BRIDGING THE GAP
Mosaic's decade of service for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities
“ There are so many issues that affect the lives of
individuals with intellectual disabilities. What I
love about Mosaic is that they bring awareness of
these issues to our community. Even better,
moving beyond awareness, they also advocate for
these individuals and create opportunities for
them that allow us to bridge the gap.
Employment, volunteerism, social opportunities
—all things that, without Mosaic,
they may never receive.“
Elisia Carr, Marketing Coordinator, Documation
BY INEZ KIRCHNER
B E A CON W R I T E R
People with IDD are people—
period. This is the message Mosaic of
South Central Texas is advocating
across the greater San Antonio area.
Mosaic provides long-term, daily
support to help adults with IDD live as
comfortably and independently as
possible. “We offer a life of possibilities
for people with disabilities,” says Justin
Botter, Mosaic Executive Director. The
local agency also promotes education,
awareness and compassion for this
often-overlooked demographic.
There are three major criteria for an
intellectual disability diagnosis: significant
limitations in intellectual
functioning (IQ of less than 75), significant
limitations in adaptive behavior
and onset before the age of 18. People
with IDD may have behavioral, mental
or physical health challenges and
generally need additional daily support
to live life fully. For example, many
parents of IDD kids don't understand
the need to put their child on a waiting
list well before they age out of school;
"school age" for the IDD child means
up to 22 years of age. Plus, most
schools tend to focus on preparation
for college, which leaves many IDD
individuals behind.
According to the Texas Council for
Developmental Disabilities (TCDD)
Most people with IDD will wait for
more than a decade before getting
assistance.
more than half a million children and
adults have IDD in Texas and more
than 150,000 of that total receive little
or no assistance.
People with IDD in Texas have a
greater opportunity to rely on help
from nonprofit groups like the good
people at Mosaic; Texas rates last in
the nation “for promoting independence
for people with IDD,” says the
TCDD.
With a lack of government funding,
many remain on waiting lists; according
to the TCDD, most will wait more
than a decade before getting assistance.
The ripple of this economic
impact is far-reaching. “When these
people have nowhere to go, they end
up homeless, in prison, or a state institution,”
says Justin.
There’s no time to wait. That’s why
Mosaic is stepping in to fill the gap.
Mosaic’s services include long-term
housing, medical treatments, maintenance
services, cooking, cleaning, and
the list goes on. Mosaic consistently
operates at a significant budget deficit
to accommodate the 109 adults it
currently serves through the San
Antonio Agency. For Mosaic, quality
and continuity of care are nonnegotiable.
“We risk hurting the people we
serve and our staff if we don’t bridge
the funding gap,” says Justin.
Sergio Vega, Mosaic client, is living proof that good
things come to those who work hard.
18 www.saBeacon.com May / June 2019