Intermission

Sometimes All We Need Is A Little Help
A family member with a developmental disability requires specialized care and often it is difficult for the caregiver to find the time or support he/she needs to be able to attend to ordinary tasks or just take a break. Intermission is an in-home respite care program which targets families who choose to keep their family member in the home. Intermission provides a trained worker skilled in the area of developmental disabilities to relieve the family with the daily care of the individual who is developmentally disabled. Along with providing the family with relief, the respite worker provides skills training to the client in areas of self-care, making him/her more independent and less dependent on the family. Intermission has been in existence since 1985. It is one of the largest programs in the city serving 200 clients per-year. Program staff includes a supervisor, 3 case managers and 25 part-time respite workers.

What Services Are Provided?
Clients are eligible to receive 180 hours of respite care per year. If a client utilizes all of these hours and an emergency occurs, i.e. hospitalization of the caregiver, a client may then request additional service hours as needed. Special services are available to include: evaluation, assessment, behavior management, vacation respite, crisis respite, linkage and individualized care. The program operates 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

Who Is Eligible?
Any person diagnosed with a developmental disability is eligible to receive in-home respite care services through Intermission. Other requirements are that the person reside within the City of Chicago - between Kinzie Avenue (north) the city limits (south); State Street (east) to Narragansett Avenue (west); also the person must demonstrate a need for emergency care, relief assistance, temporary loss of caregiver, increased support due to a behavior crisis or unique circumstances.

What Are The Programs Functions?
The program focuses on providing relief to families caring for a family member who is developmentally disabled. The process initially involves a comprehensive assessment of the clients needs. Clients are characterized in 3 levels: Level 1- A person who is very low functioning and requires total care or a person exhibiting severe behavioral problems: Level 2- A person's needs that are not as severe as a Level 1 person but requires a structured habilitation program: Level 3- A person that is high functioning, requiring minimal supervision and a structured rehabilitation plan. Once the habilitation plan is developed the program then links the client with an appropriate delivery of service by the worker to the client. Each individual served by Intermission is acknowledged as a valuable person, having the right to receive the best quality services offered by the program. Families with a family member who is developmentally disabled, feel comfortable knowing that they are not alone and can rely on Intermission to give them a helping hand in times of need.