Compassionate Support Services in Clearfield-Jefferson Counties, PA

We all have our strengths and weaknesses, but for some, a developmental or intellectual disability makes life harder. It doesn’t have to be that way. You can live a fulfilling life, as independently as possible, with person-centered care from the team at Skills of Central PA.

We help children, teens, and adults manage their daily activities and become contributing members of their community.

Our Clearfield County and Jefferson County offices customize the following compassionate support services to residents, families, and community members.

Behavior Support Services in Clearfield-Jefferson Counties, PA

Life is a little bit harder for you or a loved one because of behavioral issues. What seems like no problem at all to one person may be a massive hurdle for someone on the spectrum. Emotional outbursts occur, and it can be hard for others to understand why they happened.

With behavioral support services, compassionate team members work with clients, family members, or community members.

Behavior support services include:

• Addressing situations where challenging behaviors occur and how to plan and manage them.
• Creating action plans to handle behaviors safely and compassionately, and those plans are adjusted when needed.
• Developing activities that help people form bonds and work together towards goals.
• Going to medical appointments or community events with support.
• Identifying triggers and finding ways to manage them if they cannot be avoided entirely.
• Understanding each family member’s perspective, including cultural perspectives, to identify the best approaches for support.

Community Homes in Clearfield-Jefferson Counties, PA

When a person needs to share a home for others to benefit from support, friendship, and encouragement, community homes are an option. Homes have up to four bedrooms and 24-hour support from support professionals and LPNs. All support services are customized to a resident’s needs and abilities.

Community Homes services include:

• 24-hour transportation for appointments and career opportunities.
• Access to Representative Payee Services for financial management with accounts and pooled trusts.
• Assistance with safety, community participation, and health maintenance.

In-Home Supports in Clearfield-Jefferson Counties, PA

Sometimes, an individual wants to live in their own home and avoid a group living situation. We understand, and that’s why we offer in-home support tailored to your abilities and the areas where you could use a helping hand.

Our in-home supports services include help with:

• Communication: Making phone calls, communicating your needs or feelings with others, and ensuring your voice is heard.
• Decision making: Deciding which choice is best for your needs and abilities, such as determining if you should make an in-person doctor’s appointment or if telehealth visits are suitable.
• Health maintenance: Scheduling appointments, taking medications, and following advice for diet, exercise, and social engagement.
• Home management/personal resource management: Inventorying items such as personal care products, prescriptions, and groceries, and ensuring that taxes, rent, or a mortgage are paid and that maintenance is scheduled as needed.
• Mobility and transportation: Tasks like getting to appointments on time or transferring from a wheelchair to a shower chair and back.
• Self-care: Assisting with personal care like baths, showers, and oral care when needed, trimming nails, taking care of your skin, and maintaining physical and mental health.
• Socialization: Developing and keeping relationships with others in the community.

In-home supports help all ages, but one area we see a lot of is a parent with a chronic health condition who wants to stay in their home and avoid assisted living, but they cannot do some things without help. They need reminders to take or to refill medications, plan and cook meals, arrange transportation, and find the right person to handle light housekeeping.

You might have fallen while hiking and have a TBI that makes it harder to keep up with scheduling, organizing, and transportation needs. Again, we’re happy to help you remain in your home without going without or struggling to get things done independently.

Lifesharing in Clearfield-Jefferson Counties, PA

Children and adults dealing with some form of disability may find it hard to live with their immediate family members. A child with severe behavioral issues may end up isolated and ignored by parents who simply don’t understand how to communicate and have given up.

In situations like this, we help these individuals find a safe, supportive home within the community or with more distant family. It might be a neighbor who has experience with an adult’s intellectual disability or a local special education teacher who welcomes children with developmental disabilities into their home.

Lifesharing providers offer:

• Help achieving personal goals
• Long-term, stable relationships
• Safe, supportive housing
• Support becoming part of the community

You or your child will not be randomly placed with strangers. Lifesharing providers undergo rigorous background checks and training. Ongoing training is required each year to ensure providers have the tools needed to be as supportive as possible. Skills’ Lifesharing Specialists work closely with families and individuals to ensure success.

Our Community Reach

Clearfield and Jefferson counties border the Moshannon State Forest and Allegheny National Forest, respectively. The forest area offers a more rural, quiet lifestyle for its residents. Still, it can also make it harder to find your place in the community or maintain routines and self-care because of the distance from larger cities.

That’s why Skills of Eastern PA serves residents of both counties, including those living in the larger cities and towns like:

• Dubois (Clearfield County) – Population 7,302
• Clearfield (Clearfield County) – Population 5,794
• Punxsutawney (Jefferson County) – Population 5,558
• Treasure Lake (Clearfield County) – Population 5,460
• Brookville (Jefferson County) – Population 3,946

Don’t feel you have to struggle to get through a day at home, within the community, or at work. When you need personalized, compassionate support or assistance with caring for a loved one with unique needs, contact our support professionals.