There are many different types of group homes. Some homes are licensed to serve foster children, some adolescents on probation, some are designed to assist recovering addicts and some are created to assist individuals with developmental or physical disabilities.
Group Homes
Group homes are privately run homes housing two or more individuals with similar needs in the same dwelling. Though the individual requirements vary state to state, group homes must be licensed. The type of license granted will determine who is eligible to receive services from the home.
Disabilities
Individuals with disabilities sometimes live in group homes when they are unable to live independently or with family. Some individuals also may live in a group home by choice. The types of disabilities treated in residential settings include mental retardation, cerebral palsy, autism, epilepsy and similar conditions.
Funding
Individuals living in group homes generally receive Social Security Insurance. A large portion of the SSI goes to the care provider, with a small amount allotted for personal and incidental expenses. Group home operators will usually also receive supplemental funding from an outside agency such as Medi-Cal, the Regional Center or other state-funded institutions. While Medi-Cal and the Regional Center are state entities specific California, every state has its own agency set up to fund and oversee the care of the disabled. In Michigan and Tennessee, it is the Department of Human Services. Although they share the same name, they are different institutions. To locate the funding agency in your state, contact the institution that oversees health and human services and ask them for the contact information of the regulating body over state-licensed group homes.
Tags: group homes, individuals with, live group, Medi-Cal Regional, Medi-Cal Regional Center, Regional Center
