SERVICES OFFERED

Residential Services

Bittersweet Farms Handbell Choir

Bittersweet Farms continues to house twenty adults with autism in its two residences. Fifteen adults live in the main house, with round-the-clock staff. Five, more self-sufficient adults live in the co-op house where they have one supervisor on each shift. Respite beds are in each location. The Bittersweet Farms' residents engage in vocational and recreational activities both on and off the premises. There is a ratio of one staff member to two adults during the days.

Because of a longing-standing state freeze on Medicaid beds, no more can be added. To respond to the continually growing need for more services, Bittersweet Farms has expanded both day services and supported living arrangements.

Day Services

County Boards of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities now contract with Bittersweet to provide day services in lieu of the sheltered workshop option. Bittersweet Farms now has contracts with four counties for provision of on-site day programming. Each county provides a per diem rate for each individual served.

Supported living

The staff at Bittersweet, feels it is their role to make sure people are prepared for the choices they may eventually have the opportunity to make. They try not to teach them just to be good Bittersweet Farms residents, but rather, to have the skills that will allow them to live anywhere. Bittersweet began its own supported living services in the mid 1990's, partly to enable individuals in the program who would prefer to live in the community to exercise this option, as well as to create new options for families needing residential help.

Currently, they serve seven individuals, who have autism spectrum disorder, in three different homes in the local community. During the day, some go to workshops, while others come to Bittersweet Farms. In each case, however, Bittersweet's staff are called in for their expertise in providing the unique behavioral supports needed. They apply the same philosophy to the supported living program that they deliver in their residential services.

The Bittersweet Farms staff believe that those living in apartments and homes should feel part of the larger community; none should be out there on their own, isolated and withdrawn. They benefit from the social support of a circle of friends and companions, to help reduce their level of stress. If they needed just minimal supervision, then any provider in town would work. In contrast, when Bittersweet Farms is involved, they are committed 24 hours a day, with trained people and experienced back-up personnel. In general, the staff members assigned to the supported living program are those who have had previous experience in the milieu of the farmstead.

The homes served are within 10 to 15 miles of the farmstead, with Bittersweet Farms as the hub of activity. There are several reasons why it is useful for the farmstead to be the central presence. First, the change of scenery from the home to the farmstead can be refreshing, with a wider variety and different pace of activities offered there. Second, there are more people with whom to interact. It can become stressful for staff and residents to only interact with the few people in a small living unit.

If challenging behaviors are a concern, individuals can spend more time at the farmstead where they can be safest and have the most freedom. Their behavioral support needs can be better met at the farm, where back-up staff is available. Both can benefit from the comfort of many familiar people, the supportive environment, with on-going quality services.

Supported living is the area that's expected to grow the most over the next few years. It is an appealing concept, as it bypasses the issue of having to build more buildings, while still expanding the provision of care and support with variety and change of pace for more people. Bittersweet's capacity to serve can increase.

Currently, in the summertime they've been serving about 50 people, counting the individuals who live at Bittersweet. Although they're just about at their maximum right now, they have ideas for the future. Long-range plans include an administrative building and recreation building that will allow additional day, evening and weekend supportive services. Continued attention will be paid to the basic mission, making sure all activities are meaningful and appropriate.

Bittersweet Farms continued to grow very gradually. Ten years ago, when its current Director took over, it served about thirty individuals. Twenty were residents and ten were in the day program. In 2001, they still serve twenty residents, but have added seven people in supported living, and another twenty to twenty-three in the day program.

Next Section