Willows Way, Inc.

People of all abilities have the opportunity to experience a sense of home, a feeling of security and an avenue for personal growth.

Willows Way has four different programs to provide support to people with Developmental Disabilities. In our Independent Supported Living program we provide 24/7 support in 1 to 4 person homes. Supports are developed based on individualized needs and focus on many interest areas such as: recreational, social, medical, personal care, transportation or financial/budget planning. Our Realities program provides up to eight hours per week of support based on an individuals need. Individualized Skills Development (formerly Home Skills Development) offers services primarily designed for clients not yet living independently and is funded by the Department of Mental Health. Many clients receiving Individualized Skills Development services also receive Community Integration services. Together, these wraparound services support the individual to build independent living skills while developing friendships and community connections. These services support success for individual’s planning a future move to independent living services. Our RISE program (Reaching Independence Through Social Engagement) is designed by participants and qualified staff, and focuses on social, educational, and physical activities. Individuals also volunteer at various places in the community, visit local tourist sites and attend exciting community events throughout St. Charles and St. Louis.

Willows Way is structured to meet the staffing and oversight requirements outlined in our funder contracts and supported by industry best practice standards through ongoing accreditation. Inherent in our processes are steps to ensure the individual served is supported in their individual goal achievements. From our Board of Directors to our Direct Support Professional staff our mission is supported by our four principal values of Teamwork, Respect, Integrity and Person-Centeredness.

In each of our programs, we have accomplished a number of our goals including implementing internet based systems to enhance quality of services and ease of documentation and data analysis for our staff and funders. We utilize these internet based systems to track client progress toward goals, monitor medication administration, as well as to insure scheduling of quality staffing. Our Quality of Service surveys reflect high levels of satisfaction from those we serve and their families. Each fiscal year, we develop goals and milestones for each program and will continue to do so. Our overall goal is to work on higher retention of our Direct Support Professionals so that our clients experience consistency in their caregivers.