Disability Services
It is widely recognised that people with an intellectual or developmental disability will suffer multiple disadvantages in the broader community.
The hardships they encounter range from difficulties accessing essential services to chronic social exclusion. For many people, this leads to a life of isolation, discrimination, and a feeling of being forgotten by society.
We are deeply committed to creating positive outcomes for Jewish people with disabilities and their families. We believe it is everyone’s right to participate within the community and to be treated with dignity and respect. By providing support, we seek to give people the freedom of choice to live life their way.
Outreach
A helping hand
Jewish Care’s Outreach Program delivers services and activities in the home, assisting people with disabilities to live independently in the community.
Glen Eira Villas
A ground breaking vision of inclusiveness
The culmination of a five-year collaborative community process, the Glen Eira Villas mark a new era in enabling people with disabilities to live independently and connect with their community. With a blend of accommodation, indivdualised support and community inclusion, residents have autonomy and choices in lifestyle, goals and participation.
Children’s Respite House
Caring for the carers
Children’s Respite House is a home away from home designed especially for children aged six to 18 with a disability who live with their families. Operating on weekends, Jewish and school holidays, Children’s Respite House offers day activities and sleepover programs, while providing families and carers with a short break. Children and teenagers benefit from social interaction, recreational opportunities and leisure time – all enjoyed within a safe and friendly, kosher environment.
Recreational activities
Getting involved
Jewish Care offers a number of age and ability-specific recreational groups for people with disabilities and their siblings. Activities include attendance at community events, sporting and social pursuits, picnics and barbecues. Increasingly, Jewish Care is working with local sporting clubs and community groups to educate and support them to be inclusive of people with a disability. Jewish Care, together with Maccabi Victoria have established ‘Activities for All Abilities Partnership’, designed to support every club and team to include people with a disability. Since its establishment in 2006, people with a disability are now participating in a wide range of clubs including soccer, basketball, table tennis, lawn bowls and walking.
Mental Health
Support for all
Jewish Care’s Mental Health Program provides individual and group support to adults with a mental health condition. Delivered by caring and supportive professionals, the service focuses on social and recreational opportunities and aims to foster a sense of belonging and connection with the community.
Schools Integration Program
Partnering to meet special needs at school
This is a collaborative program established by Jewish Care, the Melbourne Jewish Orphans & Children’s Aid Society & Access Inc. The Schools Integration Program supports Jewish children with special needs to attend a Jewish day school.
Supported Accommodation
A safe and supportive base
Jewish Care provides five community residences for adults with a disability, providing a safe and supportive base from which residents can acquire new skills and take on new challenges. Our houses offer a warm, homely environment, staffed with professionals whose skills are matched to the individual needs of each resident. As these are long-term stay residences, vacancies are limited. Places are coordinated by the Department of Human Services (DHS). To secure accommodation, families should register their interest with both Jewish Care and the DHS. Jewish Care notifies the DHS when a vacancy arises.
Working from locations in the heart of the community, we provide care and support wherever it is needed.
Individual Support
Case Management
With the establishment of government funded, individual support packages, families and individuals can choose to have Jewish Care as their case manager for their Individual Support packages or Family Choices packages provided by the Department of Human Services. Our case managers work with the person and his/her family to plan a range of opportunities, arrange volunteer support, access to services and equipment, as well as guide and support people through referral processes with other community support organisations.
Futures for Young Adults (FFYA)
When young people with disabilities reach the stage of leaving school, Jewish Care is there to help with their important transition. Our support can help people trial new pathways and explore options for their adult lives. Our staff assist Jewish schools with the FFYA registration process. Then if elected as the support provider, Jewish Care develops and implements person-centred plans based on the individual’s unique interests, skills and aspirations.
Outreach Support
Reaching out every day
Jewish Care provides an outreach service for people living independently in their own home. The program helps people develop and maintain the skills they need to carry out everyday activities. Program staff provide whatever assistance is needed from completing forms to shopping, budgeting or learning a new skill. Reaching out in this way enables people to continue living independently in the community. Support may be short term, long term, or intermittent, with many people assisted on an as-needs basis.
Jewish Care continually seeks partnerships with other community providers that will extend the range of opportunities available for people with disabilities across all our programs.
To find out more about Disability Services, contact us on (03) 8517 5999 or info@jewishcare.org.au.
To support Jewish Care, contact the Development Team on (03) 8517 5963 or development@jewishcare.org.au.
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