Community Associates is a division of the Counseling Service of Addison County that provides services to people with developmental disabilities living in Addison County. While the services provided are different for each individual depending upon need, all are based upon the belief that all people can experience rewarding and gratifying lives in their community.

The Goal of Community Associates

It is the goal of Community Associates to help find ways for people to be active participants and valued members of their community. The role of Community Associates is to help people learn skills and build the relationships they need  to live a happier and more satisfying life. To accomplish this, we offer a wide array of support services to people with varying degrees of disability. Services are individually tailored to meet the specific needs of each person, and may include one or several of the services we offer.

Services Provided by Community Associates:

Eligibility Determination Assistance:
Eligibility criteria is established by the State of Vermont. Basically, an individual must have: an IQ of 70 or below; or a diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Disorder; and in either case, must also have substantial deficits in adaptive behavior. For help with the process of establishing eligibility please call our Intake Coordinator at (802) 388-4021. 

Educational, Social and Recreational opportunities:
Community Associates offers activity calendars, training announcements and helpful contacts for families caring for children and adults with developmental disabilities. Classes are periodically offered in expressive arts; healthy relationships and sexuality; self-defense;  nutrition and cooking; dance and drumming; and many others. Social opportunities include: adaptive horseback riding; swimming; weekly sing -along; dances; gym activities; and many others.We also have groups for both women and men.

School age benefits:

• Flexible Family Funding (FFF) is limited funding made available to families according to an income sliding scale. It is intended to provide assistance to families for the care of a child (or an adult) living with them who has a developmental disability, Medicaid, and is not receiving waiver services from us. The application is easy and utilization of the funds is broad. Our Family Services Coordinator will assist you with an application for FFF.
• Personal Care Services are potentially available to children under the age of 21 living with their natural or adoptive family who may be eligible for a Personal Care Assistant. This individual works according to a schedule established by the family to assist with training and support in daily living skills. The Intake Coordinator can help families fill out the application and assessment for this Medicaid funded program.
• Transition Services: Families with a school age adolescent (ages 14-22), can receive individual planning to enhance the student’s IEP in such areas as community participation; residential services; continuing education; and vocational services and employment. Groups and mentoring relationships are additional ways in which parents and adolescents can be supported during this time of important decisions.
• Family Support: Family support provides the necessary help the family needs to enable their family member to live at home. These services typically include funding for respite care and Service Coordination

Residential Services:
For people who need help with living arrangements, Community Associates works with individuals, their families, and their guardians to identify, develop, and support the type of residence that best meets the person's needs. Individual matches with contracted Shared Living Providers, hourly staffed support for individuals living in apartments, living with peers in our two 5-person group homes.

Case Management Services:
Case Management involves the coordination of many services designed to support the person's involvement in the mainstream of the community. Services include medical, financial, social, recreational, educational, legal, vocational, residential, and others.

Service Coordination:
Service Coordination is similar to case management. It involves developing a service plan with the person and their team to help the person identify hope and dreams, attain  desired goals, build skills, and receive appropriate care: accessing needed services from the agency and from community providers. Additional supports from Service Coordination includes assistance in maintaining benefits for which the person is eligible, oversight of direct service providers, monitoring of contractors. Coordination of emergency services when needed.

Employment:
Our Employment Services offer a full spectrum of individualized vocational services for people. This includes vocational assessment and evaluation, job development, on the job training and follow-up, and long term supported employment.

Community Integration Services:
We offer individualized community based services, which provide people with the opportunity to develop skills and explore and develop their individual interests and talents within the community.

Contact us

Community Associates
109 Catamount Park
Middlebury, Vermont 05753
Phone (802) 388-4021

Emergency Services Phone (802) 388-7641