Disadvantaged Population: Individual Residential Alternatives


GVIEN-Inc. Individual Residential Alternative (IRA) is a residential habilitation program provided in multiple sites throughout New York State supporting children and adults.

Living in our IRA enables individuals to reside in a home like environment with staff support. The purpose of this program is to provide supervision and training to residents to enhance their functional living skills and independence. All residents receive services on a daily basis through the implementation of a comprehensive individual service plan, with 24-hour supervision from staff. Learning to be a productive member of society occurs both in community and home. Individuals residing in an IRA will be full partners with EEDA staff and their Service Coordinator in creating an Individualized Service Plan (ISP), that identifies the hopes and dreams he/she wishes to attain. This alternative living option affords individuals the opportunity to participate in the care of their own home, full community access, and the prospect for socialization, recreation and leisure. Our IRA ultimately offers a unique experience that fosters independence, life enhancement and true integration into the community.

GVIEN-Inc.’s Residential program is compromised of Individualized Residential Alternative (IRA) apartments and houses in the New York State. The IRA program is fashioned to create a family setting for all residents with regard to individualized life goals, choices, culture, religion, family and relations, safety, protective oversights and clinical plans. Supervision and support from residential staff are provided based on needs of the individual. The program is available to individuals 18 and over who have a documented diagnosis of a developmental disability, who have Medicaid, and who are waiver eligible.

The Supervised Apartments provide individuals who are able to live more independently with the opportunity to do so. These individuals assume the responsibility for maintaining an apartment while receiving 24-hour supervision and daily support from staff. IRA’s is designed for people who do not routinely require on-site clinical services. All individuals residing in our IRA are encouraged to actively participate, along with their families, in the development of their program plan. Through this participation, individuals exercise the opportunity to shape their own futures by deciding what they would like and need to learn.