RESIDENTIAL SERVICES

Keeping families together is an important priority of the Disabilities Board of Charleston County (DBCC). However, when the need for residential placement is unavoidable, providing safe, appropriate places for people with disabilities to live is one of the most important missions of the Disabilities Board of Charleston County. These are very special places: apartments and homes providing quality supervision and support to enable individuals to live successfully in the community.
Residential supports through DBCC are available only to persons who have been determined to be eligible for services from the SC Department of Disabilities and Special Needs (SCDDSN). Admission to a DBCC operated residential setting requires the approval of the SCDDSN. For more information about applying for services and eligibility, please click here. Most individuals who are approved for residential placement by SCDDSN have their placement funded through the SCDDSN Home and Community Based Medicaid Waiver. For more information about funding for services, please click here.
DBCC operates a wide variety of residential placements, each of which provides a different array of services and supports, to meet individual needs. Each setting is licensed by the SC Department of health and Environmental Control, based upon state and / or federal standards and regulations. Every person supported in our residential program has an individualized plan of supports, to assure that needed supports are provided.
The employees who work in our residential facilities must pass rigorous background checks prior to being hired. All employees complete eight days of training before working in the residences, and must complete ongoing training at least annually.

INTERMEDIATE CARE FACILITIES (ICF)

DBCC operates one eight-bed Intermediate Care Facility. ICFs are licensed by SCDHEC, under strict federal guidelines. A Qualified Mental Retardation Professional, or QMRP, manages and administers the facility, assuring 24-hour-a-day services and supports. The ICF provides services designed to meet all identified needs of the individual. A team of professionals assesses each individual’s strengths and needs for supports, to design programs and to instruct direct care staff in the implementation of programs. A full array of professional services is available, based upon the individual’s needs, including dietary services, physical, occupational, and speech therapies, behavior supports, psychiatry, assistive technology, and nursing. Our medical director visits the home regularly and acts as the primary care physician for each resident.
Our ICF residence provides a private bedroom for each individual, a large common area, and family-style dining. Individuals who live in our ICF home participate in adult day programs five days a week, unless medically contraindicated. Our staff members provide transportation to work, recreational activities, and medical appointments.
Funding for services in ICF homes is from a combination of federal and state funds. People in an ICF do not qualify for the Medicaid Waiver program, but are funded through state Medicaid funds.

COMMUNITY RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITIES (CRCF)

The CRCF homes operated by DBCC are state-funded facilities that are staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Each of our CRCF homes houses eight individuals. Most people have private bedrooms, and the residents share family-style living and dining areas. A state-licensed administrator manages each home, providing staff supervision and assists with development of the individualized support plan. Room and board, paid by the resident from public benefits, covers basic needs, including meals and snacks, rent, and routine household and personal hygiene supplies. Menus are developed by a registered dietician and prepared by the facility staff. Individuals receive help with activities of daily living as needed. Nursing oversight of medical needs is provided in these facilities.
Individuals who live in our CRCF homes participate in adult day programs five days a week, unless medically contraindicated. Our staff members provide transportation to work, recreational activities, and medical appointments. The administrator assures that routine and special medical needs are met.
CRCF homes are monitored by the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control and by SCDDSN.

COMMUNITY TRAINING HOMES II (CTH II)

The largest residential program operated by DBCC is the CTH II program. A community training home is a single family home in a residential neighborhood that is licensed by SCDHEC based upon standards developed by SCDDSN, designed to provide training and support to individuals with disabilities that will allow them to live in and participate in the life of the community. The CTH II homes are three- to four-bed group homes located in all parts of Charleston County. Residents of CTH II homes have private bedrooms and share the living areas of the home. The homes are staffed 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, by trained staff. A CTH II Coordinator supervises and directs the activities of the staff and assures that an appropriate individualized support plan is implemented to fulfill the needs of each resident. Meals, assistance with activities of daily living, transportation, and housekeeping are provided. Residents of CTH II homes may hold competitive employment, attend center-based adult day programs, or participate in non-vocational day programs, depending on the skills and needs of the person.
Supports for most people who live in our CTH II homes are funded through the Home and Community Based Medicaid Waiver. The Waiver provides a budget for each person that covers specific needs for services, ranging from psychological services to personal care items. Residents also pay room and board fees which cover meals and snacks, rent, and routine household and personal hygiene supplies.

COMMUNITY TRAINING HOME I (CTH I)

CTH I placements operate under the same licensing regulations as the CTH II program, and homes are licensed and monitored by SCDHEC and SCDDSN just as in CTH II. A CTH I placement, however, is a licensed private home. The caregiver contracts with DBCC to provide live-in supports to one or two individuals with disabilities. The caregiver provides a comfortable, well-furnished private bedroom for each resident, and supervises, trains, and assists the individuals with routine activities, including activities of daily living, doctor’s appointments, medications, and recreational activities. Great care is taken to ensure that the caregiver and the individual are a good match. Many individuals in our CTH I program have lived with the same caregiver for many years.
A CTH I Coordinator monitors the individuals and the conditions in the home, visiting at a minimum once a month, and assuring that an appropriate individual plan of care is implemented. The CTH I Coordinator assists the caregiver with accessing community supports, including medical care, as needed. Individuals in CTH I placements typically participate in day program activities five days a week.

SUPPORTED LIVING PROGRAM (SLP)

The SLP Program is an apartment-living program that provides supported living for individuals who have a greater degree of independence. These SLP placements are not staffed 24-hours daily, due to the skill level and degree of independence of the people who live in them. The residents are responsible for much of his or her personal household and operating chores, like paying bills, washing dishes, preparing meals, and managing daily needs.
DBCC’s SLP II program is located in North Charleston. DBCC owns ten condominiums which are rented by two or three individuals each. There is an onsite office, and a DBCC staff member is always available within a 15-minute response time, to provide assistance if needed. The staff and the SLP Coordinator help the residents improve their independent living skills and provide support for more complex tasks, such as assuring appropriate medical care, ordering medications, and balancing checkbooks. Some transportation is available, but residents are encouraged to use public transit.
In the SLP I program, the resident rents his or her own apartment in the community, living in their own homes and holding competitive employment. The individual is responsible for managing day-to-day activities independently, but the SLP Coordinator helps with tasks as needed, to assure that the person’s needs are met. The people who live in the SLP I setting are very independent and require minimal support to ensure success in that environment.