JCHAI currently has three homes with six residents each in Wynnewood, Elkins Park, and Northeast Philadelphia. These homes are staffed at all times, except from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. The staff assists the residents with all their basic life needs, including cooking, cleaning and personal grooming, constantly assessing what the residents are able to do and in what areas they are able to grow. They also assist residents with transportation issues for work and social events.

In addition, JCHAI offers a less-supervised, apartment program at the Presidential City Apartments on City Avenue in Philadelphia, where twelve residents currently reside. In these apartments, staff is present from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m. on weekdays and during some hours on the weekends. The staff assists the residents with preparing for dinner, maintaining their living spaces, and personal grooming. However, the residents must be capable of getting up in the mornings and ready for work independently.

For many residents, the JCHAI community is their family. Residents must live with the reality that their parents are aging. In fact, over 50 percent of current JCHAI residents have only one living parent or no living parent at all. As a result, these adults are even more connected to the JCHAI community and are dedicated to one another. Recently, one resident lost his father, and his biological family was overwhelmed with emotion when his JCHAI family shared his loss as they all sat shiva at JCHAI’s Strauss-Actman Home.

These homes allow some of the region’s most vulnerable Jewish citizens to live in dignity and community. JCHAI residents are encouraged to work toward the highest level of independence and productivity through life skills training and other programs that improve each resident’s quality of life. They take public transportation, cook meals, travel with peers and friends, and make their own decisions. Many JCHAI residents also hold paid employment.

At JCHAI, residents are able to continue their Jewish growth without fear of repercussions and are encouraged to participate actively in Jewish activities. The homes abide by the laws of kashrut. Many synagogues cooperate in JCHAI programming for holidays. JCHAI residents also take a Jewish education class sponsored by Gratz College, especially designed for JCHAI.

In addition to the services provided in JCHAI’s residences, JCHAI also provides services for a fee to disabled adults living on their own in the community. The following are a sample of the types of services JCHAI provides:

Home visitation: one of the JCHAI’s professionals visits with individuals in their own home or apartment and assists with daily life skills, such as taking individuals shopping or banking. These services help the individual become more independent while maintaining his or her own place of living. JCHAI provides this service on a regular basis or on a sporadic basis if a family is away for a period of time and wishes to have someone assist the disabled family member.

Job coaching: with this program, a certified job coach is provided to assist an individual in developing job skills in the workplace.

Advocacy for families: JCHAI also assists families that desire an experienced advocate on behalf of their disabled family members.

Group Therapy Sessions: A licensed social worker provides group sessions to assist individuals on topics which include Circle of Friends, Grief and Sorrow, Dating, Sexuality and other pertinent issues.

JCHAI provides an environment in which developmentally disabled adults can reach their fullest potential. Despite the cost, the demand for adult housing of this nature is high, and resources outside the Jewish community are rare. Several hundred people are on an emergency waiting list in Montgomery County alone, and only a very small percentage can be placed per year. Currently, we estimate that there are about three hundred Jewish individuals with developmental disabilities in the greater Philadelphia area that could immediately use JCHAI’s services because their current caregivers are elderly or ill. JCHAI represents a unique resource for Philadelphia’s Jewish community, but the challenges of growth and expansion are always on the board’s agenda.