Supported Living - Supportive Living in The US

Supportive Living in The US

Supportive/ed living has been defined in diverse ways in the US, including one early definition by the state of Oregon:

"Supported living is defined as persons with disabilities living where and with whom they want, for as long as they want, with the ongoing support needed to sustain that choice."

"Supported living...it's simplicity is elegant. A person with a disability who requires long-term publicly funded, organized assistance, allies with an agency whose role is to arrange or provide whatever assistance is necessary for the person to live in a decent and secure home of the person's own."

As a form of community living development, supportive/ed living became identified with certain approaches to services and community, including the own home initiatives. These services involved an understanding of "formal" and "informal support" (and their relationship), and changes from "group thinking" approaches (i.e., ten intermediate care facilities for 15 persons each) to planning services for, with and by the person "targeted to be served." For example:

"Supportive living represents a movement within the (intellectual and) developmental disabilities field to provide support services in regular housing to adults with disabilities. Direct support services can be provided by paid staff, including live-in roommates or boarders, paid neighbors, a person hired as an attendant, a support worker or personal assistant, as well as more traditional agency and (modified) shift(live-in) staffing. Professionals, friends, families, and other "informal supports" can also assist people to live in their homes. Supported living may be joined to a movement toward decent, affordable and accessible housing."

Supportive/ed living in the US has multiple known origins, including:

• The development of a service category of community living for people deemed capable of more independent living (also known as semi-independent living).

• As a major reform initiative in the US to provide more choices, more integrated and more regular homes and apartments for people with the "most severe disabilities".

• As part of organizational studies during that period (i.e., programs, agencies, and to some extent, state, regional and county systems), including differentiating family support for children and supportive living for adults.

• As state reform and development to a supportive living approach, involving new service structures, program development and financing.

• As a federal initiative to define and fund supportive living (and services and supports, such as personal care, respite care, environmental modifications, case management, chore services, companion services, skilled nursing, supportive living coach).

• As provider and agency accounts, and organizational development (e.g., leadership, person-centered, individualized and flexible support services).

• As part of the movement toward direct support professional and community support workers in the US and other countries such as Canada.

• As parent and "service user" accounts of supported living, homes and support services, and as linking with self-advocacy efforts in states in the US.

• As linking with independent living as supportive living in the community for "special population groups" or persons then "deemed in need of institutional settings", including nursing homes.

• Finally, as federal, state and provider term applying to "all sorts" of community based living services (i.e., intellectual and developmental disabilities field). Recently, in one state that term even referred to a segregated residential campus, including for children, the antithesis of supportive living ideals and principles.