Housing Options: Group Home

Group Home - Licensed Congregate Care

Group homes, also called Community Care Facilities, are privately owned single family homes with a for-profit or non-profit operator. They are licensed by the state of California, and typically have three bedrooms, housing up to six developmentally disabled adults, or about 1 to 2 residents per bedroom. Regional Centers pay the operator a monthly rate that covers both housing and staff services. Tenants can attend day programs outside of the group home, funded by Regional Centers.

Based upon the types of services provided and the persons served, each CCF vendored by a regional center is designated one of the following service levels:

Service Level 1: Limited care and supervision for persons with self-care skills and no behavior problems. (These are not vendorized by Regional Centers)
Service Level 2: Care, supervision, and incidental training for persons with some self-care skills and no major behavior problems.
Service Level 3: Care, supervision, and ongoing training for persons with significant deficits in self-help skills, and/or some limitations in physical coordination and mobility, and/or disruptive or self-injurious behavior.
Service Level 4: Care, supervision, and professionally supervised training for persons with deficits in self-help skills, and/or severe impairment in physical coordination and mobility, and/or severely disruptive or self-injurious behavior. Service Level 4 is subdivided into Levels 4A through 4I, in which staffing levels are increased to correspond to the escalating severity of disability levels.

PROS:

Some families prefer the relatively comprehensive all-in-one services offered by group homes, which often feature structured daily routines, transportation, social opportunities, and recreation/programming; more oversight by state and Regional Centers;
Must follow strict regulations regarding staffing, care, safety, and reporting, and issues are investigated, documented and available for public review;
Some owners and staff are often very committed to providing care and see their work as a mission, not just a job.

CONS:

Some group homes can be poorly run, with tenants somewhat neglected and essentially excluded from community integration.
This model was generally not set up for adults with autism, and new models are needed: owners and staff often reticent to adjust home operations to accommodate behaviors and needs of residents with autism.
Lack of staff training specific to autism and individualized planning.
Room sharing, close proximity to others, and group planning do not often suit individual needs of those with autism.
State pays a very low flat state median rate for cost of care (which varies according to the service level, and when the group home was licensed), rendering it difficult to comply with staffing and other regulations.
No cost of living allowance made for geographic location, low pay (minimum wage or just above) impacts availability of qualified staff and a high turnover rate is common.
Long-term viability is a problem because many group homes are operated for profit, with the residential owner’s retirement built into equity of the home–-when home is sold, residents sometimes must move.
The joint provision of housing and services can be a problem when the DD client prefers one but not the other.
Some group homes limit parental involvement, though Regional Centers support parent involvement.

Pictured: The Cypress home in San Jose operated by nonprofit Life Services Alternatives, Inc., houses five young men with mild to moderate developmental disabilities. Despite some successes, some group homes have been highly impacted or have had to close due to inadequate vendor rates that fail to cover rental and staff costs, particularly in the expensive Bay Area, and insufficient supply of properties.

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