First Group Home For Autistic Adults To Open This Month In Kitchener
For Immediate Release
June 21, 2017
(Kitchener, ON) – Sunbeam Centre responds to growing demand for adult supports. Sunbeam centre has operated in the Kitchener-Waterloo area for 61 years, and has often been at the forefront of development regarding new or rejuvenated services for those in our community who have developmental and other complex challenges in their day to day lives. Sunbeam Centre has maintained its original focus of providing residential supports to children and adults with complex needs, while expanding services to include clinical and outreach services to our community and recently, residential supports for adults with autism.
The Ministry of Community and Social Services provided funding to allow Sunbeam Centre to open a new four bed house that will be home to four young men who happen to have autism spectrum disorder along with medical concerns. With its long standing medical expertise and newly developed skills working with people who have autism, Sunbeam Centre is very well suited to operate this unique home which is slated to be fully occupied in July.
The home was given some upgrades to meet the individual needs of its occupants. The home’s features and staffing supports are customized to ensure that each of the residents has great opportunity to learn new skills, engage with others and become contributing members of the community.
Adults living with complex medical needs have historically struggled to experience many of the benefits associated with living in community, (whether because traditional institutional settings have not prioritized it, or their needs are such that they cannot physically or cognitively navigate their surroundings. These scenarios are incredibly complex to support, as each individual situation is vastly different from the next. This new group home will provide an opportunity for these adults, who would not have previously been eligible for Sunbeam’s services, to experience a sense of independence and freedom to explore and share their own unique gifts.
“We will continue to work with our partner agencies, the Province and the community to try and address the on-going and growing support needs in our community”, says Bob Butella, Executive Director for Sunbeam Centre.
About Sunbeam Centre: Sunbeam is a multi-site, multi-faceted organization providing residential care, day programming and other services for individuals with developmental, physical & emotional impairments. Additionally Sunbeam offers outreach services to individuals, families and agencies across Southwestern Ontario. www.sunbeamcentre.ca
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Press Coverage
KWNow – Sunbeam Centre Opens First Group Home For Autistic Adults
KW Record – Group Home For Adults with Autism Opens In Kitchener
