Work Enrichment from Cottonwood, Inc.

Residential Services

Cottonwood, Incorporated’s Residential Department provides services and supports to individuals in varied settings throughout Lawrence. These services offer adults with developmental disabilities an array of living environments and supports designed to maximize independence, nurture relationships and enhance self determination. Cottonwood’s mission pledges that services provided will “help people with disabilities shape their own future.” This fundamental principle is the underlying foundation of Cottonwood’s Residential Services.

Maximizing Independence
Consumers are supported daily in maintaining current skills, acquiring new ones and in participating in the community. Through Cottonwood’s person-centered Individual Service Plan (ISP) process, consumers and their teams identify preferred outcomes to be pursued during the next year. “Action Plans” are devised to achieve these outcomes. Residential staff are accountable for assisting consumers in the completion of Action Plans. In addition to the more formal Action Plans, consumers and their staff take advantage of numerous daily opportunities to increase consumers’ skills, knowledge of the community and self-confidence. Regardless of the number of people living at a particular site and/or the number of hours of staff support per week, consumers of Cottonwood’s Residential Services are supported in maximizing their independence and pursuing preferred lifestyles.

Nurturing Relationships
Consumers clearly express that establishing and maintaining meaningful relationships with preferred others is an essential element of a satisfactory quality of life. Therefore, Cottonwood’s Residential Services help ensure that interested consumers are regularly supported in spending time with chosen companions. Residential staff ask consumers who they would like to spend time with, then work to make that happen. If a request cannot be met, a “next-best option” is sought. The responsiveness of residential staff is measure to make sure that consumers are sufficiently supported in building and nurturing important relationships.

Self Determination
Consumers have the right to meaningfully participate in making decisions that impact their lives. Consumer choice and participation in service design is protected and promoted throughout Cottonwood’s Residential Services. Consumers help plan menus, choose furnishings and select activities. Consumers conduct “second interviews” with job applicants and make hiring recommendations. Interested consumers vote in elections and advocate for local concerns. Consumers are surveyed annually regarding their satisfaction with services and are involved in following up on any reported dissatisfaction. If a request is not currently achievable, the consumer works with the team to identify available alternatives. At all times, consumers’ rights to make choices, to be respectfully regarded as contributing adults, to live inclusively in their community and to be free of abusive, neglectful and/or exploitative acts are preserved.

Residential Services

Cottonwood Services

Support Services

Work Services
(Cottonwood Industries)

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Work Enrichment

Retirement Services

Residential Services

Residential Services

Cottonwood Services

Support Services

Work Services (Cottonwood Industries)

JobLink

Work Enrichment

Retirement Services

Residential Services

Work Services
(Cottonwood Industries)