Community Supports

Community supports are DD services that help adults with developmental disabilities become more independent and involved in the community. The two community support services offered to individuals are Community-Based Supports and Center-Based Supports.

Community-Based Supports

With community-based supports, individuals will get help in or out of their home to become more independent and involved in their community. Individuals will decide where they want to go, what they want to do, and who they want to do things with. The decisions they make will become goals in their Individual Support Plan (ISP).

Individuals can use DD services to get help exploring the people, places, and activities that are available to them. They may learn about their community by looking at maps, reading the newspaper or area activity guides, exploring their area, and talking to other people. The process of learning the resources and experiences the community has to offer is called community mapping.

Community-based supports can also help individuals learn new skills, and support them with daily activities, solving problems, interacting with people, and deciding what to do with their free time.

Center-Based Supports 

With center-based supports, individuals will go to a DD agency center to become more independent and involved in their community. Individuals will decide when to go to the center for support, and what they want support with. The decisions they make will become goals in their ISP.

Center-based supports can also help individuals learn new skills, and support them with daily activities, solving problems, interacting with people, and deciding what to do with their free time.

The services individuals get must be offered at a licensed location that is not someone’s home. This means the agency cannot support individuals in a home setting that they own, like a group home, shared living arrangement, or supportive living program.