Community Supports also known as Day Program

DEH believes Community Supports/Day Programs are highly beneficial.  Within each program, the treatment and activities a person receives is individualized.

Community Supports/Day Program is support provided by a Direct Support Professional in order to increase or maintain a person’s ability to successfully engage in inclusive social and community relationships and to maintain and develop skills that support health and well being.  This is a habilitative service with a focus on community inclusion, personal development, and if necessary support in areas of daily living skills.

Community Supports is flexible, responsive, and consistent with the persons personal plan.

The location of the service and staffing level may vary in order to allow for a mix of individualized and group services.  The average staff-to-member ratio for Community Supports Day Program is for each program location, there is one staff to three consumers.

DEH Accepts Consumers Who:

• Are funded for program hours through the MaineCare waiver, FSDH, or private pay
• Are 18 years old or older
• Has Mental Retardation or Autistic Disorder
• Are able to maintain stable/safe behaviors during program hours

Services Provided:

Activities are provided throughout Penobscot and Hancock counties.  Transportation to and from activities once at a DEH site is provided.

Downeast Horizons Community Supports / Day Programs are located:

• Bar Harbor – MDI Center
• Ellsworth  - Ellsworth Center Day and Evening Programs
• Bangor
• Deer Isle

For more information, call 207-667-2400 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or click on the links.

Downeast Horizon’s Direct Service Professionals Day Program Staff Provide:

Direct Supports are a range of activities that contribute to the health and well-being of the person and his or her ability to live in or be part of the community.  Direct support activities may include personal assistance or activities that support personal development, or activities that support personal well-being.

Direct support activities include the following:

Personal assistance is assistance provided to a person in performing tasks the person would normally perform if the person did not have his or her disability. Personal assistance may include guiding, directing, or overseeing the performance of self-care and self-management of activities.

Support with self-care includes assistance with eating, bathing, dressing, mobility, personal hygiene and other activities of daily living; assistance with light housework, laundry, meal preparation, transportation, grocery shopping and assistance with health and nutrition maintenance, including assessing well-being and identifying need for medical assistance; complying with nutritional requirements as specified in the Personal Plan; administration of non-prescription medications that are ordinarily self-administered; and administration of prescription medication, when provided by a person legally authorized to assist with the administration of medication.

Self-management includes assistance with managing safe and responsible behavior; exercising judgment with respect to the person’s health and well-being; communication, including conveying information, interpreting information, and advocating in the person’s interests; managing money including paying bills, making choices on how to spend money, keeping receipts, and expending funds with the permission of a person’s representative payee.  Self-management also includes teaching coping skills, giving emotional support and guidance to other resources the person may need to access.

Activities that support personal development include teaching or modeling for the person self-care and self-management skills, physical fitness, behavior management; sensory, motor and psychological needs; interpersonal skills to cultivate supportive personal, family, work and community relationships; resources and opportunities for participation in activities to promote social and community engagement; participation in spiritual activities of the person’s choice; motivating the pursuit of personal development and opportunities; teaching or modeling informed choice by gathering information and practicing decision making; and learning to exercise.

Activities that support personal well-being include directly or indirectly intervening to promote the health and well-being of the person. This may include identifying risks such as risk of abuse, participating in a person’s risk assessment, identifying and reporting to an immediate supervisor changes in health status and behavior; anticipating or preventing unsafe or destructive behavior; and safely intervening against undesirable behavior according to an intervention plan.