Training and Outreach

Autism Housing Pathways is committed to helping families find and create new housing models and opportunities, and to increase the capacity of professionals to support individuals with autism in residential settings. While the opportunities presented below are classified by target audience, families are welcome to participate in opportunities for support personnel and vice versa. None of our trainings is intended to constitute legal, financial, or other professional advice. For a complete legal disclaimer, please click here.

• Families
• Individuals
• Transition professionals
• Support professionals

Families

• Thinking about housing
• Learning about housing
• Section 8 sign-up clinic
• 18th Birthday Club
• Family consultation

Thinking about housing:

This presentation is “Housing 101” for parents. “Thinking about housing” introduces families to the range of public funds available to pay for housing and supportive services (including for those without DDS supports). Some examples are given of how these can be combined with private funds to create housing. We can bring this presentation to your group anywhere in the state. It can be customized from 1 to 2 hours in length. Please contact us by email or by calling 617-893-8217.

The current 2019 schedule for this talk (and variations on it) is as follows. Please note some presentations are open only to participants in sponsoring groups.

February 13th, 7:00-8:30 P.M., LifeLinks, Chelmsford.

February 23rd, at the AANE Benefits Conference.

May 8th, 6:00-8:00 P.M., Northeast Arc Arabic-speaking support group, Malden. Contact Susan Gilroy at Sgilroy@ne-arc.org.

May 15th, 6:00-8:30 P.M., MCS, Springfield. Contact Carina Soto at carinasoto@mcsnet.org.

May 16th, 6:00-8:00 P.M., Boston Public Schools, Campbell Resource Center, 1216 Dorchester Avenue. Contact Lisa Connor at lconnor@bostonpublicschools.org.

May 17th, 1:20-2:20 (part of a panel), AFC Summit, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester.

May 23rd, 6:00-8:00 P.M., sponsored by Family Empowerment, Athol Public Library, Athol. Contact Donna Kushi at donna.kushi@pathlightgroup.org.

June 13th, 5:00-7:00 P.M., 7 Hills, Worcester. Contact Mary Kathryn Labenski at MLabenski@sevenhills.org.

June 18th, 6:30-8:30 P.M., Autism Support Center, Danvers. Contact Susan Gilroy at Sgilroy@ne-arc.org.

June 25th, 5:00-6:30 P.M., 7 Hills, Fitchburg. Contact Ida Avoryie at IAvoryie@sevenhills.org.

Please contact us by email or by calling 617-893-8217.

Learning about housing:

This is a day long workshop in which families are guided in working through a housing manual that will help them to determine what housing options might be appropriate for their family member. Topics include public funding streams, level of support needed, living skills development, assessment of personal resources, housing models, person-centered planning, and service providers.  It is our intent to host the workshop annually in each of four parts of the state. The cost is $100 ($135 per couple); hardship scholarships are available.

The next day long workshop will take place in Worcester on September 28, 2019. To register, please go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/learning-about-housing-worcester-tickets-69887422161

We also anticipate holding workshops in Framingham in November and Chelmsford in January.

All workshops run from 8:30-4:30. Tickets must be bought in advance. Questions? Please contact us by email or by calling 617-893-8217.

Section 8 sign-up clinic:

For those 18 and older not currently on the Sec. 8 waiting list, and wishing assistance to sign up, Autism Housing Pathways holds free Sec. 8 sign-up clinics through our institutional members.

The current 2019 clinic schedule is:

April 8th, at the Autism Alliance of Metrowest, 1881 Worcester Rd., Framingham. Contact Pam McKillop at PMcKill@advocates.org.

June 6th, at The Arc of South Norfolk, 789 Clapboardtree St., Westwood. Contact Tessa Cannata, 781-762-4001 x 303, or tcannata@arcsouthnorfolk.org.

June 12th, at the Autism Support Center, 6 Southside Rd., Danvers. Contact Susan Gilroy at Sgilroy@ne-arc.org.

June 28th, at Riverside Family Support Center, 300 West Cummings Park, Suite 354, Woburn. Contact Katie Davis at Kdavis2@riversidecc.org.

You must sign up in advance for a 20 minute appointment.  Appointments start on the half hour, with the first appointment at 9:00, and the last at 4:30. There are no appointments between 12:00 and 1:00.

Bring with you the amount of the individual’s income and his/her Social Security number. If you are the individual’s legal guardian, bring with you two (2) photocopies of your letter of guardianship.

You must be able to check your email on your phone for a password during the appointment.

Neither Autism Housing Pathways, nor its officers, nor its directors is in any way promising, offering, or guaranteeing housing or supportive services through this initiatives. Click to download the complete legal disclaimer.

18th Birthday Club:

Meet with Cathy Boyle of Autism Housing Pathways to get started on housing options for your child:

• 60 minute: Complete the two statewide Section 8 applications, review other housing waiting lists to consider, and learn how and when to apply. ($100)
• 90 minute: Same as the 90 minute, plus review the basics of supportive services and how they work (or don’t!) in different housing settings. ($150)

Send an email to AHPhousing@comcast.net to join and schedule your appointment.

Family consultation:

Autism Housing Pathways can provide families a single free phone call of up to 30 minutes to discuss their individual situations. This call is not meant to constitute legal, financial or other professional advice. Click to download the complete legal disclaimer. Please contact us to book a free phone appointment.

A single free 50 minute in-person appointment may occasionally be scheduled, but must take place at the location of one of our institutional members on designated dates. Scheduling for these sessions is done through our institutional members. Our current institutional members that book counseling appointments are: the Autism Alliance of Metrowest (Framingham), the Autism Support Center of the Northeast Arc (Danvers), Family Empowerment (Hadley), HMEA’s Autism Resource Central (West Boylston), Riverside Family Support Center (Woburn), and the South Norfolk County Arc (Westwood). The current 2019 schedule for counseling through institutional members is:

April 26th South Norfolk County Arc. Contact Tessa Cannata, 781-762-4001 x 303, or tcannata@arcsouthnorfolk.org.

May 22nd and June 21st Riverside Family Support Center. Contact Katie Davis at Kdavis2@riversidecc.org.

May 24th Family Empowerment (in Athol). Contact Donna Kushi at donna.kushi@pathlightgroup.org.

May 28th and September 23rd Autism Support Center. Contact Susan Gilroy at Sgilroy@ne-arc.org.

Additional fee-for-service consultation is also available at our physical office in Winchester or via Skype (note that appointments to complete housing applications must take place in person). Please book appointments via our Acuity scheduling link.

A different rate schedule applies to housing counseling through AANE.

Individuals

Housing application assistance for individuals without family involvement

Up to 6 hours of free assistance with applications for affordable or subsidized housing is available to individuals with autism without family involvement. There may be a limit on the number of individuals we can serve per year. Housing applications must be completed in person. Please contact us to book an appointment.

Transition professionals

Working with transition-age youth to obtain subsidized housing:

Many young people with disabilities will need to rely on subsidized housing as adults. Wait lists can be as long as 10 years, and young people should sign up as soon as they turn 18. In this webinar, transition professionals learn about the various forms of affordable and subsidized housing, and how to help students with the application process. The cost is $25.

This webinar will be scheduled later in 2019.

Support professionals

Learning about reinforcement:

This free 12 minute video can be used to give a basic overview of reinforcement to anyone supporting a person with autism. Ideally, the viewer should take a short, multiple choice pre-test before watching, then take the identical post-test after watching. Those wishing to administer paper-and-pencil pre- and post-tests as part of a training  should contact us to get the .pdf file and answer key. Closed-captions are available on the linked YouTube video; for those needing audio description, a file is available here. Staff may find this infographic from Aubrey Daniels a useful crib sheet on how to deliver reinforcement.

Learning about visual supports:

This free 22 minute video can be used to give a basic overview of visual supports to anyone supporting a person with autism. Ideally, the viewer should take a short, multiple choice pre-test before watching, then take the identical post-test after watching. Those wishing to administer paper-and-pencil pre- and post-tests as part of a training should contact us to get the .pdf file and answer key.  Closed-captions are available on the linked YouTube video; for those needing audio description, a version with video description is available here. A downloadable first-then board is available here.

Learning about sensory regulation:

This free 23 minute video can be used to give a basic overview of sensory regulation to anyone supporting a person with autism. Ideally, the viewer should take a short, multiple choice pre-test before watching, then take the identical post-test after watching. Those wishing to administer paper-and-pencil pre- and post-tests as part of a training should contact us to get the .pdf file and answer key.  All words spoken during this video appear on the screen. A version with video description is planned. A list of sensory break ideas and resources is here.

Recommended trainings:

There are a number of inexpensive, off-the-shelf trainings available, which are appropriate for different levels of employees, from new hires to house managers. Here is a listing of those Autism Housing Pathways feels would be appropriate for each level.

Quality Behavioral Competencies:

AHP members can train individuals working for families or not employed by an agency in basic modules on reinforcement. The only cost is for materials (currently $25 per person) and an auxiliary membership in Autism Housing Pathways ($15). Please contact us at 617-893-8217.