Roads to Community Living: Fact Sheet

What is Roads to Community Living?

Roads to Community Living (RCL) is a project created to help people with developmental disabilities who are thinking of moving from an institution (Residential Habilitation Center, nursing facility, or hospital) to a home in the community.  The project provides the planning, support, and services necessary for a successful transition.  The project is federally funded through the Money Follows the Person grant. Learn more. 

RCL Mission

RCL engages and collaborates with individuals, their families, community members, paid providers, and other involved people so that RCL participants can:

  • Make informed choices about where and how they would like to live
  • Live, work, play, and contribute in the community of their choice
  • Lead safe and healthy lives
  • Strengthen and enrich the communities in which they live

What RCL Offers

RCL provides support and services to individuals and their families who are considering or have decided to move from an RHC or other qualified setting to a home in the community. This can include helping a person and their family make a well-informed decision regarding where to live and what support would be needed to live successfully in the community. RCL helps the person make a smooth transition to the community by building collaborative partnerships with everyone involved in the person’s life.

Enhanced funding for additional help is available for one year after the person has moved into the community. These extra services and this flexible funding are tailored to the individual and family’s unique needs and desires.

Examples of additional help could include:

  • A person-centered plan that outlines the person’s strengths and needs, personal goals for community living and steps to get there;
  • Assistance finding a job in the community or developing a pathway to employment;
  • Obtaining assistive technology to facilitate mobility, communication, or other assessed needs;
  • Making environmental adaptation(s) or modifications to the home to meet the person’s unique needs;
  • Providing additional resources and training to staff members who work in community settings;

In addition, DDA provides for regular follow-up visits to make sure everything is going well and, if necessary, to make any changes to assure success.

The RCL team understands that successfully adjusting to community living can be difficult. In recognition of this, we will provide assistance to individuals experiencing behavioral challenges through the use of positive behavior support strategies. These supports could include the development of positive behavior support plans to address specific behaviors.

Who Can Participate?

Individuals who are eligible for participation in RCL :

  • Currently, live in an institutional setting.
  • Have lived there 60 consecutive days or more, and
  • Want to move to community-based housing.

Learn more...

Who can I contact?

The DDA Roads to Community Team

The RCL team is available to help with the process of making choices, finding homes, planning the transition,  and developing support and services for individuals who want to move from facility and institutional settings to a home in the community.

Tom Farrow is the Community Transition Unit Manager. The Transition Coordinator provides support and guidance to help individuals transition to the community. This includes coordinating resources statewide and ensuring people get what they need to be successful.

Ron Bryan is the RCL Quality Improvement Specialist. The Quality Improvement Specialist works with individuals, families, providers, community members, and state and county staff to determine what is working and what changes are needed so that individuals can successfully transition from institutional settings to the community.

Yoon Park is the RCL Behavior Analyst. The Behavioral Analyst helps individuals with behavioral challenges adjust to community living. He will analyze and help find the proper community setting, identify training needs for staff, and follow up with people to enhance their success.

Regional RCL Transitions Teams.  Each region has a transition team that helps RCL participants make a successful transition. An RCL Case Manager brings together the people and organizations who will help with individualized planning to support a successful transition for each person. The RCL Case Manager follows the person for the first year in the community.  RCL Case Managers and transition teams are supervised by Todd Vercoe in Region 1.  Alisa Rettenmier in Region 2.  And Priscilla Ogden in Region 3. 

Contact Information