ASHEVILLE – The N.C. Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD) selected Asheville-based Vaya Health to lead a statewide effort to improve how healthcare providers and other organizations can help individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD) successfully live in homes of their own.

NCCDD chose Vaya, a. public managed healthcare organization serving 23 western N.C. counties, as the recipient of the state's "Supported Living _ Making a Difference" grant.

The grant offers 8100,000 per year, for up to three years, to build the capacity of supported living programs and share lessons learned to help people with I/DD achieve greater independence.

As part of the initiative, Vaya plans to partner with leaders of the Norfolk-based Hope House Foundation, the Community Resource Alliance and the National Leadership Consortium on Develop mental Disabilities at the University of Delaware.

Four area and statewide healthcare providers plan to participate in the development stage of the initiative – Turning Point Services, The Arc of North Carolina, Liberty Corner Enterprises and FIRST, a Western North Carolina resource center for families of children with disabilities.

Vaya will host a statewide conference to launch the initiative on March 28-29 in Greensboro. The conference is designed for healthcare providers who offer supported living services, as well as individuals receiving N.C. Innovations services and their family members.

To learn more, visit www.vayahealth.com.   

The original article was posted on Friday, March 3, 2017, in the Mountaineer, Wayne, NC

The article also ran on Friday, March 10, 2017, in the Yancey Common Times Journal, Burnesville, NC. Click here to view this article.

The article also ran on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, in the The News Herald, Morganton, NC. Click here to view this article.