Description
The Barry L. Price
Rehabilitation Center, Inc. (The Price Center) provides a wide range of
clinical and support services to individuals with developmental disabilities.
The Newton-based agency facilitates the full participation of disabled
individuals in their communities, through community-based work, living, and
day-treatment environments. Day habilitation, employment and residential
programs foster clients' self-confidence and maximize their physical, emotional
and intellectual capability.
The mission of the
Price Center is to encourage disabled individuals' personal growth and full
participation in their communities through social, living and work experiences
that encourage independence, respect individual preferences and accommodate
diversity.
This year marks the
34th year of The Price Center, which was founded as a provider of vocational
services in Newton, Mass., and remained so for its first ten years. In 1987, the Day Habilitation Program opened
in Dedham, and in 1997 it merged with Humanity House to add a residential services
component to its programs. During the past ten years, the Price Center has
launched three additional residential programs, expanded its day habilitation
services, and added after-school and family support programs.
Throughout its
history, the agency has continually adapted to the needs of its constituents
and the local communities it serves. In 2005, for example, The Price Center
identified a critical need for life skills training among younger people in
Newton High Schools. This recognized need gave rise to the ASCENT program.
Through ASCENT, The Price Center has delivered practical life-skills,
social-competency and pre-vocational training and support to scores of
developmentally disabled students and their families.
The Price Center also
offers vocational assessment, job placement and supported work opportunities
for job-ready disabled adults.
Several new
initiatives began in 2007, including the Business Advisory Committee, to help
the Price Center place individuals in community-based employment. Representatives from NSTAR Electric,
Motophoto, Blue Cross Blue Shield, The City of Newton, and Verizon meet
quarterly to advise and assist in the placement of clients into full and
part-time jobs. In 2011, the Center
launched a Supported Apartment Program in Newton.
The Board of
Directors’ Space Committee is currently studying facility needs and evaluating
potential new program sites as part of a long-range planning process.
CURRENT PROGRAMS
The Price operates the following programs:
ASCENT: (Advocacy,
Social Skills, Career Exploration, Networking, and Transitions). An afternoon
program for teens and young adults with developmental disabilities, ASCENT
teaches life, communication and career exploration skills to high school
students and young adults transitioning into independent living in the
community.
Employment Services:
The Price Center provides a range of employment options for job seekers with
developmental disabilities, including job-readiness training, supported work
and job placement and retention support services for those ready for
private-sector employment in the local community.
Day Habilitation:
Clients with moderate to severe cognitive impairments as well as significant physical disabilities,
such as deafness or blindness, receive clinical services and care in a
medically-based day program that provides nursing, occupational therapy,
physical therapy, speech therapy, and behavioral intervention.
Intensive Day
Habilitation: This program supports individuals with a primary diagnosis of
severe to profound mental retardation. Clinical and therapeutic services
include occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and nursing.
Family Support: The
Price Center is committed to assisting families touched by disability, by
offering counseling, planning and program placement services for their disabled
family members through various life transitions.
Residential Homes:
The Price Center's residential services provide opportunities for independent
and community living for individuals with a range of developmental needs and
abilities. Four homes operated in Newton in Brookline, Massachusetts, allow
residents easy access to community resources and public transportation.
