Effective programs support children in the context of family, and family in the context of community.

Sarah's Acres is the first of a new community model for the special needs community created by Peace of Mind Community LLC. This new model is in direct response to a growing need within a subgroup on the special needs population that does not currently have many opportunities through existing models. 

The higher needs you have, the less options there are. Many communities do not offer housing for less independent residents. And none have a housing option for the parents to join the community as well.

Sarah's Acres aims to be the first for this new model to bring all of the positives of existing community models together with a family focus and support for those with higher needs.

We are drawing inspiration from and combining several existing models to include assisted living for seniors, cohousing, intentional communities and eco villages. This new combined model is a called "Peace of Mind Community."

• Assisted living for seniors has been a very successful model that is in increased demand. As with the aging population, there is a shortage of housing for younger adults with support needs. Assisted Living allows seniors to be social and maintain some independence, all while having on-site personal care and other services. 

• Cohousing is an intentional, collaborative neighborhood that combines private homes with shared indoor and outdoor spaces designed to support an active and interdependent community life. Cohousing is not a financial or legal model, but rather a descriptive term that emphasizes the active participation of residents in everything from design to governance. [source: cohousing.org]

• "Intentional" is a label given to a community that forms around a specific commonality. In our case, our common thread is special needs families. 

• Eco villages are usually found in rural areas and provide a healthy outdoor lifestyle, organic food and sustainable energy model. This model allows for residents to connect with each other through various tasks on the farm and engaging with the community at large through the sale of food and products made on the farm. Increased energy independence is a big plus for those dependent on electricity for medical purposes. 

While there are many great efforts to house those with support needs, there are many reasons we need another model added to the list of current opportunities. With thousands of people on the waitlist for housing across the United States, we have an opportunity to make a difference.

Focus on the family

Currently, most housing models for adults with support needs focus almost solely on the one needing support. Experience has shown that the group homes and other supportive models not only do not include the family, but they also outright dismiss the family and their needs, and instead wishing the parents would just get out of the way. Additionally, siblings also struggle with spending quality time with their loved one. 

What if the entire model centered around the adult with support needs, including opportunities for quality time with family members? More than just a walk around the block or a shopping outing, but everything from an overnight visit to a summer-long stay? What if some housing was full-time for both the parents and their child, aging with support together?

Higher support levels

Great strides have been made for adults with developmental disabilities such as Downs syndrome and Autism. There are group homes as well as small communities of group homes in addition to housing supports for adults within independent living housing. If you need one-on-one 24/7 care, however, your options are limited. Most live at home with their parents as caregivers or nursing care coming into the home. This model "works" for a while, but once the parents are also no longer to live independently, the choices become limited to child moving in with siblings, a foster family, or institutional care. Senior and Assisted Living communities usually do not allow a parent's special needs child to come with them. And once the parent passes away, there is once again no continuity of care.

Dependable care

Even at home, care is not ideal. Aging parents, undependable sporadic caregiver availability, etc have many parents paralyzed in their lives, unable to give their adult child what they need and also unable to live their lives to their fullest.

Safety

Safety drives many parents fears for housing, especially for their female adult children.  

Sexual violence against disabled people is a silent epidemic, often overlooked both within and outside of reproductive health, rights, and justice circles. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ 2009–2014 National Crime Victimization Survey, people with disabilities were more than three times more likely than nondisabled people to experience serious violent crime such as rape and sexual assault. In addition, having multiple disabilities can increase a person’s risk of rape and sexual assault, and children with mental health or intellectual disabilities are almost five times more likely than their nondisabled peers to experience sexual abuse. [source:  Sexual Violence and the Disability Community - Center for American Progress]