALING, TECHNOLOGY EXPERIENCES, ARTS AND CRAFTS, COOKING, POETRY, CREATIVE WRITING, MOVIES, PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB, HEALTHY LIVING EDUCATION, YOGA, MEDITATION, PURSUIT OF INDIVIDUAL HOBBIES, AND MORE.A YOUNG ADULT GROUP WAS ADDED TO HELP CLIENTS SOCIALIZE AND FAMILIARIZE THEMSELVES WITH OTHERS WHO ARE NAVIGATING A PERIOD OF TRANSITION INTO ADULTHOOD. THIS APPROACH STRENGTHENS THE BOND AMONG NEW CLIENTS AS WELL AS WITH THE GREATER COMMUNITY. THE GROUP FOCUSES ON COMMON SOCIAL GOALS AND HELPS CLIENTS LEARN TO DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN LASTING FRIENDSHIPS.