Developmental Disabilities
Services provided by Vinfen’s Developmental Services Division assist adults and children with developmental disabilities, autism, and secondary disorders such as behavioral challenges, blindness, deafness, and epilepsy. We provide both residential and day programs tailored to individual and family needs and circumstances.
Individual assessments and clinical-intervention strategies are developed by our staff of experienced master’s-level clinicians. These assessments and strategies build on an individual’s existing abilities, helping him or her move toward greater levels of independence.
Residential Services: Facilities for adults are typically two- to five-person homes with 1:1 to 1:4 staff-to-resident ratios. We emphasize activities for everyday living, such as shopping, money management, personal health, recreation, and community involvement.
Supportive Living: In these settings, our staff visits and works with people who are more independent and live in their own homes or apartments. These services encourage people to make their own decisions about staffing, roommates, and living environments.
Day Habilitation Services focus on basic skills training, such as speech, occupational therapy, and medical issues.
Community Based Day Services programs are designed for individuals not yet ready or interested in competitive employment. They are encouraged to identify goals and interests. Skills and vocational training, as well as educational opportunities, are then provided in these areas.
Vocational Services provide job-readiness skills and job-placement services.
Alternative Day Programs, such as Gateway Arts focus on different strategies and teaching methods to enhance skill development and personal confidence. These include arts-based rehabilitation, pre-vocational training, and supported employment. In supported employment situations, Vinfen staff members work with individuals on the job until they are comfortable in their new environment. Once settled into a new job, the individuals we serve become productive and highly valued members of the team.
Vinfen’s Gateway Arts is an internationally recognized prevocational arts service for talented adults with disabilities. Founded in 1973, Gateway maintains high artistic expectations, and artisans are encouraged to create high-quality works and to earn income from their creations.
Gateway’s busy studio and store in Brookline, Mass., offer stunning fine art, ceramics, painted clothing, semi-precious jewels, woven goods, furniture, and folk art. Gateway also has a retail presence in New York and London and has become an international model for programs of its kind.
Family Support Services provide case management and financial assistance to help keep families intact.
Family Advisory Council was formed to increase family input in the development of the agency’s programs, policies and plans. To learn more about the Advisory Council, please contact Mary Beth Vargus at 617-441-1869 or vargusm@vinfen.org.
Human Rights Committees monitor services, activities, training and protocols to ensure that Vinfen staff recognize, protect, and promote the rights of individuals served. Find out more about our Human Rights Committees.
DSD Family Support Resource Center
Visit our DSD Family Support Resource Center page to find out how to access services.
Accessing Services
Visit our Accessing Services page to find out how to access services.
Internship Opportunities
Learn more about Internship Opportunities in the Developmental Disabilities Division.
Brochure
Click here to download a PDF version of our Developmental Disabilities brochure.