Jay Nolan Community Services Launches State-Of-The-Art Training Center, Expert Webinars and Customized "Enhanced Support" Nationwide

Online, June 15, 2010 (Newswire.com) - For more than 20 years, Jay Nolan Community Services (JNCS) has been on the leading edge of providing customized services to individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. Today it is one of California's major providers of supported living, supported employment, family support and consultation services. The organization has helped thousands of individuals with autism and other disabilities to live and work independently and to become part of the fabric of their communities. JNCS is pleased to announce today that it is rolling out two of its most highly regarded programs - its Resource and Training Center and its Enhanced Support Services - on a national scale.

The announcement comes in response to an urgent, growing need for autism-related professional support services across the country. Current research is suggesting that one in every 110 children in the U.S. (including a staggering one out of every 70 boys) is being diagnosed with autism. Government statistics estimate that 1.5 million Americans are affected by autism and that the prevalence rate of autism is increasing 10 to 17 percent annually.

"Research also shows that people with autism and other developmental disabilities respond better to personalized services," explains JNCS Executive Director Jeffrey L. Strully. "In most cases, we can provide higher quality care for considerably less than what it costs the State to keep a person in an institution or group home, with little or no waiting period. We also strive to find meaningful employment for our people."

The Resource and Training Center is an educational gateway to advance professional development, technical skills and best practices - all through the lens of inclusion. Its live, online webinars give professional care providers, educators, family members, advocates and self-advocates a chance to learn from the country's most respected and inspiring leaders in interactive training programs, at a reasonable cost. The Center is expanding its scope and range to become a true national resource for education and information across a wide spectrum of issues facing people with different disabilities. The Center also offers Consultation Services to support families and others with communication and accommodation needs.

Enhanced Support Services focuses on helping people with autism and other disabilities - and their families and support networks - to create and implement a carefully customized set of services and tools that can lead to more productive, valued lives in the community. These services include: training, habilitation, counseling, mentoring, activities of daily living, budgeting, companionship and more. Enhanced Support clients receive all the customized services and benefits offered under JNCS' Supported Living, Supported Employment and Family Support programs, but with a "private pay" component that allows for a greater variety of activities and personalized features. Enhanced Support Services is specifically designed for families who wish to assist their sons and daughters with disabilities to live in their own homes by providing whatever level of support they need - from 24 hours per day/seven days per week year-round to only a few hours per week.

"It is an ideal of inclusion, rather than exclusion and segregation," adds Strully. "Jay Nolan Community Services has been working to provide personalized support to people with autism and other development disabilities for more than two decades. We're very excited about sharing what we have learned with others around the country."

For more information about Jay Nolan Community Services, visit our website www.jaynolan.org or call 818.361.6400. For more information about the Resource and Training Center and its webinars, contact Camille Watkins at 818.361, 6400, ext 140, or [email protected]. For more information about Enhanced Support Services, contact Jeff Strully at 818.361.6400, ext 127, or [email protected].

ABOUT JAY NOLAN COMMUNITY SERVICES
Jay Nolan Community Services, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Its mission is to enable individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other developmental disabilities to live fulfilling lives as members of the community by providing support services customized to their individual needs
# # #