Community Supports

Community supports are DD services that help adults with developmental disabilities become more independent and involved in the community. This page shares details about the community support services that are available. 

Community-Based Supports

With community-based supports, people can get help in or out of their home. The goal of this services is to help people become more independent and involved in their community. They will decide where they want to go, what they want to do, and who they want to do things with. The decisions people make will become goals in their Person-Centered Plan (PCP). 

People can use their DD services to get help exploring the people, places, and activities near them. They may learn about their community by reading maps, newspapers, or activity guides. They may also explore their area and talk to other people. Learning about the community in this way is called community mapping. 

Community-based supports can support people with daily activities. It can also help them learn new skills, like how to solve problems, talk to others, and make choices.

Center-Based Supports 

With center-based supports, people will go to a DD agency center. They will decide when to go to the center for support, and what they want support with. The decisions people make will become goals in their PCP. 

Center-based supports can support people with daily activities. It can also help them learn new skills, like how to solve problems, talk to others, and make choices. 

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

Overnight Supports

Overnight supports are supports a person gets from a provider agency outside of their home. They will get help:

• Being more independent.
• Getting more involved in their community. 

Overnight supports do not take the place of the person's natural supports. These supports are only available to them if they live alone and not in a group home. 

With overnight supports, agency staff must be awake for the duration of the service.

This webpage was updated 6/10/25.