Getting Started:

Who is eligible for our services?

The State of Alaska determines who is eligible to receive services from the Developmental Disabilities program. If you haven’t already been determined eligible for services and you think you or a loved one might have a developmental disability, then you should contact us. For more information, please click the S.T.A.R. Services button below.

What level of service can each customer expect?

Once found eligible, State officials determine the type and amount of funding that can be used to provide services. The level of services available to each customer varies greatly.

How do we help customers plan for services?

Our service coordinators partner with each customer, their family or guardian, and other community team members to develop a plan based on the needs of each person. The scope of the planned services depends on the funding level approved by the state.

The plan yields specific goals designed to assist each customer in achieving greater independence, community belonging, and a satisfying life. Plan goals define the supports and skills needed to accomplish their life goals.

How are the planned services provided?

Services to help customers achieve their planned goals take many forms. Sometimes we provide one-on-one direct care staff to work with customers in community settings or at home. Other times we offer primary caregivers financial assistance so they can hire someone to fill in for them, allowing them a break. Yet other times we contract with professional caregivers who live with or near a customer to provide assistance with daily living tasks and basic safety.

When customers want to get a job, we provide staff to aid them in acquiring or maintaining paid employment. Once on the job, we can provide support and training to assist the customer in being as successful as possible on the job.

Where do customers live?

We support customers and guardians in locating and maintaining a comfortable and affordable place to live in the comm-unity. From living in an apartment with a few hours drop-in staff each week, to living in a neighborhood home with an adult foster care provider, to living in their own home, each customer needs something different. The list of potential living options is endless. We do not operate group homes or other living situations that congregate people with disabilities.

How do customers know if services are working?

Service coordinators work in partner-ship with customers and other team members to continually monitor progress toward goals. Strategies are modified when they aren’t working or when the customer’s goals and interests change.

Examples of Skill Training and Support We Provide:

Being Safe and Healthy

• Helping a customer to learn to be a safe pedestrian.
• Providing customers with the supervision and guidance necessary to be healthy and safe in the community.

Having Power and Making as Many Choices as Possible

• Teaching a customer who cannot communicate verbally how to request what they want and need.
• Team members expanding the choice making opportunities presented to a customer.

Sharing Typical Community Places

• Teaching a customer to talk more quietly when at church.
• Helping a customer gain access to new places or activities of their choosing.
• Assisting a customer in living in a residence that is similar to their non-disabled peers

Occupying Respected Community Roles

• Helping a customer learn the skills necessary to participate in a club or organization.
• Assisting a customer to find and maintain a paying job.

Participating in Community Relationships

• Teaching a customer to introduce themselves in an appropriate fashion.
• Teaching a customer how to respect other peoples’ personal space
• Assisting customers to find others who share their interests

Developing Useful Skills and Competencies

• Assisting a customer in learning how to shop or use public transportation.
• Assisting a customer in learning how to be safe around strangers
• Designing a color-coding system to aid a customer in learning their work tasks

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