Barry L. Price Rehabilitation Center

Mission

The mission of The Price Center is to support people withdevelopmental disabilities by encouraging personal growth and participation inthe community through social, living and work experiences that fosterindependence and respect individual preference and diversity.

The Barry L. Price

Rehabilitation Center, Inc. (The Price Center) provides a wide range of

clinical and support services to individuals with developmental disabilities.

The Newton-based agency facilitates the full participation of disabled

individuals in their communities, through community-based work, living, and

day-treatment environments. Day habilitation, employment and residential

programs foster clients' self-confidence and maximize their physical, emotional

and intellectual capability.

The mission of the

Price Center is to encourage disabled individuals' personal growth and full

participation in their communities through social, living and work experiences

that encourage independence, respect individual preferences and accommodate

diversity.

This year marks the

34th year of The Price Center, which was founded as a provider of vocational

services in Newton, Mass., and remained so for its first ten years. In 1987, the Day Habilitation Program opened

in Dedham, and in 1997 it merged with Humanity House to add a residential services

component to its programs. During the past ten years, the Price Center has

launched three additional residential programs, expanded its day habilitation

services, and added after-school and family support programs.

Throughout its

history, the agency has continually adapted to the needs of its constituents

and the local communities it serves. In 2005, for example, The Price Center

identified a critical need for life skills training among younger people in

Newton High Schools. This recognized need gave rise to the ASCENT program.

Through ASCENT, The Price Center has delivered practical life-skills,

social-competency and pre-vocational training and support to scores of

developmentally disabled students and their families.

The Price Center also

offers vocational assessment, job placement and supported work opportunities

for job-ready disabled adults.

Several new

initiatives began in 2007, including the Business Advisory Committee, to help

the Price Center place individuals in community-based employment. Representatives from NSTAR Electric,

Motophoto, Blue Cross Blue Shield, The City of Newton, and Verizon meet

quarterly to advise and assist in the placement of clients into full and

part-time jobs. In 2011, the Center

launched a Supported Apartment Program in Newton.

The Board of

Directors’ Space Committee is currently studying facility needs and evaluating

potential new program sites as part of a long-range planning process.

CURRENT PROGRAMS

The Price operates the following programs:

ASCENT: (Advocacy,

Social Skills, Career Exploration, Networking, and Transitions). An afternoon

program for teens and young adults with developmental disabilities, ASCENT

teaches life, communication and career exploration skills to high school

students and young adults transitioning into independent living in the

community.

Employment Services:

The Price Center provides a range of employment options for job seekers with

developmental disabilities, including job-readiness training, supported work

and job placement and retention support services for those ready for

private-sector employment in the local community.

Day Habilitation:

Clients with moderate to severe cognitive impairments as well as significant physical disabilities,

such as deafness or blindness, receive clinical services and care in a

medically-based day program that provides nursing, occupational therapy,

physical therapy, speech therapy, and behavioral intervention.

Intensive Day

Habilitation: This program supports individuals with a primary diagnosis of

severe to profound mental retardation. Clinical and therapeutic services

include occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and nursing.

Family Support: The

Price Center is committed to assisting families touched by disability, by

offering counseling, planning and program placement services for their disabled

family members through various life transitions.

Residential Homes:

The Price Center's residential services provide opportunities for independent

and community living for individuals with a range of developmental needs and

abilities. Four homes operated in Newton in Brookline, Massachusetts, allow

residents easy access to community resources and public transportation.