Evergreen Elm Inc., is looking to match area residents with
mentally challenged individuals as part of a new Life Sharing
program.

Those taking part will welcome the mentally challenged
individual into their home and receive a stipend from the state and
training on how to deal with any issue that might arise.

“It’s foster care for people with mental retardation,” Evergreen
Elm Executive Director Garry Pugrant said Wednesday. “The state is
highly recommending this program and has had success over the years
with it.

“A provider will be responsible for taking a person into their
home and treating them as a member of their family.”

The program will be operated by Pugrant and Melissa Kirk, also
of Evergreen Elm. The agency operates several group homes across
the Tuna Valley.

Pugrant said the program was previously called Family Living,
adding he and Kirk traveled to Erie last week for a two-day
workshop on how to implement the program locally. Now, they are
looking for providers to match-up with mentally challenged
individuals, who will be asked if they want to take part in the
program.

“This is part of our effort to benefit the people we are
serving,” Kirk said, adding the idea of the program has been around
since the mid-1980s.

The duo said they believe the program would be unique to the
county.

“We are pretty excited about trying this and seeing what the
response will be in the county,” Pugrant said. “This is not an easy
thing to do. It’s a commitment and a 24/7 job.”

According to Pugrant, providers will have to qualify to take
part in the program. The first step a potential provider would take
is to fill out an application, which is available at Evergreen
Elm.

A provider must also be checked for FBI and child abuse
clearances, have a physical and the appropriate vaccinations.
Pugrant said the application will then be reviewed, a personal
interview conducted and a home study done. A second interview will
then be done with the provider by a selected committee from
Evergreen Elm.

Pugrant said those providers selected for the program will be
given training, fire safety, CPR and First Aid. In addition, the
state will visit a provider’s home each year and a license will be
issued. A provider will also be required to take 24 hours of
training each year, which can be done through Evergreen Elm.

“Our role is to match an appropriate individual with a
provider,” Pugrant said, noting the mentally challenged individuals
currently live in one of the agency’s group homes. “Lot’s of times,
the provider will know the person coming into their home. The
program could also be ideal for an elderly person who can’t handle
a mentally retarded person by themselves anymore.

Pugrant said a provider would also need to be able to do
record-keeping for medications and finances, adding a meeting will
be held with providers to review all the steps that need to be
taken.

Pugrant said Evergreen Elm will help a potential provider set-up
their home to meet the specifications needed for bringing a
mentally challenged individual in. He also noted that employees of
the agency are also being brought up to speed with the auspices of
the program.

“The provider receives a stipend from the state and are provided
with room and board and a tuition fee,” Pugrant said, noting the
room and board funds will be supplied on a monthly basis. Evergreen
Elm will pay out the money when it comes in from the state.

According to Pugrant, nearly 50 mentally challenged individuals
are eligible to take part in the program through Evergreen Elm, but
they can also come from outside the county.

“We want to support everybody involved with the program,”
Pugrant said. “We want to start out and have success.”

Anyone with questions are asked to contact Pugrant or Kirk at
Evergreen Elm.