Independent Housing

A NEW VIEW ON ADULT WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY AND AUTISM: PROTAGONISM, EMPOWERMENT, AUTONOMY AND INDEPENDENCE

The first independent housing in Brazil is based in Rio de Janeiro and opens new horizons for young people and adults with disabilities and their families. Its differential is the exclusive methodology of the JNG, which makes an in-depth analysis of the uniqueness of each resident and outlines a plan of professional and personalized support, so that he can live with autonomy and security in his own home.

Gradually, in their privacy, these adults learn to take care of their apartment, to make their choices and decisions, living their routine, always counting on the support they need and want. And so, in a continuous learning process, they develop skills and competencies, gain self-confidence and self-esteem and can celebrate the gains and challenges of a full adult life. Even though they are highly dependent, adults with disabilities can and should make their own choices, even if they do not have the independence to perform tasks.

How does JNG Independent Housing work?

• Privacy: each adult has their own apartment and routine (work, therapy, course, etc.)
• Common building: where people with and without disabilities live, in an urban neighborhood. No isolation, no segregated housing
• There is no age limit and no restrictions on the type of disability.
• It’s not a type of therapeutic or medical assistance: this follow-up, if any, can and should be maintained, and will be part of the monitored routine;
• It has a support base, an office on the same floor as the apartments, where the 24-hour on-call team is located, responsible for: monitoring routines, such as working hours, medication, courses and activities in general; provide support for day-to-day domestic activities and take action in case of unforeseen circumstances
• The Personalized Support Plan (PSP) guides the support services, structured on two levels:
  • in everyday life, with a focus on changes in life and new possibilities, so that the resident can take ownership of the tasks and routines that managing a house requires, in a natural way (washing clothes, ordering food, cleaning the house, etc.). In the first month, there is special attention to feelings of uncertainty that may arise.
  • in individual meetings with the resident, focusing on the development of skills and competences that require a closer look. It is a program, with a pre-defined agenda of goals, actions and deadlines, contracted separately.
  • The total value of independent housing is the sum of rent and support services. The rent includes water, gas, IPTU and condominium, in addition to free internet and free access to shared areas, which include collective kitchen, cinema, co-working, among others. The cost of the support base is divided among the residents; and individualized support is contracted separately.
  • The purpose of JNG is to promote a transformation in our society, breaking paradigms and deconstructing the culture of capacitism.

I want to apply for Independent Housing at JNG.

The first step is to carry out a Profile and Autonomy Assessment, an x-ray of the abilities and autonomy of the disabled adult, based on interviews with him/her and his/her family (mother, father, siblings) conducted by our multidisciplinary team of specialists. . In these interviews, routines, activities and aspirations are mapped in different areas of life: health, leisure, security, finances, food, etc.

It is not an assessment of being able or not, but rather to define the second fundamental step towards independent housing in the JNG: the Personalized Support Plan (PPA), which maps out the necessary support for an adult with a disability to live with autonomy and as independent as possible in your home and in your day to day life. Even though they are highly dependent, adults with disabilities must exercise their autonomy of choice, even if they do not have the independence to perform tasks. From the simple fact of having your own home, your privacy, there will be many stimuli for you to expand your practice of autonomy.

To learn more, send an email to vila@institutojng.org.br

I’m not ready yet, but I want to know more

Participate in our Independent Housing Journey, where we welcome anxieties and insecurities, talk to families about adult life, feelings, challenges and achievements, and clarify all doubts about JNG’s independent housing model, the interview process, the team and the supports. These are meetings, mentorships and dynamics for the whole family, exclusive for parents and exclusive for children. To know the next date, send an email to villa@flavia.

When we say live alone, it means that the person can choose and decide who they want to live with, not that they will be lonely, sad and helpless. And if the family has this concern, they can share and talk about this issue in follow-up and supervision meetings.

Independent housing sees the person before the disability. It is important to listen to them, to listen to their desires, their tastes, to give them the opportunity to decide something about their own lives, to reduce the barriers that prevent them from participating in society.

The JNG Institute adopts the vision of autonomy, independence, trust and respect for people with disabilities, which is consistent with this new generation that has benefited from numerous inclusive actions in recent years, especially education in regular schools and supported employment. No isolation, no segregated residences, with privacy, freedom and autonomy, as guaranteed in the UN Convention and the Brazilian Law of Inclusion.