On site, our friends enjoy a pleasant base site where we have over 17,000 sq. ft. to spread out and participate in a wide variety of activities. We recently completed extensive renovations to our building and property. We now have a serenity garden and a gazebo with picnic tables; we have added several new classrooms, an art room and a dance room; and, we have expanded our kitchen so it is now a beautiful, full size classroom. We also have a spacious gymnasium where we enjoy organized sports and other gross motor activities. While on campus, we enjoy educational classes, arts and crafts, cooking, choir, music, games, reading, Zumba, Round Table discussion groups, and drama classes. We tackle important "social-emotional" lessons such as how to be a strong self-advocate; how to be a good friend; how to help each other and work as a team; how to handle life's challenges with grace; and, how to respect and celebrate each other's similarities and differences. We also work on improving our activities of daily living (ADLs) and life skills, such as learning and practicing good hygiene, and planning a nutritious meal. Participants in our prevocational program learn and implement diverse job skills in preparation for employment by operating an on-site concessions stand called the "Snack Shack" as well as participating in job skills-building workshops.
Our residential program offers the "Family Caregiver/PCA" option to individuals who are enrolled in the Comprehensive (DD) Medicaid waiver. Our program is small so we can provide personalized attention and supports. Our goal is to protect the health, safety, and quality of life of our participants and their families alike. Please note that we do not offer Host Homes or Group Homes at this time.
Family caregiver/PCA
We venture out into the community in small groups so we can explore Wheat Ridge and the surrounding Denver metro area. We have developed some amazing community partnerships that enable us to engage in our community - and with community members - in interesting and meaningful ways. Healthy living is important to us, so our friends get plenty of fresh air and exercise. We take nature hikes, enjoy outdoor sports, eat lunch at many beautiful parks in Wheat Ridge and Arvada, go swimming and bowling, and take and teach cycling classes at the YMCA. We manage a garden, which we tend to from seed to harvest. We keep our minds active and healthy by visiting interesting places and learning lots of new things. For example, we go to museums, do research at the library, take tours of local companies, and much, much more. In fact, we make everything we do an educational adventure.
We also provide one-on-one job development, job coaching, and customized competitive employment services. We believe in meeting our friends right where they are and working with them to discover what their employment goals are. We learn about which skills they already have and which skills they may need to develop. Our job coaches help our friends look for the right job where they will be happy, successful, and supported. We visit job sites, do job trials to see if they like the work, fill out job applications, and practice for job interviews -- all of this with the support of our dedicated job coaches.
in the community
ABC is open Monday-Friday all year long. We are approved by the State of Colorado to provide the following services: Specialized Habilitation; Supported Community Connection; Residential IRSS; Respite; Mentorship; Transportation; Prevocational; and, Supported Employment.