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a Tradition of Excellence
The SARAH Story
SARAH Tuxis Residential Services was created in 1990 as the result of the
reorganization of SARAH. (Shoreline Association of Retarded &
Handicapped) The SARAH Board faced with rapid organizational
growth, wanted to find a lasting way to maintain the agency's 30 year tradition of
excellence. The SARAH Board of Directors therefore recommended, and the SARAH
membership approved, the division of the large multifaceted agency into three separate
agencies. This created one agency providing employment and day program supports and two
residential agencies providing housing supports to persons with disabilities. SARAH
Inc. is the vocational agency and SARAH Seneca and SARAH Tuxis are the
residential agencies. When the division occurred it provided for three separate boards of
directors. In many cases these directors were SARAH members who's sons or daughters were
participants in the various SARAH programs.
Our Growth
SARAH Tuxis began by supporting 24 people in 6 group homes. We employed just under
40 staff and had a budget of approximately $1,450,000. Thirteen years later we
serve 66 people. A total of 30 people live in 8 group homes. Nineteen more people live in
supported living settings. In addition to these residential settings we also support
persons living with their families. At any given time we also support a number of younger
families with our school advocacy services. We now employ over 165 staff and have a budget
of approximately $3,900,000. We have also expanded our services to support inclusion of
persons with disabilities in a variety of community settings. New consultation services
provide training and on-going supports to agencies and individuals invested in person
centered planning throughout Connecticut.
Philosophy put into Practice
While the agency grew in numbers, it matured in its operating philosophy as well. Six
years ago a person centered planning process was introduced. Its implementation throughout
the agency has transformed the way we support the people we serve. The previous planning
system reflected a clinical approach to persons with disabilities and often overemphasized
their deficiencies. The current system puts the dreams and choices of the individuals we
support at the center of our attention. The quality of our support plans has improved as
staff have become more skilled at listening to the individuals they support and because
we've developed better planning tools. Our PATH plans help us not only in our
residential settings, but work particularly well with families outside of our homes. We
assist them in identifying what their hopes and dreams are and ways to realize them. In
some cases we've used our PATH plans to identify needs that we've been able to pay
for ourselves. Through fund raising dollars generated from our SARAH Endowment Foundation
we've assisted families with staff supports and adaptive equipment.
Partnership
SARAH Tuxis and SARAH Seneca work cooperatively to address the needs of
approximately SARAH waiting list families. We are somewhat unique in this regard as few
agencies like ours around the state have a waiting list at all and few as large. Our
agencies are also particularly family oriented. This comes from both the SARAH
tradition and as a consequence of being a member of The Arc, (formerly the Association of Retarded
Citizens). This national organization with state and local membership not only advocates
for persons with mental retardation but also strongly supports the roles families play in
the process. We have as well developed partnerships with a wide variety of other community
agencies to build more inclusive supports for the individuals we serve.
Spring 2003