bout Us
The ARC/BC
The Arc of Buncombe receives all funding from grants, memberships, donations, and fund raising. The Arc of Buncombe County does not receive funding from state, federal, or local governments. All services are free to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Mission: A United Way participating agency, the Arc of Buncombe County was established in 1957. Our mission is to empower persons with developmental and intellectual disabilities to realize their highest potential through advocacy, education, programs, and family support. We serve persons of al ages with developmental and intellectual disabilities and their families who reside within Buncombe County.
.
Meet Our Executive Director:
Anne Doucette
Services Offered:
Advocacy:Our Advocate assists individuals and families with medical, legal, and educational advocacy. She and our trained volunteer advocates are available to accompany individuals and families to doctor appointments or other medical procedures to ensure that the individual’s rights are protected, but also to act as an intermediary on behalf of the medical community to explain in greater detail what the individual or family can expect. This saves doctors and medical staff valuable time, which encourages them to accept more patients with disabilities. Advocates are also available to accompany individuals or families to courtroom proceedings, and are often involved in researching particular cases or complaints to determine whether a person’s rights have been violated, and also to better explain the legal system to the individual or family. Advocates collaborate with local lawyers and disability law experts as the need arises. Finally, advocates are also available to accompany families into the school system to help them navigate the often difficult and confusing IEP process. The advocate ensures that parents and children receive fair treatment, and also act on the school’s behalf to better explain the resources and programs available to the families through the schools.
Augmented Case Management: The Augmented Case Management Program assists individuals with developmental/intellectual disabilities and their families by providing counseling sessions which assess the consumers’ immediate and long-term needs, and then our Community Resource Specialist works with them to determine which referrals to service providers would best meet those needs, and helps them to establish contact with the appropriate service providers. After referrals are made the Community Resource Specialist then follows up on those referrals to ensure that individuals are receiving the supports that were anticipated in a timely and effective manner. The resource specialist follows up with consumers once a month or more if needed for one year from the date of referral. If new issues present within that year that require additional counseling or referral, the individual or family begins that year of follow up service over again. Due to the nature of many of our consumers’ disabilities, some level of follow up may continue for multiple years. Additionally, if the need presents, our Community Resource Specialist may assist an individual or family to complete a Long Term Plan, which is broader in scope and projects farther into the future support needs of the individual than a traditional Person Centered Plan, which a person may or may not have with a Targeted Case Management provider.
Direct Financial Assistance: Families or individuals may request financial assistance directly, or they may be referred for assistance by a case manager, support broker, or DSS case worker, or by another local charitable organization such as Eblen, ABCCM, or The Salvation Army. After an individual or family with confirmed developmental disabilities requests emergency financial assistance from the Arc, our Community Resource Specialist determines the cause, validity, and immediacy of the stated need or needs. The Resource Specialist then collaborates with other financial aid agencies to meet the stated financial need in a timely manner. Monies are distributed directly to the vendors owed, rather than to the individuals themselves. Examples of the types of financial needs The Arc assists with are as follows: rent or mortgage payments, utilities, groceries, medications, medically necessary equipment or procedures, heating oil, clothing, alternative respite funding, and developmental summer camp scholarships. If the Community Resource Specialist determines that payments are required due to an individual’s lack of adequate financial planning or income, an in-house financial counseling session is scheduled, and referrals are made to appropriate community programs to address these concerns, such as On Track, Vocational Rehabilitation, or the Western Highlands Network. Follow Up services are provided to individuals and families and their case managers if applicable over time to ensure that new financial crises are prevented wherever possible.
Social Enrichment:Our Social Enrichment program serves to integrate individuals with developmental disabilities into the community while providing peer socialization opportunities. Currently, our program consists of two highly anticipated dances at a local nightspot around Valentine’s Day and Halloween, co-sponsorship with Western Alliance to form the Kiwanis Aktion Club, and collaboration with Asheville Parks and Rec and The Family Support Network to organize and present Family Fun Day. Our dances draw hundreds of local individuals with disabilities and their caregivers for a night of music, dancing, food, and socializing. Often people dress up for these events, and Asheville Police Department provide an officer to ensure people’s safety. The Aktion Club is a service-based opportunity for individuals with disabilities to plan and participate in local volunteer service projects, giving them the chance to give back to and become more closely involved in their community. Family Fun Day is a yearly event in which hundreds of families with children with disabilities come to Carrier Park to enjoy a multitude of activities, entertainment, and to increase their awareness of the programs and supports available to them, and to interact with other families and children. Additionally, The Arc of B/C is in the process of planning to expand our Social Enrichment program to possibly include regular art classes.
The Arc of Buncombe receives all funding from grants, memberships, donations, and fund raising. The Arc of Buncombe County does not receive funding from state, federal, or local governments. All services are free to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Mission: A United Way participating agency, the Arc of Buncombe County was established in 1957. Our mission is to empower persons with developmental and intellectual disabilities to realize their highest potential through advocacy, education, programs, and family support. We serve persons of al ages with developmental and intellectual disabilities and their families who reside within Buncombe County.
.
Meet Our Executive Director:Anne Doucette
Services Offered:
Advocacy:Our Advocate assists individuals and families with medical, legal, and educational advocacy. She and our trained volunteer advocates are available to accompany individuals and families to doctor appointments or other medical procedures to ensure that the individual’s rights are protected, but also to act as an intermediary on behalf of the medical community to explain in greater detail what the individual or family can expect. This saves doctors and medical staff valuable time, which encourages them to accept more patients with disabilities. Advocates are also available to accompany individuals or families to courtroom proceedings, and are often involved in researching particular cases or complaints to determine whether a person’s rights have been violated, and also to better explain the legal system to the individual or family. Advocates collaborate with local lawyers and disability law experts as the need arises. Finally, advocates are also available to accompany families into the school system to help them navigate the often difficult and confusing IEP process. The advocate ensures that parents and children receive fair treatment, and also act on the school’s behalf to better explain the resources and programs available to the families through the schools.
Augmented Case Management: The Augmented Case Management Program assists individuals with developmental/intellectual disabilities and their families by providing counseling sessions which assess the consumers’ immediate and long-term needs, and then our Community Resource Specialist works with them to determine which referrals to service providers would best meet those needs, and helps them to establish contact with the appropriate service providers. After referrals are made the Community Resource Specialist then follows up on those referrals to ensure that individuals are receiving the supports that were anticipated in a timely and effective manner. The resource specialist follows up with consumers once a month or more if needed for one year from the date of referral. If new issues present within that year that require additional counseling or referral, the individual or family begins that year of follow up service over again. Due to the nature of many of our consumers’ disabilities, some level of follow up may continue for multiple years. Additionally, if the need presents, our Community Resource Specialist may assist an individual or family to complete a Long Term Plan, which is broader in scope and projects farther into the future support needs of the individual than a traditional Person Centered Plan, which a person may or may not have with a Targeted Case Management provider.
Direct Financial Assistance: Families or individuals may request financial assistance directly, or they may be referred for assistance by a case manager, support broker, or DSS case worker, or by another local charitable organization such as Eblen, ABCCM, or The Salvation Army. After an individual or family with confirmed developmental disabilities requests emergency financial assistance from the Arc, our Community Resource Specialist determines the cause, validity, and immediacy of the stated need or needs. The Resource Specialist then collaborates with other financial aid agencies to meet the stated financial need in a timely manner. Monies are distributed directly to the vendors owed, rather than to the individuals themselves. Examples of the types of financial needs The Arc assists with are as follows: rent or mortgage payments, utilities, groceries, medications, medically necessary equipment or procedures, heating oil, clothing, alternative respite funding, and developmental summer camp scholarships. If the Community Resource Specialist determines that payments are required due to an individual’s lack of adequate financial planning or income, an in-house financial counseling session is scheduled, and referrals are made to appropriate community programs to address these concerns, such as On Track, Vocational Rehabilitation, or the Western Highlands Network. Follow Up services are provided to individuals and families and their case managers if applicable over time to ensure that new financial crises are prevented wherever possible.
Social Enrichment:Our Social Enrichment program serves to integrate individuals with developmental disabilities into the community while providing peer socialization opportunities. Currently, our program consists of two highly anticipated dances at a local nightspot around Valentine’s Day and Halloween, co-sponsorship with Western Alliance to form the Kiwanis Aktion Club, and collaboration with Asheville Parks and Rec and The Family Support Network to organize and present Family Fun Day. Our dances draw hundreds of local individuals with disabilities and their caregivers for a night of music, dancing, food, and socializing. Often people dress up for these events, and Asheville Police Department provide an officer to ensure people’s safety. The Aktion Club is a service-based opportunity for individuals with disabilities to plan and participate in local volunteer service projects, giving them the chance to give back to and become more closely involved in their community. Family Fun Day is a yearly event in which hundreds of families with children with disabilities come to Carrier Park to enjoy a multitude of activities, entertainment, and to increase their awareness of the programs and supports available to them, and to interact with other families and children. Additionally, The Arc of B/C is in the process of planning to expand our Social Enrichment program to possibly include regular art classes.
Call/email to be be added to our newsletter list.
_____________________
Nicole Hinebaugh, Executive Director
Nicole@arcofbuncombe.org
Linda McDaniel, Advocate/Community Resource Specialist
Linda@arcofbuncombe.org
Krisy Williams, Administrative Assistant
arcbc@arcofbuncombe.org
Phone : (828) 253-1255
Fax: (828) 253-1250
By Mail: P.O. Box 1365
Asheville, NC 28802
Location : United Way Building
50 S. French Broad Ave.,
Room 257
Asheville, North Carolina 28801
USA