Fayette Resources reflects on 25 years of serving community
Fayette Resources Inc. is celebrating 25 years of growth, success and advocacy in serving adults and children diagnosed with intellectual or developmental disabilities and autism.
The nonprofit organization opened its doors in 1991 and currently provides various support services to 74 people in the county age 21 and over at its adult training facility located on Connellsville Road in Lemont Furnace.
It’s also the first residential program in the U.S. certified by the National Association of Dual Diagnosis.
“We want people to be using their skills to be productive members of society and we want to give back and want them to give back,” said founder and CEO Kathy Morris.
Fayette Resources serves 220 people with disabilities overall in Fayette, Lawrence, Mercer, Clearfield /Jefferson, Butler, Washington, Greene, Centre, Venango, Allegheny, Bedford/Somerset, Elk/Cameron, Armstrong/Indiana and Clarion counties.
It’s four corporate offices are in Uniontown, Pittsburgh, Dubois and Indiana while operating on a $36 million budget.
As the eighth-largest employer in the county, many people are unaware of its role to provide people with disabilities services in community settings based on individual needs, including home, school, day programs, volunteer and workplaces.
“We are trying to become more visible because people don’t recognize the importance of the quality of service we provide,” said Morris. “You have to be an ever-changing organization in adapting to the needs of the community.”
In addition to the adult training facility, Fayette Resources provides a residential program that focuses on people with developmental disabilities and/or mental health conditions who live in homes with others who have similar interests and abilities, under the care of specialty trained support staff.
“Our agency has always focused on our training curriculum to make sure our staff get the necessary supports to serve individuals with disabilities and autism,” said Morris.
Initially, Morris said the organization focused on people who could no longer be taken care of at home by a family member or students no longer in the school setting.
At the time, Fayette Resources had 15 residential houses in the county that served adults ages 18 and over until 1996, when it became the first organization to provide services for mental health clients when state facilities closed.
“We want to provide a world of opportunity for people that have not had (services) accessible, and, sometimes, it’s a very minor difference, but it’s all about quality of life,” said Morris.
As an example, Morris referred to an 86-year-old mildly impaired woman who was a former patient at Somerset Hospital. “It took 28 visits before she opened her eyes,” said Morris.
After the woman was moved to one of the organization’s housing facilities, Morris said staff took her to see the movie “Lassie.”
According to Morris, the woman had never been to a movie in a community setting and was amazed by what she saw. “We made that change in her life.”
Today, Morris said the organization accepts client referrals from as far as Philadelphia and out of state for various services other facilities are unable to provide.
“We’re known across the state for taking some of the most difficult cases of those to integrate into the community,” said Georgiana Provance, grant and marketing services coordinator and former director at the adult training facility.
Morris also stressed that clients are considered as part of an extended family at Fayette Resources, which requires a team effort.
“If all the pieces aren’t in place, we’re setting someone up for failure,” said Morris. “We exhaust all resources trying to make people be successful.”
Cindy Sholtis, a direct support professional at Fayette Resources for 25 years, stressed the importance of normalcy for clients. “Fayette Resources has been one of the pioneers in this field … after a quarter of a century, we’re hoping to be more widely accepted,” she said.
As the site coordinator for residential housing for 10 years, Eileen Hadley said more people need to be aware of the services Fayette Resources has available.
“You can see a difference when a new client comes in,” said Hadley. “They want to be independent as much as they can like anyone else.”
She said there are three staff members that take clients into the community to promote social skills such as going to the movies, the zoo, bowling and Uniontown YMCA.
They also assist with taking clients to doctor appointments and other community based services.
As Fayette Resources looks to expand, Provance said the state has posed several challenges.
She said zoning has become a major issue with potential properties that is affecting the expansion of residential housing. Neighborhood acceptance is another.
“We need to continue the momentum of educating our communities about people living with disabilities, the people who support them, the service providers and their missions and we need our communities to understand what they can do to be more inclusive for all,” said Provance.