Community Activity Specialists Service

Community Activity Specialists Service

The Pen Homes Community Activities Support Services (CASS) day program is designed to provide individuals with developmental disabilities with positive role models and community activity specialists who will focus on working towards obtaining individual's independence and achieving their goals. The ultimate goal of our program is to enable each individual to lead meaningful lives and become fully integrated into their community as an active member. In addition, we provide various social, vocational, educational, and leisure activities as well as behavioral intervention. Our CASS day program serves ambulatory and non-ambulatory children, teenagers, and adults, including the elderly, between the ages of 10 to 75 years of age diagnosed with a developmental disability self-help and medical needs as well as behavioral challenges. In addition, we also serve individuals who are dually diagnosed with a mental illness with self-help deficits and behavioral challenges.

Our CASS program focuses in providing outstanding service to our individuals in the following areas:

  • Self-Advocacy: we emphasize awareness to our individuals regarding violation of rights, ageism, advocating for health care, elder abuse, etc.
  • Self Care: we assist in everyday self-care duties such as grooming, bathing, dressing, toileting, hygiene, and any other personal needs.
  • Mobility Training: we offer assistance in personal safety skills, following pedestrian laws, stranger awareness, and transportation alternatives (public transportation, bus, metro, walking etc.)
  • Physical and Mental Health: we ensure that an individual's optimal health is maintained by keeping up with regularly scheduled appointments.
  • Community Integration/Program Activities: Opportunities are given to our individuals to allow them to fully participate in the community. We encourage individuals to access community resources based on likes and preference. Community outings and activities chosen by our individuals range to arts & crafts, sports and physical fitness, job searching and volunteer work, school and academics, and recreation.