Intellectual Disability Services
The News
Keystone Moldova English and Keystone Moldova Romanian
Keystone Human Services (KHS) is a non-profit organization that is a part of a global movement to provide support and expertise to people with disabilities.
Availability: Pennsylvania
Life Sharing provides people with the opportunity to grow, learn, and pursue their goals in a family environment. Families or individual people invite a person with a disability to join their family, providing the person with a home, the opportunity to live more independently and participate meaningfully in family and community life.
Life Sharing providers can be an unrelated family member or individual, or a member of the person’s biological family. Once you become a provider, you will be actively involved in the person’s life, responsible for providing support based on the person’s person-directed support plan.
Being a Life Sharing provider provides the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life and help them grow to be the best person he or she can be. Life Sharing providers are paid a daily stipend for their support and respite breaks are provided. “It’s a blessing to have someone join your family and be able to help them out. But more than giving, you get back from them when you see growth. It’s amazing to see where they are when they first come home and where they are today.” —Diane Clark, Life Sharing provider since 1991
Life Sharing providers are actively involved in the person’s life. You would offer assistance, support, and guidance in:
In other words, Life Sharing providers help people live an everyday life.
You can provide Life Sharing in your own home and invite the person to live with you or the person may invite you to move into their home.
To become a Life Sharing provider, you must:
Contact us to learn more about Life Sharing and how to apply to become a provider. You can call us at one of the phone numbers below and ask for the Life Sharing Director for that region in Pennsylvania or submit the online form.
Availability: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Moldova
Everyone who has the desire to work should have the opportunity to pursue and maintain competitive, meaningful employment. Supported Employment provides the support people need to successfully find and maintain a job.
Each person works with a certified Employment Specialist to develop a flexible, personalized employment plan, taking their vocational strengths and interests into account.
Through the Discovery process, each person evaluates their interests based on specific aspects of the job market, as well as their skills, strengths, and the conditions under which they work best.
During Job Development, Employment Specialists facilitate relationships between the person and their employer, and work to match the needs of the employer with the skills, strengths, needs, and interests of the person.
Once the person has secured a job, an Employment Specialist then provides systematic instruction to assist the person to learn the skills necessary to successfully perform that job. Through subsequent job coaching, each person receives support to meet employment expectations, address job-related issues as they may arise, and maintain long-term employment.
People may also receive assistance to develop a personal business or find employment based on a personal assessment process.
Availability: Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
In Residential Services, known as Community Living Arrangements in Connecticut, adults live in licensed or unlicensed KHS-owned or rented homes. Based on the idea that all people engage in lifelong learning, each person receives support to build or maintain the skills to live in the community, live more independently, and participate meaningfully in community life.
We take a person-directed approach and tailor services to each person’s goals and needs with respect for personal routines, rights, independence, privacy, and access to opportunities for personal growth.
Services include assistance, support, and guidance in:
Availability: Delaware and Pennsylvania (as part of Residential Services)
Designed to increase independence and inclusion in family and community life, Behavior Support Services focus on developing a person’s adaptive behaviors and functional skills.
Under supervision of a licensed psychologist, our professionals work with each person to develop a behavioral support plan based on the person’s strengths, challenges, and goals. On-going training is provided for each person, their family, and the staff supporting them.
Availability: Pennsylvania
Provided in a variety of integrated community locations, Community Participation Supports (CPS) provides each person with the opportunity to achieve their personally identified goals for community involvement and employment. Each person receives support within the community to explore and develop their interests, preferences, skills, and strengths, which may include:
Services are provided by direct support professionals for 4-6 hours per day, Monday through Friday.
Availability: Connecticut
The Community Companion Home model is a licensed foster care arrangement that offers adults with intellectual disability the opportunity to thrive in a home environment. After an extensive matching process managed by the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services, Key Human Services supports the families who open their homes to a new family member through this program.
We carefully monitor each home to ensure that appropriate services are in place and offer support and direction to the family. During the day, the new family member would be employed or enrolled in school, a vocational program, or a day program, as appropriate to their abilities and interests. The family actively participates in teaching self-care and social skills and provides a positive home environment. Each family receives financial reimbursement for opening their home and supporting the new family member.
Community Companion Homes are licensed and funded by the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services. For more information about the process and how to apply to be a family provider, visit https://portal.ct.gov/DDS/General/CCH/Community-Companion-Homes-CCH.
Availability: Connecticut
Adults receive support to achieve their goals related to work or community participation. Each person develops and implements a support plan to work toward those goals, which may include developing friendships, pursuing employment, participating in community activities, and learning other skills.
Availability: Connecticut
This flexible service varies based on each person’s living arrangement and unique needs. Adults who choose to live in an apartment setting receive support to build relationships, locate safe and affordable housing, find employment, and develop daily living skills.
Individuals living with their families receive comprehensive support, which may include developing a behavior plan, navigating medical appointments, providing transportation, mentoring a child or adult in recreational activities, and developing life skills.
Funding may be provided by the Department of Developmental Services, or by the Department of Children and Families in Connecticut, depending on eligibility.
Availability: New Jersey
Community-Based Services offer support for people to participate meaningfully within their community. Available at home or within the community, people pursue volunteer opportunities and other community activities and build their daily living skills.
Availability: Pennsylvania
In Supported Living, each person receives support to live in their own home, which they lease, rent, or own, and to acquire, maintain, or improve their skills to live more independently.
People may receive support in:
In addition, people may receive support to access community resources and participate in the community.
The type and amount of services a person needs are determined based on an assessment and the person-directed planning process. Services are designed to support the person to achieve their goals as stated in their individual support plan.
On-call staff are available 24 hours per day, if needed.
Behavior Support Services and Nurse Case Management are available, if needed.
Availability: Pennsylvania
Within Housing Transition and Tenancy Sustaining Services, Housing Specialists assist people to own, rent, or lease their own homes and be successful homeowners or tenants. Each person receives support in their housing search and the application process, as well as with securing financial assistance or other resources to cover expenses such as security deposits, moving costs, furnishings, environmental modifications, and other one-time expenses.
Housing Specialists may also provide support to find and establish a relationship with a housemate.
In addition, each person received education on the role, rights, and responsibilities of the tenant and landlord.
Housing services are limited to 160 hours per year.
Availability: Moldova
People with disability in Moldova have access to a free hotline service to report violations of their rights and access support and information.
The service includes:
