Progressive Residential Services, Inc. (PRS)
began in 1982. During that year, the Administrator of the
Corporation, was asked by the State Department of Health to
provide services for six (6) residents living in a skilled
nursing home. Those residents were substantially disabled with
many needs including nursing care. Since that time, PRS has
assumed management of four (4) additional facilities and
developed a fifth. One of those facilities would be the first to
provide services in a community setting to adults with medical
needs requiring licensed nurses on-site. Other programs have
been modeled after this facility, with PRS receiving visitors
from many states, Europe, and Asia. In 1993, the General
Accounting Organization sent a team to meet with the
Administrator and staff to collect data for the President’s
Health Care Reform initiative. During that same year, another
group from the federal government used the facility and its
staff to produce a training film for Public Health surveyors. In
1998, the United Nations Social Research Unit sent a team to
study the services PRS provides to Consumers requiring acute
medical care.
In
1985, through a satellite Corporation, the Administrator
developed two (2) residential programs and some supported
independence programs for chronically mentally ill adults. A
private for-profit Consumer owned business, which still operates
today, was developed to support the residential component. These
were under contract with the Department of Mental Health and
included older adults.
Progressive Residential Services, Inc. currently operates a
total of 17 residential programs as well as 17 supported
independent living locations which span across the lower part of
the State of Michigan.
More recently, PRS has expanded it's services to a national
level. Services are now being offered by Progressive Residential
Services of Tennessee, Inc. and Progressive Residential Services
of New Mexico, Inc. in those states, respectively.
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Philosophy
PRS’s program philosophy is to provide quality Consumer
directed services as needed in the least restrictive setting toward the goal of maximum habilitation and independence.
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Person-Centered
Planning And Philosophy
PRS embraced a person-centered philosophy, i.e.:
empowerment and Consumer driven services, more than 10 years ago when
it began Consumer owned business ventures, supported employment and
parent advisory councils, professional staff reviews, etc. PRS
administration and staff have opposed indiscriminate Consumer
placements and moves, psychotropic drug administration and even a division audit because Consumers “cannot have assets,” (own
property). PRS applauds the State Mental Health Service System’s long
awaited recognition of empowerment through its person centered
planning principles and self-determination movement.
PRS incorporates Consumer involvement and input in all
levels of service and has a very close relationship with parents and
guardians to access their interests in all the Counties it serves.
PRS’s quality assurance and program evaluation system
includes measures of Consumer input. PRS uses Consumer surveys and
meets with parents regularly to assure services are Consumer driven.
PRS employs two (2) full time Quality Assurance
Coordinators who monitor and evaluate services including those
contractually provided by funding services. One of the two
coordinators has a degree in social work and is a Secondary Consumer.
The other is a registered nurse with 20 years experience serving the
developmentally disabled.
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