Group Homes

MCAR, Inc.’s Group Home program provides residential settings for individuals with mental retardation from age eighteen and up. Each home has twenty-four hour day staff supervision. Some homes also have additional staff persons to assist with meeting the needs of the individuals residing there. Each group home has three or four individuals residing in them and in most homes each individual has his or her own room.

MCAR owns each of the homes and maintains them to the highest quality. Individuals residing in the group homes are encouraged to personalize their room and the rest of the home to their liking.

MCAR’s Group Home program offers a safe and secure home for the residents while encouraging them to develop skills to become as independent as possible. The staff assists the individuals in all areas of daily living skills - socialization, medical issues, community integration and finances. The ideal goal for every resident is to become as independent as possible in every aspect of his/her life thereby minimizing the need for dependence upon others. However, where it is evident that long-term assistance is needed, that assistance will be planned for and provided.

Each home is supervised by a Residential Program Director I who coordinates each individual’s services and supervises the direct service staff. The MCAR group homes operate according to the policies and procedures of MCAR, Inc. and of the Department of Public Welfare, Office of Mental Retardation, Chapter 6400 Regulations for Community Homes.

Family Living

MCAR’s Family Living program provides residential services for an individual in a family setting instead of a group home. This program provides the opportunity for a person with mental retardation to develop and grow as part of a family unit and experience daily routines.

Families and individuals contract with MCAR, Inc. to provide this placement alternative. A Family Living Specialist coordinates all services for the individual and the families to assist in assuring a rewarding experience for all.

MCAR Family Living Homes are operated according to the policies and procedures of MCAR, Inc. and the Department of Public Welfare, Office of Mental Retardation, Chapter 6500 Regulations of Family Living.

Respite Care

The MCAR respite care program is designed to provide relief for families and guardians of individuals during those times of vacations, family stress, crisis and/or emergencies. An individual is limited to 31 days of respite care per calendar year.

Respite care services are provided in supervised group homes or in family living provider’s homes. All respite care sites are licensed through the Office of Mental Retardation. Staff and families providing supervision are trained to provide a safe and secure setting for the individual’s stay. MCAR also has a nurse who is on call twenty-four hours day if medical needs should arise.

The staff or host family will provide transportation for the individual while in respite. Any special needs will be arranged by MCAR to help assure a pleasant and happy respite care visit for the individual.

Requests for respite care services can be directed to the Residential Director or any Residential Program Director at MCAR. It is appreciated if the request is received at least two weeks in advance.

In Home Waiver

MCAR’s In-Home Waiver program provides staff interventions and support services for an individual within their natural home setting. The program provides an opportunity for a person with mental retardation to develop and grow within their existing family unit with the aid of intervention from trained professional staff.

This program provides family members the opportunity to receive training and skills to help enhance the skill development of their disabled family member. With the family and agency’s cooperative efforts, this program format eliminates the possibility of future placement outside of the home for the individual.

The family and the individual assist in process of selecting the direct care staff. The family and individual make the decision on who will be working with them in their home. MCAR trains and supervises all direct care staff with in this program format with input from the families.