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John's usual--
One of the real joys of what we do at CLI is the opportunity to develop long-time relationships with our clients and their families. It really can be very special. CLI says goodbye (for now) to Tim, who we've had the privilege of providing services to for decades. Tim is shifting over full-time to another provider to spend more time with some other friends served by that provider. We wish him well & hope he stops back in to catch up with us from time to time.
Choice in providers is hands down a quality issue-- more choice is good-- but somehow as a system we need to figure out how to enable people to maintain relationships regardless of which day service provider they choose. Perhaps even more important-- we need to build ways for people to hold competitive community jobs, but also have daily or at least weekly opportunity to meet up with friends. Too often people have quit good community jobs to return to traditional day and/or vocational programs because they are lonely. People do make new and really good connections in the community, but we also need to support decades-long friendships with peers if we truly want to support sustainable integration.
CLI has some new program ideas in the works to do more to support people in community jobs. In the meantime, any CLI clients who we support to hold a job in the community should let Kristi Green know how CLI can better support you.
Hope everyone enjoyed the Superbowl yesterday. Take a deep breath before you start working on your March Madness brackets . . .
Stay warm!
John
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