Service Professionals

Supported Living Services

Supported Living Services shall provide a variety services to support individuals receiving services to live in their own home and in the community of their choice. Services shall be provided as stated in the (Individual Program Plan (IPP)/Individual Service Plan (ISP). The services provided to individuals will be on a one to one basis and constructed on the individual's goals, needs, and interests as identified and expressed by the individual in concurrence with their paid/unpaid circle of supports (family members, friends, neighbors, roommate(s), co-workers and significant others).

Supported Living Services will be provided within three service categories: (1) Personal Support Services, (2) Training and Habilitation, (3) Emergency Response/24-Hour Emergency Assistance, and (Disaster Planning).

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Independent Living Services

Independent Living Services shall provide support services to individuals with developmental disabilities. Services will include training in functional skills to obtain/maintain safe and stable housing. Functional skills training will include, but is not limited to: basic self-help and meeting personal needs. Individuals will be provided with support while either living in their home with family or living with roommates.

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Personal Assistance

Services may be provided on a temporary or permanent basis. It should be noted that the major resource for personal support services shall be accessed via In Home Supportive Services (IHSS). Additional personal support services may be provided by Supported Living Services staff (Support Specialist), family members, friends, neighbors, roommate(s), generic resources, and/or significant others, as identified in the IPP/ISP. Individuals will receive support in efforts to identify, obtain and utilize personal support services from generic sources, in addition to their unpaid circle of support network, as needed. Supported Living staff will govern the delivery and arrangement of personal support services.

Personal support services shall include, but not be limited:

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Training and Habilitation

Services shall focus on the retention, achievement, and improvement of adaptive skills and behaviors that are necessary to existing in the community. Service will be provided in natural settings, and may be instructional. Training and habilitation services may be replaced by personal assistance services depending on the changing life circumstances of the individual receiving services. Supported Living Services staff (Support Specialists) will be responsible for overseeing and monitoring the coordination of services as discussed and stated on the IPP/ISP, as well as retaining documentation that reflects progress on individual goals.

Supported Living Services (Support Specialists) staff shall provide and/or coordinate training and habilitation services, as well as assist the individual to identify and access generic resources for services including community colleges (if appropriate), occupational centers, local adult schools, recreation centers, and other community resources utilized by the general public. Training and habilitation services shall include, but will not be limited to, coaching and assisting in the following areas:

Assistance and support services shall be provided to enable individuals to engage in and participate in social and recreational activities within their community. The focal point of these services shall be on facilitating, supporting, and assisting individuals to access generic agencies, available resources, and formal and informal social activities, surrounding the individual's personal goals, interests and needs. Additionally, individuals shall receive the necessary services and support to participate in activities within their own community that provide them with a sense of meaningfulness, purposefulness, connectedness, and belonging within their community.

Services shall be coordinated and provided by the Supported Living Services staff (Support Specialist), unpaid circle of support network and/or others identified by the individual receiving services.

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Emergency Response

All individuals receiving services from The SMILE Group, LLC shall have 24-Hour a day emergency access to support staff. The type and level of emergency assistance provided is determined by the nature of the emergency and capacity of the individual involved.

Each individual will receive assistance to develop an emergency support plan that includes the utilization of generic and specialized resources. These plans include but are not limited to:

  1. Calling The SMILE Group's office(s)

    2. During most business hours this will put the person in direct contact with a staff member that has received training in how to handle situations in which individuals receive appropriate guidance based on the nature of their emergency.

  2. The SMILE Group's Emergency Line

    3. After business hours the SMILE Group, LLC phone number will go to a voice mail system. This system will include an option for "emergencies" in which the person may leave a message stating the information that needs to be shared with staff. The emergency system will notify the appropriate or assigned staff member who will contact the person directly and attempt to resolve the situation.

  3. Adapted phone services

    4. In addition to pre-programming phones with number to be called, some individuals may access phones, which will automatically call a programmed number if the phone is simply turned on and no number is entered within a specified period of time.

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24 Hour Emergency Assistance and Disaster Planning

The SMILE Group will assists individuals in developing an Emergency Response System driven by the individuals skills and abilities, and will enable the individual to contact, at minimum, the responsible agency staff member and professional emergency personnel. Supported Living Services staff (Support Specialists) shall coordinate the provision of the emergency assistance systems, and provide the necessary training in efforts to ensure that the individuals are capable to use their personal emergency assistance system.

Supported Living Services staff (Support Specialists) shall assist the individual to develop and maintain an emergency back-up list of persons who will assist them during emergency situations. A formal support network of paid and/or non-paid persons (unpaid circle of support network) shall be developed to provide emergency assistance during urgent situations (i.e. attendant staff does not report to work or other acute, non-life threatening situation or medical need). The formal support network may include Supported Living Services staff (Support Specialist), family members, neighbors, friends, and others committed to assisting the individual.

Supported Living Services staff shall assist each individual to develop an individual disaster plan. The plan will include identification and duties of responsible parties, emergency phone numbers of the responsible staff members, physicians, family members, and others committed to assisting the individual during emergencies, health and medication information, and personal needs and equipment information. Each individual will be advised to maintain emergency supplies within their home. Emergency supplies will, at the minimum, include: stored food, bottled water, a first aid kit, flashlights and batteries. Further, Prescription medication is filled 7 days in advance of exhausting any current prescriptions. Therefore, individuals will have at least a 7-day supply of medication on hand at all times.

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Mobility Assistance (Mobility Training, Community Accessing and Safety Skills)

Services will assist with training individuals that use either the bus, Metrolink and/or Metrorail systems to get to and from their jobsites or programs and recreational activities (malls, grocery stores, movie theaters, etc.) on a daily basis. Individuals will also be exposed to other modes of transportation such as Access Services, Uber, Lift, or other available transportation systems.

An extensive initial assessment is conducted while accessing the community with the individual. This will determine the level of training the individual needs, as well as the barriers they face meeting those needs.

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Court Intervention Assistance

The SMILE Group, LLC provides support to those individuals who have ongoing court issues. The SMILE Group, LLC  will provide progress reports to the courts, attorneys, and probation officers as needed. The SMILE Group will also also assists individuals with filing restraining orders, eviction hearings, and children custody hearings.

It should be noted that The SMILE Group, LLC NOT A LEGAL SERVICE.

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