Meet Steve: NY Resident, Movie Buff, and Self-Advocate
STEVE'S STORY: WATCH THE NEW VIDEO FROM SIMPLYHOME.
Every once in a while, we come across a story and we just can’t stop smiling. Steve’s story is one of those. SimplyHome is honored to be a part of Steve’s quest for more independence in his community.
Steve accepts services from Wildwood Programs in NY. One day, as part of an in-depth self-assessment administered by Wildwood, Steve spoke up and told his care team that he wanted to live on his own.
Though his care planning team was surprised at this revelation, they listened. As the team worked through the planning process, they realized that Steve was finally beginning to advocate for himself, to live a self-determined life – the whole goal of person-centered planning!
Steve talks with Anne Murphy, Director of Home and Housing Development at Wildwood Programs
Fast forward several months.
Through the creative support of Wildwood Programs and assistive technology by SimplyHome, Steve has fully embraced community supported living. He goes to the movies with his friends, participates in events with the local VFW, and cooks on his own at home, all with the natural support of enabling technology.
Steve enjoys cooking for himself.
For both Steve and Wildwood Programs, this transition to community living required a willingness to take a risk. But they both see it as a risk worth taking. As Anne Murphy, Director of Home and Housing Development at Wildwood Programs, puts it: “If we're not given the opportunity to fail, then we're never given the opportunity to grow.”
At SimplyHome, we call this idea the “dignity of risk”: the opportunity to succeed and make mistakes and the invitation to learn and grow from those experiences.
SimplyHome seeks to empower and partner with organizations, both with assistive technology and our transformative educational services, as we navigate the transition to Community Supported Living (CSL) together.
Ready to learn more? Want to empower your organization? Check out our Education & Consultation Services page.
Wondering how much this type of transition to independence in community costs? When Steve moved from an IRA to a supported apartment, service costs dropped from over $86,000 to less than $28,000 annually. This is a typical example of what we see with our partner-providers at SimplyHome, when technology is implemented as a natural support for people who desire independence, in coordination with (not eliminating) staff supports. To read more about states who have done a Cost Savings Analysis, read our recent blog post, "Does My State Have Funding for Enabling Technology?"
About Wildwood Programs:
Working collaboratively with individuals, families and the community, Wildwood Programs empowers and enables children and adults with neurologically-based learning disabilities, autism, and other developmental disorders to lead independent, productive and fulfilling lives.