Enriching Individual Lives
All people working, playing and learning in a community that values diversity before labels and strengths before barriers.
Guiding Values
Washington Developmental Disabilities Administration
Asotin County Community Services receives a grant from the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) each year to provide essential support services for individuals with developmental disabilities to lead independent lives. These services include county-wide information and education outreach efforts to promote inclusion and diversity in the community, birth to three developmental screenings, job coaching for individual employment and group supported employment and community inclusion services. Asotin County’s commitment to DDA’s guiding values provides the structure through which all services are delivered.
Housing Solutions
Partners4Housing: The Journey Home Starts Here
At Partners4Housing, we work with families of people with special needs to steer them through the siloed social services system to maximize their benefits. We help parents find one another through an invitation-only roommate matching portal and guide families through the many steps and wrap-around services required to create a shared living home and get it up and running. This service is offered complimentary to Washington state residents.
Bringing Inclusion to Our Community
Including people with disabilities in everyday activities and encouraging them to have roles similar to their peers who do not have a disability is disability inclusion.
Community Inclusion service means individualized services provided in integrated community settings with other people without disabilities. The activities are based on client interests and provide opportunities typically experienced by people of similar age. The activities occur in the client’s local community and are accessible by public transit or a reasonable commute from the client’s home. The goal of the service is to support clients to participate, contribute, and develop relationships with people who are not paid staff.
In March 2022, the Washington State Legislature passed legislation eliminating the prohibition of concurrent employment and community inclusion services. Beginning in January 2023, eligible DDA clients may access community inclusion after nine months of participation in employment services. Due to the efforts of stakeholders, the Legislature reaffirmed the commitment to “Employment First” in Washington and recognized that concurrent employment and community inclusion services can support clients to work, contribute and build relationships in their local communities. Employment First is a movement to deliver meaningful employment, fair wages, and career advancement for people with disabilities.
Your Employment Connection for People with Disabilities
Asotin-Garfield Community Services coordinates with Employment Providers to assist individuals with disabilities live, work and play in inclusive community settings at minimum wage or better for the number of hours desired. The participant receiving services chooses a provider after meeting with a case manager from Developmental Disabilities Administration. The case manager encourages the new participant to meet with each provider to make an informed decision about service delivery. Read more about choosing a quality provider online.
School to Work
The School to Work Program helps eligible students with intellectual and developmental disabilities find employment before exiting school.
Birth to Three Program
Early intervention is the “name” for the developmental help available to families with children ages birth to three who have been diagnosed with a developmental delay or disability. The purpose of early intervention is to help children make as much progress as possible during the years when their brain is growing the most.
Disability Impacts All of Us
61 Million Adults in the United States Live with a Disability
A disability is any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them (participation restrictions).
There are many types of disabilities, such as those that affect a person’s vision, movement, thinking, remembering, learning, communicating, hearing, mental health and social relationships.
Although “people with disabilities” sometimes refers to a single population, this is actually a diverse group of people with a wide range of needs. Two people with the same type of disability can be affected in very different ways. Some disabilities may be hidden or not easy to see.
