Space Coast Edition — Volume III, Issue II 7 that if your child needs to enter a day program at, for example, age 22, but you have no funding source secured, your child could be age 32 before funding becomes available. Don’t delay this very important discussion. If a student that enters the workforce after graduation finds that he wants a different job, once registered then referred through Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), BAC’s Employment Services department will assign an employment coordinator to assist with finding another communitybased employment opportunity. Coordinators will continue to touch base with the client for 90 days to ensure a successful outcome. Or for those individuals that may want to learn a different skill set, an On-the-Job Training (OJT) position is probably the better choice. And if, with the right supports, living independently seems like a goal that can be attained, BAC’s Supported Living program will give your child the necessary assistance to be successful. Supported Living coordinators meet with clients at their homes to help with activities like grocery shopping, budgeting or doing laundry. Coordinators might be needed to take clients to the doctor. Whatever it takes to ensure that independent living is achieved is what the client and coordinator work together to accomplish. BAC has been in operation since 1968 which means that the agency has a wealth of experience assisting people with disabilities achieve personal success. Almost 15 years ago, BAC became the host site for Very Special Arts Florida-Brevard County (VSAFL-BC), an affiliate of VSA Florida. This program gives students in Brevard’s public elementary and middle schools a chance to grow through the arts. Visiting artists work with classrooms to create performances featured at the annual Performing Arts Showcase, or art that’s displayed over three days at the spring Hands-On Arts Festival held at the Brevard Zoo. And an annual holiday card contest is held each year with the winning student’s art serving as a local business donor’s holiday card. This rich history of operating quality programs and services for people with disabilities created other opportunities for growth, and not just in Brevard. The agency employs certified Community Work Incentive Coordinators, or CWICs, to provide Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) services to beneficiaries’ ages 14 through full retirement age receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) in 14 Florida counties. In addition, through a partnership with SourceAmerica, one of two agencies that oversees the federal AbilityOne program, BAC is contracted to provide such business services as commissary operations, custodial services, grounds maintenance and dining operations at 13 federal sites (as of June 2017) located throughout Florida and in North Carolina, Puerto Rico and Virginia. The Economic Development Council of Florida’s Space Coast says that BAC is the county’s 27th largest employer. In 2016, the agency employed approximately 716 individuals with disabilities; it served over 4,000 people with disabilities throughout the year as well. Whether you’re a parent of a child nearing transition or an adult with a disability, BAC has the programs and services to meet your needs. Visit bacbrevard.com or call (321) 632-8610 to learn more.
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