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BECOMING A CORE PERSONTo Join the L’Arche Waiting List
L’Arche Greater Washington, DC welcomes people with intellectual disabilities who would like to be part of our faith community and enter into our shared life. L’Arche is considered one of the best providers of supportive homes in the Washington area, and we aim to recognize the unique gifts and qualities of each person we serve. Read more about the mission and identity of L’Arche elsewhere in the website. People who provide direct care supports at L’Arche, our assistants, are a committed and highly skilled group of individuals who come from all over the country and the world. They commit to living in community and sharing life with persons with and without disabilities. In Washington, DC, L’Arche has two homes and is licensed as Community Residence Facilities. These homes operate under the governmental supervision of MRDDA (Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Administration). MRDDA is part of the DC Department of Human Services. Currently, in DC, people with disabilities who desire residential services must be referred through MRDDA. That is, they must go through the government “intake” process, be assigned a case manager, and decide what services they need and desire. These services might include residential, vocational, foster care, etc. The starting point for doing this is to check the website of MRDDA, which is http://mrdda.dc.gov. People and their families who want to live and receive residential services in L’Arche must go through this “intake” process and then request that a referral be made to L’Arche. If there are openings, the referral will be made. In Virginia, L’Arche provides residential services through the Mental Retardation Medicaid Waiver. People who are on the Waiver are able to apply directly to L’Arche under this program. We currently have one home open in Northern Virginia and hope to open a second home around the corner in the summer of 2008. If you’re interested in tracking our progress, please e-mail us your name and address, and we’ll put you on our newsletter list. Getting our newsletter is also a good way to learn more about us. When openings at L’Arche are not available, you may choose to be put on L'Arche's informal waiting list. Sometimes, families who are planning for the future and do not need a placement at the moment may choose to be put on a waiting list at L’Arche, so that as needs change and there are openings, the interested person can be considered. We also encourage people and their families to visit L’Arche, come for dinner or prayer night and connect with the community in a variety of ways to learn more about the life of the L’Arche community. At some point in the future, L’Arche in DC will become a Medicaid Waiver provider, and people who are enrolled in Medicaid Waiver can then apply directly to L’Arche. To join our waiting list, print this questionnaire, complete it and mail or fax it to: L’Arche |
