I am in the process of researching issues related to the religious liberty of persons with cognitive disabilities who are living in group homes in the community. I would appreciate any input that those of you who visit this blog might be able to provide. Specifically, I am looking for
-literature/references
-other resources
-stories of your experiences
You can provide any input via this weblog, or you can email me at mail@jeffmcnair.com
Thank you for your assistance.
McNair
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
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6 comments:
Hi
I have contacts with several organizations that provide group home supports in my area.
My son is in a Christian Horizons home and I have close contact with the Community director of L'Arche in my city.
If you would like I will pass this over to them to see if they have info. to share or names of individuals who might like to share their experiences with you.
Leonard,
That is exactly the type of thing I am after. The experiences of group homes, positively and negatively and from the perspective of religious and nonreligious group home providers would be very helpful in guiding this research. Also any policy statements would be helpful.
Thanks for your help
Jefff
I may have sharted this with you before. A few months ago I was in the bookstore at church on a Thursday afternoon. There happened to be a work crew from an organization in Corona CA (I'm sure you know the one)that comes in to clean the sanctuary, fill the prayer request cards, tithe envelopes etc. They wern't able to get in too the church because.
there was some kind of meeting going on.
I approached them and after a bit of conversation asked if they go to church, would they like to come if there was a way; things like that. One of these people told me that at her group home they were "not allowed" to go to church. I asked the adults for contact info and they said they were not authorized to provide it because they work for the company the runs the workability program, not the group home comunnity. SEveral others said they were treated the same at their homes, others said they could go, but don't have a way to get there. A way can't be provided without knowing the need.
No one ever called me back and although I often drop by church on Thursday afternoons, I have'nt seen anyone from that group again.
ps nice to see impossibleapes family.
Mark-
That is just the kind of experience I am trying to understand. Who makes those decisions and on the basis of what? I am heading up a group who are hoping to put together a working document on religious liberty for a national professional organization. Stories such as yours are useful in framing the issues.
Jeff
Jeff,
Visit Covenant Kids Care, INC. At http://www.kidsmanor.org/what_we_do.html.
or kidsmanor.org. I think you will like them.
Mark
Dear Dr. McNair,
My sister-in-law lives in a group home in south Orange County and I asked my mother-in-law about religion and church within the home. It is a small home, only 5 women. They range in ability from functional with need for constant assistance/supervision to functional with need for minimal assistance/supervision. During the week they function as a family unit, meals together, but at their individual activities during the day. On the weekends my sister-in-law is the only resident that goes “home” every weekend.
My mother-in-law attends Calvary Chapel and takes my sister-in-law with her every Sunday. They have a Sunday school class for adults with disabilities that she attends in addition to service. According to my mother-in-law, the owner of the group home also attends Calvary, and they have discussed religion before in casual conversation. The other four women in the home are all Catholic and attend services elsewhere with one of the workers in the home.
I know that this is not policy as you were hoping to find, but at least it gives you a positive example of religion in a group home setting. For me this gives hope that there are other group homes, like my sister-in-laws, that help fulfill the spiritual needs of their residents as they do the more basic daily needs of living.
Dawn Abramson
EDU 341 Student
Thursday Night
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