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.
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