How Step By Step helps people with intellectual disabilities maintain their quality of life

Born with an intellectual disability, Julian worked hard through his life and enjoyed a fulfilling career. But after he retired, he suffered a physical decline. Living in a new apartment, he no longer ventured out into the community, and he stopped participating in the things he enjoyed most. Eventually, he was hospitalized for a month because of his health concerns.

The staff of Step By Step Inc. stepped in and helped him improve his quality of life.

The nonprofit with a Western Regional office in Allegheny County’s Pleasant Hills has transformed the lives of Julian, and countless others, through its In-Home and Community Support Services.

Those services have been offered in the region since the mid-1990s. They provide assistance to people with intellectual disabilities, behavioral health and autism spectrum disorders who live in the community, either alone or with family or friends.

The staff’s focus is on helping clients improve the skills they need to achieve independence and community engagement. The services are geared toward desired outcomes, where the client’s wishes are paramount.

“Our outcomes are always specific for each individual,” says Shawn Holmes, Step By Step’s director of non-residential services. “Everybody has their own individual goal. It could be helping them with a drastic life event or making things better on a day-to-day basis.

“It could be being able to continue living individually or helping with medical appointments, paying bills or learning to tie their shoes.”

Wellness management, including help with managing medications, is one of the key areas of need Step By Step is able to address.

Since Julian became a client in 2002, the direct support staff have provided one-on-one assistance to help him with personal hygiene, laundry and grocery shopping. They also have taken him to doctor appointments.

He’s made great strides. He’s learned to communicate using hand gestures, takes showers independently and sorts his own laundry.

With the staff’s help, he’s even been able to reunite with his sister after 20 years.

Step By Step

Julian, a client of Step By Step, with a caregiver.

For clients who live alone, Step By Step’s assistance can be especially important.

“It’s really a broad scope of things we can work on,” says Holmes.

That can include everything from assistance with cooking, cleaning and physical exercise to learning computer and internet skills.

Staff also may drive clients to a drop-in center or to a social activity, such as playing bingo at a local fire hall.

Over the years, Step By Step team members have supported clients through pregnancy and the birth of a child, complex medical problems and legal matters. They even planned and hosted a wedding for two of the individuals the nonprofit has assisted.

Founded in 1977 in Wilkes-Barre, Step By Step helps more than 2,000 clients in four regions across more than 12 Pennsylvania counties.

The Pleasant Hills office provides a range of services, including behavior supports, in Allegheny, Westmoreland and Washington counties.

Clients with developmental disabilities, behavioral health or autism diagnoses and their caregivers can benefit from working with Step By Step professionals to develop and implement strategies focused on the individual’s strengths, with the goal of building effective and lasting coping skills.

Staff specialists are “always supportive of our clients, working in the least restrictive environment as possible,” says Holmes.

Step By Step additionally can help clients toward the goal of gainful employment.

The staff can help them with resume-building and may take them out into the community to practice job-related skills, perhaps through volunteering with local organizations.

“We have day programs and residential facilities if individuals can no longer live by themselves,” Holmes adds.

Step By Step’s regional facilities include: an Adult Training Facility, an Older Adult Daily Living Center, two Intermediate Care Facilities, two Lifesharing homes and 25 community homes.

To learn more about Step By Step and its services, visit stepbystepusa.com or call 412-655-8677 to contact the regional office, located at 275 Curry Hollow Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236.