We are excited to announce Choices in Community Living, Inc. as the new provider of residential and day services at Safe Haven Farms starting July 1. Choices is a nonprofit agency that has provided person centered, value based services in southwest Ohio since 1985. Their mission "to assist people with developmental disabilities to have access to opportunities to build safe, healthy and meaningful lives in the community" aligns very well with that of Safe Haven Farms.
Late last fall Bittersweet Farms, our current provider, made the difficult decision to focus their services on their sites in northern Ohio. Their 3 years of hard work improving the care and programming at Safe Haven have been invaluable. Bittersweet Farms was instrumental in guiding us during the founding of Safe Haven, and our long-standing relationship with them will continue as we collaborate at the state and national levels to assure that the needs of those with developmental disabilities and autism are voiced and addressed. Bittersweet very graciously provided us with more than adequate time to find the best replacement available and they are working with us and Choices to ensure a smooth transition.
The Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities supported our search for a new provider by inviting potential providers to apply if they had interest. Fortunately, we had several excellent responses. We were especially impressed with the staff we interviewed from Choices in Community Living and how they interacted with our Farmers. Their director, Tom Weaver, has been with the organization for many years and has built a compassionate staff with a strong emphasis on support for the direct care professionals who interact with Safe Haven residents and program participants on a day-to-day basis.
Choices runs programs in conjunction with county boards of developmental disabilities and YMCAs. They hope to expand day activities at the farm and are exploring other community integration options in Butler County for those served by the farm. Visit their web-site at http://partnersohio.com/home/choices-in-community-living/