PROGRAMS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH HEAD AND SPINAL CORD INJURIES (HASCI)
The Disabilities Board of Charleston County (DBCC) offers services and supports for qualified individuals who have suffered a head or spinal cord injury, not only in Charleston, but also in Dorchester, Berkeley, and Colleton counties. Eligibility determination is done by the SC Department of Disabilities and Special Needs (SCDDSN). Click here for more information about applying for services and eligibility criteria, or visit the SCDDSN website at http://www.ddsn.sc.gov/consumers/divisions/Pages/HASCI.aspx .
SCDDSN provides funding for services to eligible individuals. Services that may be available include service coordination, home modification, personal assistance / attendant care, occupational and physical therapy, adaptive equipment, and more. In addition to service coordination and help accessing these services, DBCC offers three HASCI programs: the Community Opportunities Center, the VIP program, and Rehabilitation Supports.
The HASCI Community Opportunities Center is a community-based drop-in center for individuals with head and spinal cord injuries. It provides Internet access, socialization opportunities, and community inclusion activities. The Center supports participants through a short-term, goal-oriented program designed to maximize the individual’s skills and talents, to help the person develop and maintain valued adult roles in the community.
The HASCI Vocational Interests and Productivity Program (VIP) targets individuals who have moderate to severe cognitive or physical impairments resulting from traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury. The VIP program focuses on prevocational experiences to prepare the individual for formal vocational rehabilitation. By identifying and pursuing personal interests, building work-related skills, and participating in volunteer experiences, the individual can explore how his or her disability impacts employment options, empowering the person to make informed employment decisions.
HASCI Rehabilitation Supports are interventions and assistant provided to improve a condition associated with the person’s injury, or to promote or retain an optimal level of functioning. Rehabilitation Supports are provided in the person’s home or in the community. Individual goals and objectives are developed based on assessed and prioritized needs in the areas of personal care, cognitive / independent living skills, medication management and symptom reduction, health and nutrition, self -esteem, coping skills, personal responsibility and self -direction, social skills and positive interactions with others, and community living and peer relationships. The Rehabilitation Supports program is a way for people with head and spinal cord injuries to learn greater independence, make choices, and experience the benefits of community living.
For more information about any of the services and supports available through the HASCI programs, please contact the HASCI Community Opportunities Coordinator at (843) 852-5550.