Partner with us...
Admission Requirements
Access Midland and Gladwin County Connection programs offer the opportunity for vocational services and community inclusion to qualified persons residing in the Midland and Gladwin County areas. Persons referred typically possess barriers to their pursuit of equal access and full participation in employment opportunities, recreation and other community activities. The following descriptions are not all-inclusive, but are representative of the persons served through Access Midland and Gladwin County Connection:
- Persons with disabilities (physical, mental, cognitive, emotional, etc.)
- Persons desiring community inclusion including opportunities to develop friendships
- Persons that desire to increase their self-advocacy and assertiveness skills
- Persons that desire participation in recreational and leisure time activities
- Persons desiring opportunities to learn about community services and resources
- Persons desiring to develop work skills and attitudes
- Persons desiring integration into the employment setting
- Evidence of disability, funding, completed referral packet
The person served:
- Must be 16 years of age or older.
- Must have current medical and/or psychological examinations as appropriate that documents person’s ability to attend programs.
- Must have a condition which interferes with their ability to function independently at work, home, school, or in the community.
- Must have a fiscal sponsor.
- Must have in their Individual Program Plan an objective(s) that can be met with the services and supports provided by the Arnold Center. Must be seen as benefiting from services and supports offered by the Arnold Center.
- Must have basic self-care skills, i.e. dressing, grooming and/or hygiene.
- Must be able to make needs known to others.
- Must not be physically dangerous to self or others.
- Must have a required level of support that falls within the guidelines of the program, or receives additional supports which allow successful participation in the program.
- Must have the ability to access services – Own transportation or ability to ride local transit.
Transition Service Requirements
Individuals can choose at any time to participate in different internal activities/environments or to seek the services of a new provider. To initiate a change of services, the person served simply needs to contact their Service Coordinator who in turn will schedule a planning session with the person’s Person Centered Planning Team.
The decision to transition should be planned by the customer and his/her support team. In preparing for transition, a plan should be developed which provides for the smooth transition of the person served from Access Midland or Gladwin County Connection to another interagency program or to an external provider. The development of the plan shall involve the customer, and as appropriate parents, guardians, sponsoring agent, new provider (if appropriate) and any other pertinent staff.
If the customer chooses to exit services to attempt placement in competitive employment, and if circumstances beyond his/her control result in job loss within sixty (60) days of employment, the customer may return to Access Midland or Gladwin County Connection as soon as a suitable opening is available.
As a method of follow-up, the Arnold Center will maintain contact with all persons served prior and following transition to new services. It is the policy of Arnold Center to contact each customer or a customer’s advocate 90 days after transition to external service providers to ensure that the transition plan has been effective in meeting the needs of the person.