How to Open a Community Care Facility
What is a Community Care Facility?
A Community Care Facility, or CCF, is one of three basic models for housing for adults with disabilities. A CCF provides 24-hour residential care, is licensed by Community Care Licensing, and is vendored by a regional center. A CCF typically houses four to six adults. In LSA’s case, each adult typically has their own bedroom.
Within the CCF model there are multiple service levels and types that reflect the differing needs of residents in areas of daily living, mobility, and health. The reimbursement rates provided by the regional center, as well as staffing and consulting hours, vary per service level and the number of residents in a home. Among the types of CCFs are Adult Residential Facilities (ARF), Residential Care Facility for the Elderly (RCFE), Enhanced Behavioral Support Homes-ARF (EBSH), Community Crisis Homes-ARF (CCH), and Adult Residential Facilities for Persons with Special Health Care Needs (ARFPSHN). LSA operates ARF and ARFPSHN facilities.
Is This Model Right for My Child?
Like any living situation there are pros and cons of living in a CCF. CCFs give adults with developmental disabilities the opportunity to socialize at home. LSA residents in particular spend lots of time with their housemates and build close relationships with both housemates and staff. CCFs also allow individuals to build skills of independence with the support of others. LSA is proud of the family-like culture we’ve cultivated within our homes. While LSA residents consider staff as family, staff also provide the support and oversight necessary to care for them. One “con” to think about is that the adults living in a CCF share resources such as staff and transportation. If your child or loved one requires or desires more one-on-one support, a CCF might not be the right environment.
What’s Required to Open a Community Care Facility?
If you are interested in opening a CCF, continue reading to learn more. Opening a CCF is no small feat and it takes a lot of patience and passion. To start, you must have a home, either leased or owned, that has necessary renovations and passes inspection. You then must acquire a license to operate from Community Care Licensing which is done by passing a facility and grounds inspection and appointing a qualified home administrator. After acquiring a license, the home must be ready to open. The home needs furniture, window coverings, household supplies, emergency supplies, etc. You must also recruit and train eight to 12 full-time staff, or equivalents. Once the home is ready to open, you will then need to become a vendor of your local regional center by having your home administrator complete interviews, being assigned a facility liaison, and submitting the program design along with revisions. Once the home is a vendor of the regional center, you can begin receiving referrals and placing residents. Opening a CCF is a big financial and time commitment. You need three months of working capital in the bank as you will begin incurring expenses during the six to 12 months prior to placing your first resident. All of these steps will take about nine to 12 months.
To learn more about CCF’s, visit the resources below.
Powerpoint from LSA’s Executive Director, Dana Hooper
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