Advocacy
Disability Services advocates for persons with disabilities within the community and refers them to other services in and outside the Catholic Charities system. Together with the Office of Disability Ministry, Disability Services sponsors a parish advocacy program to assist parish communities in identifying and responding to the needs of persons with disabilities.  Contact Marilyn Scott

Camping Programs
Camp Happiness
Since 1966, Disability Services has offered a summer camp program for persons with developmental disabilities. Camp Happiness is a six-week day camp at several sites throughout the Diocese for individuals six years of age to 21 years of age.  Contact Marilyn Scott

Augustine Rainbow Camp
Camp Rainbow provides diverse day camping experiences in the Tremont area for young people from throughout the diocese.  The Camp emphasizes inclusion of all people.  For further information on the Rainbow Camp, call St. Augustine Parish at (216) 781-5530. Additional Information

Camp Christopher Residential Camp for adults with disabilities is offered at Camp Christopher in Bath, Ohio.  Contact 1-800-CYO-CAMP or visit their website at www.campchris.org

Catholic Camping Programs offers many options for people with disabilities.  Visit their website at http://www.clevelandcatholiccharities.org/camping

Education
OLA/St. Joseph Center Day School
OLA/St. Joseph Center is the home to the Rose-Mary Center day education program,  monthly dances, Saturday Adult Education Program and is used for various community ministerial and social programs that include persons with disabilities.  Contact Marilyn Scott

Continuing Adult Education Program
Disability Services provides adults with developmental disabilities who are more than 18 years of age with educational options through the Continuing Adult Education Program (CAEP). This program prepares a person for independent living while at the same time providing an opportunity for educational services and social activities tailored to individual needs.  Contact Marilyn Scott

 Monthly Dances/Socials
Monthly dances and social gatherings at OLA/St. Joseph Center, Rose-Mary Center and the Catholic Charities Family Center in Lorain offer persons with developmental disabilities the opportunity to learn social skills and form friendships while gathering as a community. This program is provided in cooperation with many organizations and group homes throughout the Cleveland area and surrounding suburbs.
Contact Marilyn Scott

Respite Care
Respite care for an individual with a disability gives the primary caregiver an opportunity to attend to a variety of needs and activities with the assurance that the individual is receiving proper care. Structured goal-directed activities for youth with disabilities are an important piece of this care.  Contact Joe Ungarsky

Rose-Mary Center ~ The Johanna Grasselli Rehabilitation and Education Center
Rose-Mary Center is a residential center for the treatment and rehabilitation of children. Children who have mental retardation, developmental disabilities and behavior disorders receive comprehensive services designed to develop basic skills.

Rose-Mary Center also manages seven group homes for adults with cognitive disabilities.  Contact Rose-Mary Center

 Special Events - Contact Marilyn Scott

• Annual Walk-a-thon (every October)
• Journey to Bethlehem (every December)
• Annual Pilgrimage liturgies
• Religious Outreach to People in Developmental Centers and Group Homes (The Circle)

St. John Bosco Program at Parmadale
The St. John Bosco Program at Parmadale provides specialized residential treatment services for male adolescents with developmental disabilities and mental/behavioral health needs, which place these youth or others at risk in less restrictive or intensive treatment settings. Growth, development, and treatment for youth begins with a positive relationship with a caring adult. Child and youth care workers and other treatment staff develop this caring relationship with youth by being appropriate adult role models, and providing an environment that is firm, fair, consistent, developmentally appropriate, and nurturing.  Contact Parmadale

Supported Employment
Job placement services for persons with disabilities include job seeking skills training, job placement assistance, on-site job coaching, and job placement follow-up for 90 days. We recognize that employment provides not only financial self-sufficiency but also a sense of belonging, empowerment, and enhanced self-respect. 
Contact Employment and Training

 Supported Living
Direct caregivers assist persons to enhance their skills in living independently in their own homes or apartments. The assistance can be as little as one hour a day up to 24-hour care, depending on the needs of the person.  Contact Joe Ungarsky

OFFICE OF DISABILITY MINISTRY
PASTORAL CARE FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES

Monthly Retreats
The Monthly Retreat offers adults with cognitive disabilities (mr) and other developmental disabilities an opportunity to develop their religious faith by participating in weekend activities and discussions. The program also functions as respite for caregivers and provides adult interaction for persons with disabilities. These Retreats are offered 1 weekend each month from September to May at the St. Joseph Christian Life Center (Lake Shore Blvd.). The cost is $90. Contact Marilyn Scott

 Deaf and hard of hearing persons
The Catholic Apostolate for deaf persons is a ministry that proclaims the gospel through educational, spiritual, pastoral, sacramental, catechetical and social programs. The Apostolate provides a signed [bi-lingual] deaf liturgy at more than 10 locations throughout the Diocese as well as all other aspects of pastoral ministry, including counseling, religious education, crisis intervention, advocacy, home and hospital visitation, transportation and social/recreational activities. Interpretive services provide a qualified interpreter for deaf persons and their families as needed.
Contact Disability Ministries at St. Augustine Parish

 Blind and vision-disabled persons
The Catholic Blind Community assists people who are blind, vision disabled or deafblind realize, understand, develop and live out their lives to their full potential within the community in which they live and within the Church. The Catholic Blind Community provides monthly gatherings that include a liturgy, meal and a presentation. In addition, there are other meetings of the Catholic Blind Association to plan programs and services to develop ways to involve blind individuals within the community and the Church.

A home and hospital visitation program provides audio description for activities that involve the blind and transportation to church and community-related activities.

Crisis intervention, social service and advocacy are all part of this ministry. 
Contact Disability Ministries at St. Augustine Parish

Persons with Mental Illness
The Office of Disability Ministry provides persons with mental illness the support necessary so these individuals will be able to function within community and within the Church. Disability Ministry and St. Augustine Church host the Links Clubhouse, a drop-in center providing educational, social, recreational and spiritual programs for persons with severe mental illness.

In addition, a support group for families with persons with mental illness meets monthly. Assistance to persons with mental illness include counseling, crisis intervention, social service and advocacy and hospital and home visitation, transportation, referral and involvement with the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill and other groups established to assist them.  Contact Disability Ministries at St. Augustine Parish

 Persons with Developmental/Physical Disabilities
The Office of Disability Ministry, in cooperation with Disability Services, provides educational, spiritual, pastoral, sacramental, catechetical, social and recreational programs. The mission is to assist people with MR/DD and physical disabilities to understand, develop and live out their lives as completely as possible within the Church and the larger community. Some of the programs provided include religious education, sacramental preparation and pastoral care at centers throughout the diocese and at OLA/St. Joseph Center. Special liturgies are celebrated throughout the year such as the Journey to Bethlehem and the Pilgrimage Mass.

Counseling, social service, advocacy, crisis intervention, outreach retreat program, a drop-in program for young people, specialized ministry to institutions and group homes. 

(Note that developmental disabilities includes various types of disabilities, including mental retardation, autism and some physical disabilities.)

St. Augustine Parish, together with the Office of Disability Ministry and Catholic Charities Disability Services provide several special services. The St. Augustine Hunger Center provides two meals per day, every day, as well as holiday meals for homeless individuals and persons with disabilities

Augustine Rainbow Camp is a five-week summer program for children with disabilities with a special mission to children who are deaf, blind, mentally and developmentally disabled as well as children from the Near West Side community, homeless and multi-disabled children.

The Seeds of Literacy Learning Center provides educational and personal development, sometimes leading to the GED, and always helping to develop the skills of all the individuals involved.

St. Augustine Catering/Job Development Program seeks to develop individual skills while giving a person the opportunity at consistent work.
Contact Disability Ministries at St. Augustine Parish