MASWM: A Catalyst
For Services To Those With Developmental Disabilities

For over 32 years Missouri Sheltered Workshops have served as the hub for development of community-based services for people with disabilities and their families. Some of these community services and supports are:

Sheltered employment-Facility based employment provides meaningful work experience based on the industrial model with support to accommodate individual needs.

Transitional employment-Work experience and skills development designed to enable persons with disabilities to move from one work environment to another.

School to work-Sheltered employment to competitive employment; competitive employment to sheltered employment.

Supported employment-Work experience in a community based, integrated environment with individual job coaching.

Competitive employment-Placement in regular industry with on-going minimal support.

Transportation-Assistance in using existing public transit or provision of travel to and from work.

Behavioral support-Accommodation and planned assistance for people with challenging behavior to enable them to better access work and community.

Skills development-Training in specific areas to acquire skills needed for work and community access.

Personal care assistance-Support staff to assist a person with a disability in personal activities of daily life (eating, toileting, etc.)

Advocacy and family support-Listening to the needs and wants of people with disabilities and their families and developing the support network to translate those needs and wants into meaningful services. this also includes development of self-advocacy skills so people with disabilities and their families can advocate for themselves.

Group homes-Residential facilities where several persons with disabilities live together supported by staff.

Work and social adjustment-Programs designed to support people in the development of positive work and social behaviors which enable them to function more independently.

Day activities-Programs designed to support individual needs in an habilitative setting. Programs are not vocational in nature, but address skills development in the activities of daily living.

Assessment and evaluation-Systems designed to measure a persons' level of functioning against established criteria and to predict future outcomes or design programs based on those findings.

Community integration-Planned opportunities to access the community with staff support.

Recreation-Leisure time activity opportunities.

Retirement options-Programs designed to meet the individual's needs to fill their leisure time with enjoyable, meaningful activities.

Residential options-Assistance and referral to group homes or independent living facilities.