Located out of its newly remodeled clinic offices at 90 Southport Drive in Lexington, Life Works Therapies provides a wide variety of new therapeutic services including behavioral health counseling, occupational therapy and behavioral supports therapies and psychiatric services.
Life Works Therapies is a licensed Multispecialties Group through the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
It is an unfortunate fact than many people with intellectual disabilities exhibit behaviors that interfere with their ability to work and engage in the larger community.
The lack of verbal and cognitive abilities makes it very difficult for some people to understand and manage their own emotions and behaviors. This need has been recognized by the Kentucky Department for Medicaid Services, which has created service categories known as behavioral and psychological supports. Using specially trained and certified Behavioral and Psychological Support Specialists, negative behaviors are replaced by encouraging positive ones.
However, it is also frequently the case that such interventions alone are inadequate and must be supplemented through the prescription of psychotropic medications by physicians. In most instances the physician and the person with an intellectual disability meet alone and without the presence of the Behavioral and Psychological Support Specialists, making coordination lacking or nonexistent.
In response, Life Works has contracted with Dr. Steven Croley to provide psychiatric consultation including the prescription of medications in sessions that include the client, Behavior and Psychological Support Specialist, as well as other care givers as needed.
This unique and much needed approach is most popular and has greatly improved the effectiveness of behavioral and psychological supports and medication management.
Arguably the most significant development for Employment Solutions during FY 2015-2016 was the launch of Family Home Provider (FHP) residential services by our Life Works division. Through the auspices of Kentucky’s Medicaid Supports for Community Living (SCL) program for people with intellectual disabilities, FHP’s program consist of independent contractors who are carefully matched with SCL participants who provide care within their own homes. One of the primary advantages of the FHP model is that it allows people with intellectual disabilities to be incorporated into the regular activities and rhythms of life of a typical household.
While the goal of this initial year of operation was to serve 10 people, by the conclusion of FY 2015-2016 Life Works was already providing FHP services to 22 SCL participants. So strong is the demand for FHP services, Life Works projects serving a minimum of 35 SCL participants by the conclusion of FY 2016.