Bittersweet Farms is active in four major areas: residential, supported living, vocational services and specialized services. These areas are described below. Work undertaken by our staff and board of directors is guided by our mission statement and philosophy. Information about our people, their mission and vision is available in the box at the left, along with a brief history of our operation.
Twenty adults (17 men and 3 women) are served in three homes located on the premises. Each home has its own kitchen, dining and laundry facilities. Each has its own commons areas as well.
The residential program focuses on skills retention, development of skills of independent living, and integration in the greater community environment through activities such as church, movies, Special Olympics, shopping, and physical activities, including hiking in the Metro-parks.
Residential eligibility is reserved for persons with autism living in the State of Ohio. Admission to the residence is determined through a waiting list that is maintained by the facility. Currently, openings have been very rare and the list of those desiring services exceeds 150. Referrals generally come from the case-management departments of local Ohio County Boards of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.
Bittersweet, Inc. also serves persons with autism who live in their own home but need supervision, training and specialized expertise to maintain their residential independence. The intent is to support individuals who choose to live in a setting that is more integrated with the community. We tailor the supported living program for each individual, to address their specific residential situation and need for supervision.
This program is funded through the Individual Options waiver program that is administered by the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Ohio through the Lucas County board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.
Bittersweet also has a day vocational program that offers habilitation programming and skills development to adults with autism. The program has a wood shop, ceramic studio, weaving and fabric arts department, a horticulture department with three fully functioning greenhouses and several fields of produce, landscaping and janitorial enclaves which work out in the community, kitchen and meal preparation programs, visual arts department, and an animal care program in the barn and pastures.
The day / vocational program is funded through Individual Options Waivers and Level One Waivers that are administered by the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, payments made to Bittersweet Farms through Job and Family Services, and from other service providers who are interested in getting the kinds of specialized services that we offer for their clients. Referrals are generally made from Ohio County Boards of Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities.
Also offered are limited respite support services to families known to the program, advocacy of autism issues, and training to service providers interested in practical approaches to serving adults with autism. Bittersweet Farms also serves as a training sight for students from area colleges and universities.
We are generally staffed in a 1:3 ratio of staff to participants. If a participant requires more intense supervision he/she will receive it. We believe in hiring empathetic, caring people and then training them about the unique needs of our individuals and the autistic population in general. Extensive background checks are required for all new employees.
We are licensed and/or overseen by the Lucas County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, the Ohio Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, The Ohio Department of Health , Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Ohio Bureau of Worker's Compensation , United States Department of Labor, and inspected by the Lucas County Health Department and by the Neopolis Fire Department.
We are independently audited each year, and we are incorporated as a private non-profit charitable organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Service
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