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REACH, Inc. is a private, non-profit corporation that has been providing human services to people with disabilities in Eau Claire County since 1963. Starting with less than ten clients, three staff and a budget of a few thousand dollars, REACH, has grown to serve more than nine hundred and fifty clients each year, with an annual budget of over $3 million and a staff of more than 100. Initially, Day Services were provided for the individuals that were not served in the public school system, and did not meet the standards set by the local shelter workshop. With evidence showing the importance of productive (work) activities for all levels of functioning, real work was implemented as a part of the programming at REACH. The Adult Program is centered at 3rd Street on the west side of Eau Claire. Many programs take the clients out into the community to fulfill their individually identified goals, while the bulk of services occur at the facility. An Annex providing identical programming was opened in Menomonie in early 1997. In the mid 1970's REACH developed the W.H. Hobbs Parent/Child Program to serve the needs of children ages birth to three experiencing developmental delays, and their families. With this program, Eau Claire County, in partnership with REACH, is offering services to families that are rivaled by few others in the state. When the need for semi-independent living skills training was identified by the county, REACH responded with its Linkage Program. Since 1981, people wishing to live as independently as possible in the community have had access to quality training and instruction to that end. Linkage was rolled into another program and a different provider now serves those clients. In 1986, REACH was awarded the County's first contract to develop and implement Community Based Vocational Services (supported employment). The philosophy necessary to conduct a program this unique was endorsed early on by staff at REACH. A commitment to complete integration and inclusion into the community for all people must be, and is presently here. Indeed, the search for integration has spilled over into our facility based work program, e.g., to date seven enclave sites have been developed with local business subcontracting for our employees to come to their place of business. All of our programs are based on the belief that REACH is not a "terminal" placement as in "the end of the line" for our clients, but are programs that provide individualized "development and training" skills to enable growth towards independence in the community. REACH's Supported Employment Services (SES) began operations in January of 1987 with the hiring of its first staff. Referrals were accepted as early as February, and the first placement occurred in April. Since then, SES has assistant an average of 50 individuals successfully achieve competitive employment each year. SES continues to provide employment opportunities and support to people with special needs as well as to community businesses. In January of 1994, Hand in Hand: A Place For All Children (HiH) opened for business. HiH is a fully inclusive childcare center for children with and without disabilities. It is licensed for 144 children. At any given time, of the total children enrolled, approximately 25% are children with special needs. The Parent Child Program moved from our 3rd Street site to Hand in Hand's Banbury site at that time. FOR MORE INFORMATION AND OR A TOUR, PLEASE CALL (715) 833-7755 |
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United Way of Eau Claire Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce
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Sara Friederich Memorial Dog Expo
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Chris DeBruyckere CD Marketing Cindy Evenson Benefit Plan Administrators Steve Gibbs Hertel & Gibbs, SC Board Secretary John Grump Dept. of Natural Resources (retired) Board CHAIR
John Hager Kim
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