The Arc of Oakland County maintains a contractual agreement with The Arc Michigan (underwritten by the Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority) for the Dignified Lifestyles/Community Connections Program which monitors 10 MORC group homes and one adult respite home. Ten volunteers have received training and visit one residential setting per month. During each visit, volunteers observe the following: true community participation, respect, choice-making, functional skills, learning, and real relationships. Information from 25 local chapters of The Arc is accumulated within a computer data base at The Arc Michigan and shared with various departments within the State, Oakland County and legislators.
Incorporating person-centered-planning and achieving real outcomes for individuals in mental health funded settings are driving the impending changes in the program. Building on the successes and strong points of the earlier versions, the new Dignified Lifestyles/Community Connections Program will:
- put people first;
- support the dreams and choices of individuals;
- strive to raise the expectations that others (particularly the staff persons in the home environment) have of persons with disabilities; advocate for concrete changes in peoples’ lives; and,
- propagate the philosophy of inclusion and person-centered decision-making.
