October 27, 2014

by: Renee Canfield

Agency to Close Independent Living Program

UCP of Greater Cleveland announced recently that it will be closing its supported living services (Independent Living Program) by December 16, 2014 and transitioning this part of its business to Welcome House, a local partner and certified Developmental Disabilities provider in Cuyahoga County.

Fifty clients of UCP of Greater Cleveland will be impacted by this decision and will be able to select any qualified provider of services in Cuyahoga County. Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities support administrators will assist in this process. “The difficult decision to end the Independent Living Program was made after careful consideration of all of the agency’s services and with the intent of remaining focused on programs that are unique to UCP of Greater Cleveland’s Children and Vocational Services,” remarked Trish Otter, President & CEO of UCP of Greater Cleveland. “We are committed to assisting these fifty clients in making a smooth transition to a qualified provider in Cuyahoga County, including our partner, Welcome House.”

UCP of Greater Cleveland will continue to serve over 1,200 individuals with disabilities each year through high quality pediatric therapies, employment opportunities for adults and two residential group homes. UCP of Greater Cleveland and Welcome House are looking forward to this new partnership between the two organizations and will look for ways they can work together to better serve the developmental disability community in Cuyahoga County.

For information on Welcome House, please visit: www.welcomehouseinc.org.

For information on the programs and services at UCP of Greater Cleveland, please visit: www.ucpcleveland.org.

If you have questions or concerns about the closure of the ILP Program at UCP of Greater Cleveland, please contact the agency at 216-791-8363.

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