Colorado Life-Sharing |
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Camphill Philosophy and History
The Plan In Colorado Providing Comprehensive Services Community Connections |
| The Camphill community in Colorado will provide a stable home for people with developmental disabilities, called companions, who desire to live an intentional community lifestyle. Others who live in the homes choose to do so because they want to share their lives and when a term is necessary to describe them, they are called co-workers. Camphill communities are designed to support people over the long-term by creating a real home within a highly-functioning community, where companions can live out their lives surrounded by friends and colleagues, putting down roots and enjoying a sense of family in a setting that provides continuity and exceptional care. |
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Social Therapy to Ground Daily LifeThe Bringing Camphill to Colorado effort will provide much more than basic services for adults with developmental disabilities. It will offer a way of life that is fully integrated, since home, work, and social life are seamlessly woven together in a way that creates more meaning and purpose for everyone. Visitors to Camphill communities are often struck by how people with a variety of physical and cognitive challenges express such high levels of competence, peace and contentment. This is accomplished by intentionally maintaining a healing social and physical environment--called social therapy in the Camphill movement--which means working to discern what thoughts, words, and actions are needed in any situation in order to bring about the most positive outcome. | ||
A Circle of HealingCamphill life is guided by the belief that people with special needs are also teachers and care-givers themselves, able to share their abilities and gifts in ways that earn the respect and gratitude of others. Emotional health is attended to through recognizing the spiritual integrity and unique destiny of everyone and asking the deep questions about a person's full range of needs in order to provide truly comprehensive care. Physical health begins with exceptional medical care but also extends to an active lifestyle with a range of recreational experience and an appreciation for the outdoors. It is important that meaningful work be a part of daily life so that people know their contributions are important and valued. It is also essential that artistic and educational activities be ongoing in order to experience the joy of discovery and self-expression. And in a Camphill community, spiritual life and social relationships are seen as being as important to a sense of well being as providing for the needs of the body, which are also attended to with great care. | ||
Comprehensive Care, Supported Living Services, and Medical CareThe Bringing Camphill to Colorado effort will comply with stringent Medicaid requirements and is in the process of meeting the approval requirements of Foothills Gateway--the Community Center Board in Larimer County--to become a Program Approved Service Agency. Through this approval, the Colorado community can receive funds and provide services in the categories of Comprehensive Care and Supported Living Services (SLS). It is also possible to transfer state services from another county to Larimer County in certain circumstances. The Community Center Board (CCB) will determine the specific dollar amount of an individual's need for services, based on that individual's requirements for support in living and working. In the case of privately paying individuals, a similar needs-based cost assessment will be made. In addition to working with a variety of public agencies in Larimer County, the Front Range, the Denver metro area, and the State of Colorado, the Bringing Camphill to Colorado effort will establish relationships with exceptional medical care providers in Larimer County so that a complete range of medical services will be available to meet the needs of everyone in the community. |
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Quality of Life and Quality of CareThe first requirement for someone to be a companion in the community is that he or she demonstrates in some manner the desire to participate in community life. People need to be 21 years of age and moderately ambulatory and able to participate in their own care and do some sort of work. People who would pose a danger to others will not be eligible, but beyond these simple requirements, each person who wishes to be considered will participate in an interview process and assessment. Potential co-workers are also interviewed and assessed; it is important that the community be intentional--that it be made of people who want to share home life and community life together. While the Camphill way of life goes far beyond simply maintaing health and safety, this lifestyle is not for everyone; some people prefer to live a more solitary life or to have less asked of them, but people who are drawn to Camphill lifestyle seem to sense that it is right for them and tend to feel connected to land and animals, enjoy working and living with others, and experience friendship and emotional connections as being central to who they are and how they want to live. |
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To learn more about what life in a Camphill community is like, or to discuss the possibility of joining the community as a companion or co-worker please call CLCI at (970) 663-6696. 
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