The Supervised Apartment Living (SAL) Program provides independent living skills training and ongoing support for people who have developmental disabilities or chronic mental illness. Counselors conduct an Independent Living Skills Assessment, and, with an interdisciplinary team, develop a goal and learning objectives that address needed skill development. Clients receive varying intensities of service depending on their needs, the maximum being about an hour per day and the minimum about an hour per week.

In some cases, the clients live in apartments located near the counselor’s apartment in the same complex. Clients have contact with their counselor daily, but they must be capable of managing a significant amount of free time. Clients are encouraged to work or participate in daytime programming, but neither activity is required. These apartments are often leased by our agency.

In other cases, clients rent their own apartments anywhere in town. Clients receive assistance in finding an apartment, and some clients may still require a payee to assist with money management. These clients have a visiting counselor who might not live near them. They therefore must be capable of managing most of their time independently, with one or two areas in which skill training is required.

Common areas of skill development throughout the program include:

• cooking
• cleaning
• laundry
• keeping appointments
• managing leisure time
• getting along with neighbors and peers
• personal hygiene
• getting up on time for work
• using public transportation

There are a wide variety of other training objectives that can be developed based on individual needs and desires.

Contact Rusty Goins at 319-892-5620.