DOWN HOME RANCH

Too often, people with IDD are defined by their diagnosis and limitations. After high school, they tend to become socially isolated due and have little interaction with people outside their family. They also have fewer vocational opportunities open to them, since many companies misperceive people with IDD as needing too much support to be successful. Adults with any form of disability are half as likely to find employment as their peers and those with IDD fare the worst--nine out of 10 are unemployed. Socially marginalized and with few career opportunities, adults with IDD can struggle to achieve a meaningful, joy-filled life.

Unless they live at Down Home Ranch.

Down Home Ranch is on a mission to empower the lives of people with IDD through social, educational, residential and vocational opportunities (SERV).

Down Home Ranch is an integrated service delivery program for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). In 2018, DHR provided care and enrichment to a diverse community of 158 program participants. Empowering the lives of people with IDD through innovative social, educational, residential and vocational programming, DHR propels personal growth while providing superior care and community integration. Program participants were served in the following four programs-

Residential: DHR supports both shared and independent (without staff) residential choices for people living with IDD and provides a diverse range of housing options centered around the unique needs of each client. Independent living at the Ranch includes six one-person micro-homes and two double-occupancy homes. All living options help create a “tribe” for residents. Friendships are formed, and DHR has a community within the community that allows clients to grow and share with others facing similar experiences. In addition to a large, private bedroom (or private home) with modern amenities, DHR Residential services also include access to quality, full-time nursing services, onsite counseling, and case management; food services and nutrition planning; and transportation to scheduled appointments with medical professionals.

Day Program: DHR's day program fosters a sense of community and encourages social connection while supporting the development of autonomy, self-determination, self-advocacy and leadership skills. Lifelong learning is a critical component of personal growth. DHR’s programming focuses on providing appropriately ambitious goals, challenging objectives, high-quality instruction and related supports and services needed to fully engage in meaningful personal growth. Beyond traditional day programming, every client is encouraged to participate in the larger surrounding community through outings, day trips and volunteer opportunities at partner agencies like nursing homes, animal shelters, food banks and other nonprofit organizations. As the larger community integration has grown, DHR clients have been embraced by the surrounding communities.

Ranch Camp: Camp is a week-long, overnight summer camp for adults. There are so many opportunities to learn new skills and make new friends. Days are filled with camp songs, swimming, arts and crafts, hanging with the Ranch animals, roasting marshmallows, paddling a boat, hiking and tons of fun! It's everything summer camp should be - and so much more.

Respite: The DHR respite program gives caretakers the opportunity to take a break while their loved one visits a real Texas Ranch! Respite services provide short term assistance to caregivers by providing staff oversight and supervision with daily living tasks. Respite can be from 2 to 14 days in length; options are based on availability. The service can be provided in either a group home setting with trained live-in staff or in an independent setting.

The 410 acres that make up Down Home Ranch is the perfect environment for living, learning and experiencing community. We have the capacity for thirty seven individuals to live on the Ranch. We have additional capacity in the city of Elgin for ten more residents. We have a best in class day program that is conducted onsite for our residents and those in the community that benefit from our services. We maintain a 8 to 1 staffing ratio to ensure the people we serve are engaged in the activities that they choose.

Our Enterprise program is the backbone of the onsite work program. We have employment opportunities in horticulture, animal husbandry, Inn keepers, wood working, laser operations, development, administration and food preparation. We provide an atmosphere that mirrors the traditional processes for applying for a job, interviewing and accepting positions. We have job coaching that provides the individuals with the support they need to be successful. Our onsite employment are real jobs that require commitment and professionalism. All of our positions pay at least minimum wage.

We have partnered with the local community to provide employment opportunities in the city for the people that want to work off the Ranch. We use the same job coaching process to ensure the resident becomes proficient in the required job duties.

Having a great place to live and work that provides a high level of socialization is what makes Down Home Ranch unique.

Down Home Ranch's residential program has increased from 32 to 44 residents. We have the capacity to accept 3 more residents. We opened up our day program to non-residents and now serve a total of 54 people. We increase staff so we could maintain an 1 to 8 staffing ratio. We created an independent living program that uses two bedroom cottages and micro-houses to provide living opportunities that meet the needs of the individual.

We updated our mission statement and changed our logo to reflect the change in vision and culture of the organization. We are focused on individual choice and building community.

The future of the organization lies in the surrounding communities. We will be opening day programs in different cities around the Ranch to ensure we are providing opportunities to people who cannot come to us. There is a need in these communities for all of the services we have to offer and we will be providing them. The Ranch will be the hub for everything we do as we grow. The people we serve will have the opportunity to choose where they want to receive services on a daily basis. It will be through their decisions that the organization will grow its programs.