Our Services
Cottonwood Community Alternatives, Inc. ~ P.O. Box 946, Englewood, Colorado 80151-0946 ~ PHONE: 303.761-6487
Cottonwood serves over 150 individuals in our various programs, which consist of residential services, including staffed homes, family care giver, apartments, and host home settings. In addition, we have base site day program services and community access activities, supported living services, and support for individuals who are employed. All services are provided to individuals through Medicaid waiver programs or on a private pay basis.
The individuals we serve have a wide range of skills and areas where they need support. Supports and services can include assisting and providing training in areas of household and personal maintenance; social manners appropriate to the situation; planning for recreational or social events; community employment support; transportation coordination; obtaining medical treatment and ensuring follow up; maintaining contact with family and friends.
Cottonwood offers a number of special events throughout the year to the individuals we serve, their families and friends, our employees, independent contractors, and agency affiliates. This provides ongoing opportunities for each individual to meet, greet, socialize, and form friend and business relationships.
Staffed Homes
Family Care Giver
Apartments
Host Homes
Program Coordination, Quality Assurance, and Administrative Monitoring are provider for each individual receiving service from Cottonwood. Program Coordination includes an annual assessment of skills and needs, individual service and support plans in keeping each person's short and long term goals, regular monitoring of progress of plans, regular contact with family members or guardians, and an assigned Program Managers. Individuals receiving Comprehensive Medicaid Waiver Services will also receive medical services coordination and benefits management.
Cottonwood conducts regular quality and satisfaction surveys with individuals in services, their families and friends, our employees and independent contractors, and agency affiliates. We also complete routine monitoring for all services and supports provided and at any setting where such programs take place. The monitoring includes programmatic, environmental, and applicable rules, regulations, standards and agency policies.
Cottonwood provides residential services and supports in a variety of settings including staffed homes, the individual's family home, apartments, and with host home providers. The type of setting the individual lives in is determined by their choice, the amount of support needed, and the supervision required to provide the support. Our residential services are designed with an emphasis on growth, increased independence, and success while maintaining the person's health and safety.
Residential services include the following:
- Provision for each individual to have their own private bedroom.
- Medical services coordination and benefits management.
- Training and assistance based on individual need and skill level.
- 24-hour staff availability and emergency response
- Household expenses and equipment, including furnishings, appliances, linens, kitchen utensils, rent, phone, utilities, repairs, etc.
- Assistance obtaining medical equipment and services, such as eye glasses, dentures, dental care, walking aids, over the counter medications and first aid supplies.
- Access to recreational and community activities such as concerts, sporting events, or other similar outings.
- Monthly spending money for groceries and personal expenses (determined by benefits).
Staffed Homes - Cottonwood has a number of homes in which three individuals receiving services live in a home with rotating staff who stay also stay in the setting. The staff rotate every 2 ½ days and are available to each individuals on a 24 hour basis.
Family Care Giver - Cottonwood began Family Caregiver (FCG) Services in 2009 as part of the state pilot program. Our FCG settings vary widely based on the needs of the individual and the family. In some of the settings we employ a family member living in the home, in others we send non-related staff into the home as support, and sometimes, we use a combination of both.
Apartments - Cottonwood coordinates services for individuals in apartments in the Denver metro area. Apartment services are for individuals who do not need in home supervision, have the skills to complete all aspects of their personal care, and have basic household management skills. Individuals looking at this type of placement should also have the safety skills to reside in such a setting. Cottonwood provides 24-hour staff, residing on-site, and available as needed.
Host Homes - A Host Home (HHIC) is an individual or family that contracts with Cottonwood, and provides services for up to two people within the HHIC’s home. The individuals that are placed in Host Home settings are integrated into the family, their activities, and receive personal support and care. Host Home Providers are required to meet the same extensive training and background checks as our employees.
Community Participation provided by Cottonwood includes, base site activities, connecting individuals with volunteer positions, assisting in accessing continued education classes, and assistance in accessing recreational activities and building supports in the community.
What is SLS?
Some of the individuals we work with live with their families or on their own. Supported Living Services are designed to provide them with the support they or their families need to make this a successful living arrangement. These services vary for each person, for example weekly visits from a staff member to assist with medications, grocery shopping, or budgeting, or daily time spent doing recreational activities in the community. Cottonwood also works with some individuals who receive in home supervision or out of home respite supports.
Supported Employment Services (SE)
Supported Employment services include completion of applications and referrals to Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR). Cottonwood is an approved vendor with DVR and, helps with pre-employment screening and job search activities. Cottonwood works through both the DVR and Waiver program to provide job follow-along services, individual job coaching services, and transportation coordination.
