Community Living Association proud of residential, support environment

    In 1967, a small group of educators and parents of people with developmental disabilities organized a training program in a church basement, funded with money raised in the community. From its humble beginning, Community Living Association known as CLA has grown to be Houlton’s second largest employer.
    Community Living Association is a private, nonprofit organization that employs 250 people supporting people with developmental disabilities to be independent, self-confident and valued members of the community, Executive Director Ron Langworthy explained.
    CLA provides day services such as work and training programs, along with a wide range of residential services, and community case management.
Contributed photograph
THE BEGINNING — Community Living Association opened a residential center on the former Aroostook Hospital property. Since that time, expanded services required CLA to purchase more property, including eight residences in Houlton and two in Linneus supporting 49 people. Four buildings were added for administrative, staff training and daytime services, as well.
    Langworthy added, “The number of people with developmental disabilities served by CLA continues to grow and our service area has expanded, covering Bangor to Fort Kent with our case management service.  CLA pays people who live in the southern Aroostook County almost $7 million per year, so the economic impact is considerable.”
    The services require CLA to own property, including eight residences in Houlton and two in Linneus supporting 49 people. Administrative, staff training and daytime services add four buildings in Houlton.     “CLA is proud of the quality of residential and support environments it has developed over the years,” said Langworthy. “The purchase, construction and remodeling of these buildings has employed many local contractors each year. Just recently CLA had a geothermal heating/cooling plant installed in one home and is planning a much larger geothermal project for two more residences.”
    CLA follows national best practices in the means of support for people with developmental disabilities.  CLA’s focus is for people to participate fully and to live valued roles in the community. This may mean finding and maintaining a part-time job, volunteering for community organizations, visiting friends and attending Houlton events. CLA consumers in work supports have occasionally been successful in maintaining employment independently, with no more need for a job coach.
    To provide these services CLA has fee for service contracts with state agencies, primarily the Department of Health and Human Services. More than 90 percent of CLA’s income is Medicaid, in which state dollars are matched on a roughly 3 to 1 basis by federal dollars. About two-thirds of CLA’s income comes from MaineCare.
    Langworthy emphasizes that these services are not “welfare” as they have been described in the press as the Legislature deliberates on the shortfall in the DHHS budget.
    “Although some economies are possible, the services CLA provides cannot be safely provided by some cheaper means. The parents of people who lived in the Pineland Center were promised that services would be available in the communities when the Center was closed. CLA is part of an essential social safety net,” said Langworthy.
    “For people with developmental disabilities who need paid supports, cheaper alternatives result in reduced safety, period,” he added. “Funding for these services has been on an increasingly downhill slant for eight years. I think we’re at the point where safety will be a factor in future cuts.”
    Going forward CLA’s Board of Directors, Home Team, and staff are faced with difficult decisions related to proposed cuts in state funding to our Medicaid programs. CLA will continue with cost-saving measures and do absolutely everything possible to ensure the people they serve are not left without services, Langworthy said.

Contributed photographs REMEMBERING WHEN — Some people will look at this photograph and recall their days at Longfellow School on Green Street. Others will remember when the former school was renovated into the first Roger Randall Center. The building was torn down, and a new Roger Randall Center, below, was constructed on the property.