FACES: For People with Developmental Disabilities

FACES - Facilitating, Advocacy, Care, Education, & Shelter
LSG has developed programs designed to keep adults , adolescents and children with disabilities in their communities.  Primarily serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, these programs seek to provide participants with a meaningful life by giving them guidance, encouragement, and support. This is accomplished in one of the following models:

   Host Homes: provided by Companions wishing to open their home to welcome individuals with disabilities who might not have family or the means to support themselves in their own home. The Support Companion makes every effort to help the individual feel that this is his or her home and offer a nurturing home setting. The Support Companion becomes a catalyst strengthening the individual's family and other support networks.  This generally assures the person is the singular focus of the Companion and helps the participant become part of the community readily.

     In-Home Supports:  in some areas, Participants; services are provided in their own or their family's home.  Often these individuals still have family or have the means to live in their own home if they receive basic support services.  The in-home Companions offer basic personal support care and by working together assist the Participant in developing strategies and supports to become active participants in their communities.  Some examples could be, but are not limited to, social outings, attendance in clubs or other activities of interest, trips to the library, or out shopping.

    Licensed Home Supports:  on a limited basis we provide supports in a licensed home where individuals with challenges share the home environment. We desire to have the primary Support companion live in the home with only limited addition of other direct support persons. Some individuals desire the activity and interaction of housemates being in the home; this can also mean less individualized focus at times.

  Day Support Services:  for some persons, we offer community based day supports to encourage their growth and the development of skills in the areas of employment, recreation, social, and independent living.  These services would be offered primarily in the community where the Participant lives or wants to become involved. For others in our program they may receive day services in facility based programs or school settings provided by other agencies or entities.

   Employment and Volunteer opportunities:  some of our participants hold jobs in the community either part time or full time depending upon their interest and job demands. Others have opportunities to volunteer in organizations or settings where they build relationships and develop skills that help them become valued members of those respective communities.

              We desire that our Participants have personally meaningful, fulfilling lives of their choosing. We accomplish this by cultivating and honoring their choices about where and with whom they live, spend their time and develop their interests in life and work.

Opportunities – we are seeking individuals and families who are interested in being trained and approved to provide support and companionship to individuals with developmental disabilities.  Typically our participants would share your home where they would be the only person served and thus would be the sole focus of the work.  Currently we are serving a variety of folks with various challenges. Participants will usually be involved in  activities through the day, whether that is school, a day service or other meaningful vocational or avocational activities. If your home is wheel chair accessible, you have medical training or experience, have experience or training in mental health or behavioral supports, or have a Support Companion who is a male role model in the home, or in some particular areas of the state, you may be especially interesting to us.

Our offices in Atlanta, Athens, Albany, Rome, and Savannah are expanding services into the DBHDD regions in which these cities are located.  If you are interested in pursuing this challenging and rewarding lifestyle, we want to hear from you.

For Recruiting (providing supports) contact Sherri Teixeira in the Savannah area at (912)353-8875, ext.14, or steixeira@lsga.org.  All other areas call Angela Buckem at 404-591-7065, or abuckem@lsga.org

For Intake (receiving services):Rome, contact Marty Willingham at 706-232-1696; Athens, contact Ryan Whitmire at 706-546-9730; Atlanta, contact Tammy Serwitz at 404-591-7044; Columbus,  Albany, contact Nancy Hannon at 229-432-7664; Savannah, contact Sherri Teixeira at 912-353-8875.