Behavior Support Services

What are Behavior Support Services?

Behavior Support Services are the professional plans, ideas and advice some people with developmental disabilities and mental health disorders and their supporters need to help the individual have the best days they can.

Some people have difficulty having a high quality of life due to challenging behavior that disrupts homes, families, and supporters. Often when a person has difficulties with controlling their behavior, it isolates them and separates them from being included in their communities. It also causes great strain on families and foster providers who are with the individual the majority of each day.

Through careful application of assessments, knowledge and plans of support, change is possible and many individuals that are challenging and even frightening to be around can become happy, productive and integrated members of the community where they live. When a person has people around them trying to understand them and help them, they tend to work harder and will learn to help themselves.

In this process the goal is to help the person to have better days and to keep them and their supporters safe and healthy.

Behavior Support Services for Individuals:

Some of the services offered by Opportunity Foundation include:

Behavior Consulting - billed at $50.00 per hour
 
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 Environmental observation and assessment - to learn about the environments the person lives and works in; consider what they look like and think about the way the person interacts with those environments.
 
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 Functional assessment - review with the individual and supporters what is not working and what is working well.
  
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 Development and review of Behavior Support Plans as requested by ISP teams
 
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 Mini-mental status exam and review - to track significant changes in lucidity (as needed)
  
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 Informal counseling for individuals
 
Psychosocial Education - including appropriate interactions and identifying inappropriate interactions to help avoid them.
 
Facilitate client support groups - peer groups provide a forum where individuals can find fellowship and some answers from equals who have been through like circumstances.