How Journey21 Fits with National Trends for Adults with IDD
[By Mark Olson, father to two daughters, ages 17 and 26, who have significant intellectual and developmental disabilities. Mark also is Founder, President & CEO of LTO Ventures, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides consulting and project management services to organizations around the US like Journey21. LTO Ventures presently has 11 projects in 7 states in various stages of development, including its own live/work/play community outside of San Antonio, Texas.]
There are more than 7.4 million adults with IDD in the U.S. and only 16% of them live in a home of their own. Most still live in their family homes but that presents another problem because more than 1 million of them live with caregivers aged 60 or older who themselves may soon need caregivers.
There are more than 300 intentional communities operating around the U.S. Journey21 is one of more than 50 projects in development around the US creating supportive residential solutions for adults with IDD.
Journey21 Founders Sheila and Susan tasked our firm from the beginning to take what we knew about best practices, innovative ideas, and the needs and wants of adults with IDD and their families to help them create Journey21. What follows highlights some of these trends and demonstrates how they have been incorporated into Journey21's community:
1. SAFETY AND SECURITY - Parents can have peace of mind knowing their sons and daughters are safe in a community setting that is accessed-controlled including individual residences, common areas, and the grounds themselves. We will utilize smart home technologies monitored 24/7 by Journey21 staff.
2. HIGH QUALITY SUPPORTIVE RESIDENCES - Residents will have a choice of condos or cottages that have been thoughtfully designed and constructed using evidence-based research developed and tested for housing for adults with IDD. The most common settings in the past for adults with IDD have been group homes that were forced by their model to emphasize cost-efficiency over quality.
3. COMMUNITY WITH A CAPITAL "C" - Journey21 will end loneliness and isolation for its residents. From the Great Room at the core of the condo building to the pocket neighborhood design that prioritizes people over cars, to communal dining, and of course, the Enrichment Center - Journey21 is designed to fulfill the social and emotional connections our sons and daughters so desire.
4. HEALTH AND WELLBEING - Just like the non-disabled population, fitness and diet produce happier and healthier individuals, as well as fewer behavioral and medical problems. From the exercise room in the condo building, to outdoor sport courts, pathways around the property, the sport courts inside the Enrichment Center, and of course, the meals prepared in our Kitchen, Journey21 has placed an emphasis on healthy living.
5. COMMUNITY INTEGRATION - It is a priority of Journey21 to see its residents working, volunteering, getting more education, and enjoying the greater community. On any given weekday mid-morning or mid-afternoon, you should be able to stand in the middle of the condo building or greenspace and hear crickets because residents are out and engaged in the community.
6. COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIPS - Our Gap and Needs Analysis identified a lack of a multi-purpose space in this area as well as few evening and weekend programs. We have exchanged ideas with the YMCA down the street, for example, and with several local nonprofits to explore how we can work together.
7. EQUITY AND SUSTAINABILITY - The Journey21 condos and cottages will be for-sale units. This is a relatively new concept in housing for IDD. Ownership provides permanence that leasing does not, as well as creates an asset that can be a financial resource later in the life of the adult with IDD. Our model also emphasizes financial self-sustainability and a proforma that isn't dependent on government funding or donations to survive.
8. GROWTH AND INDEPENDENCE - Too many settings today are more about housing and not purpose-built to foster personal growth and independence. The Journey21 community is designed for both.
9. HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIGNITY - A phrase I often use to express my belief system is that adults with IDD have the human and civil rights to live, work, play, socialize, recreate, love, learn, and worship in the setting and manner of their choosing. Journey21 has created a community model that gives the residents agency and dignity.