LifeWorks looks to bring day program to Wright County

         LifeWorks Community Services has had a presence in both Webster and Humboldt counties since 1965, and now are looking at bringing day program services to this county for clients in need of that.

“We’re talking about non-residential services,” said Executive Director Teresa Naughton. “We understand there’s more of a need here for those. We’re not trying to compete with Mosaic, but are just trying to find out if there’s enough need to have a presence in Wright County.” Their Mission Statement is “To provide opportunities for growth and achievement for persons with disabilities who face barriers to independence and integration in employment and daily living.”

            According to Naughton, there are now 129 people employed with LifeWorks and 185 clients being served. There are 17 24-hour support teams covering Fort Dodge and Humboldt. The Day Habilitation services help individuals acquire, retain or improve leisure skills, community integration, self-advocacy, wellness/safety, mobility, communication and/or socialization away from the client’s home. Work Crews assist individuals with disabilities gain or maintain work skills in a small group, community-based setting.

            “We’re just in the exploratory stage with this idea,” added Vocational Director Curt Duffield, who has spent 30 years in this field. “We’re asking ‘Is it feasible to start services here?’ We want to know if there are people here who need these services. We want to reach out to more folks.” He went on to explain that they would start out by offering a day program and could expand services from there. “It could be in Eagle Grove or in Clarion,” he said. “It would make more sense to have day services here, then we don’t have to bus them to Humboldt.”

More the full story, see this week's Monitor