American Residential Care understands the challenges of taking care of disabled adults and children. Serving Cook, Lake, and Dupage Counties, American Residential Care employs a staff member in the disabled individual's home to provide training and assistance.

In addition to this, our team devises a plan of care for each person served to outline the objectives of the care. Every family is different and therefore, each requires a different kind of support. American Residential Care understands this and will work with each family to provide and mold the care that best suits your family member.

Beginning The Program

* STEP 1

American Residential Care will receives your packet from Pre Admissions Service Agency through the mail. Once delivered the Intake Coordinator will call the family within 1 business week from the time of arrival. Since, the process of registering for the In - home based program takes enough time we feel that immediate response is crucial to the families needs. This is one of our better business practices and we understand the hardships and needs that families have.

* STEP 2

Families have 3 options to choose from and we understand time constraints, working families, miscellaneous life expectations, and etc. All individuals have different communication styles and therefore we accommodate all types. You may choose more than one option.

1. Phone Interview: Some families opt to choose holding an interview over the phone.
2. Mail or Website: Some families opt to choose looking at our website or mailing a brochure to get a feel of who we are before continuing further.
3. In person Interviews: Some families feel more comfortable seeing the face of the representative with whom they might potentially choose.

* STEP 3

When all interviews are done, the family chooses a provider. The family then shall contact their Pre Admissions Service Agency Case Worker and tell them of their decision. The Pre Admissions Service Agency Case Worker will then contact the provider chosen. Paperwork is then completed and the process of funding is then put into process.

Benefits of Choosing American Residential Care

When you have completed your 3 step process a Quality Mental Retardation Professional (QMRP)/Case Manager will be assigned to your family. The QMRP will set up interviews with the family to choose an appropriate staff member to come to the home. This can take anywhere up to a couple of weeks. Some families have their own acquaintance, babysitter, friend, Opair, and etc. We will employ them as long as they meet the State Guideline Criteria. The individual must be at least 18 years old, have a High School Diploma, and pass the criminal background check.

The American Residential Care QMRP/Case Manager, the staff member, and the family will then get together to devise a plan tailored to your child's needs. This tailored plan is called an Individual Service Plan, which is completed through Person Centered Planning. An Individual Service Plan is also known as an Individual Educational Plan which, outlines the individuals strengths, hopes, dreams, goals, needs, outcomes, objectives, and etc. This is all accomplished through Person Centered Planning which defines the individual themselves and what is relevant/important to help their development.

All families have different choices in planning an Individual Service Plan and the goals and objectives they would like their child to develop on. Some options listed below:

* (A)ctive (D)aily (L)iving' (S)kills - Showering, tooth brushing, dressing, brushing hair, toileting, feeding, and etc.
* Social Skills - To help the child to be able to act appropriately in the community, stranger danger, to remain an appropriate arms length distance when communicating with other individuals, and etc.
* Money Skills - to be able to understand the values of coins and dollars, to be able to make change, to purchase something in the community, and etc.
* Communication Skills - To be able to develop on language, sentences, pronouncing, expanding vocabulary American Sign Language, and etc.
* Community Skills - How and When to cross the street, what are stop signs, what does a red/green/yellow light mean, walking around without running off, and etc.
* Buddy Buddy System - Someone who will come in and be the Childs buddy buddy and play games, walks, parks, malls, movies, outdoor activities, (Which also ties into Social Skills) and etc.

These are just some options and there are many many more and of course person centered planning helps to choose the appropriate goals the child will develop on. All goals are monitored, controlled, and changed with development. The families have the choice of requesting a copy of monthly progress. All Individual Service Plans are reviewed, discussed, and tailored annually.

American Residential Care takes pride in hiring the best candidates to provide quality direct care. All new Home Based Support Staff are carefully interviewed, screened, and trained by our professional certified staff. All staff are 18 years and older, with a high school diploma or College, and must pass a criminal background check. Supervision, family visits, phone calls, and on the spot (JUST IN TIME TRAINING) is practiced to keep our staff knowledgeable, supportive, and developing.