Individual Residential Services & Supports (IRSS)
What it is: Personalized supports to help adults with IDD live successfully and independently in the community—focused on health, safety, skills, and self-advocacy.
- Host Home
- Personal Care Alternative (PCA)
- Family/personal home or apartment
Core supports may include: supervision and training, independent living skills, self-advocacy, and community participation—delivered per a customized plan created with the person, family, and professionals.
Choice matters: If a current host home or PCA doesn’t fit someone’s preferences, we support them to transition to another provider.
Supported Community Connections (SCC)
What it is: A structured, habilitative service that helps individuals build skills and independence while actively engaging in their community.
What it includes:
- Training in socialization, communication, safety, money management, mobility, and self-advocacy.
- Participation in volunteer work, recreation, and community activities.
- Staff are actively teaching and supporting skill development.
Setting: Usually delivered in small groups in the community or a center-based program.
Goal: Long-term skill building and inclusion — helping the person to become more independent while engaging with their community.
Community Connector (CC)
What it is: A mentorship/natural support-focused service, typically time-limited, that helps a person learn how to access their community independently.
Who it’s for: Individuals who don’t need intensive skill-building but do need short-term help connecting to people, activities, or resources.
- Identifying and trying out new activities or groups (e.g., church, clubs, sports).
- Building natural supports (friends, neighbors, mentors) to reduce reliance on paid staff.
- Transportation and guidance to get started with activities.
Setting: One-on-one in the community, with the goal of fading staff support once natural supports are built.
Goal: Promote independence and natural relationships, so the person doesn’t rely on paid services for community engagement forever.
Supported Community Connections (SCC) for Kids
- Socialization with peers (e.g., playing on a team, going to library story time, group activities).
- Safety in the community (crossing the street, staying with a group).
- Communication and self-advocacy.
- Often delivered in small groups of kids or 1:1 in a structured way.
Goal: help children practice and build lifelong skills while engaging with their community.