Our Unique Approach to Person-Centered Care
At New Challenges, our mission is to support individuals with developmental disabilities, mental illness, and traumatic brain injuries. Our programs and services deliver individualized care in the Twin Cities metro area. Our team specializes in person-centered care through our in-home services, community residential services, respite services, and positive support plans.
We are passionate about the work that we do and the services we provide for our persons served. We put the individual first and treat them like a part of our family, by providing essential services customized to each person.
A complete listing of our services include: Community Residential Settings (CRS), Adult Foster Care (AFC), Individualized Home Supports (IHS), 24 Hour Emergency, Assisted/Customized Living, Positive Support Services, In-Home and Respite Services
Programs & Services
Our programs and services deliver individualized care in the Twin Cities metro area. We currently serve over 225 individuals, ranging from ages 20-70 within our residential establishments and assisted living communities. We offer in-home services, community residential services, respite services, and positive support plans.
In-Home Services
Our In-Home services provide support to individuals living with their family or in a community home. We serve individuals with a broad range of abilities and needs. We feel it’s important to work with the individual and family to design the best plan of support and services.
Residential Placement
Our residential placement assistance offers a variety of residential settings, such as apartments, townhomes, single-family homes, or assisted living facilities depending on the individual’s needs and preferences.
Respite Services
Our respite services provide short-term care for individuals due to the absence of or need for relief of the family member(s) or primary caregiver normally providing the care.
Social Activities
Our social activity planners foster community relationships and build independence through a variety of unique and enjoyable activities. We attend various types of events, as one would with their own family. To us, this sense of community is one of the most important opportunities we provide. To best accomplish this, we focus on each individual’s interests and desires. This allows us to then match the event or activity to the personal preference of the individual.
Positive Support Services
Our programming provides strategies to increase the quality of life, increase positive behavior, and decrease or eliminate challenging behavior. Positive support analysts help individuals learn new skills and tools to assist and enhance the day to day challenges the individuals encounter.
Person-Centered Planning Approach: Supportive and Individualized Solutions
We are pleased to have been the recipient of a federal grant that supported us in our implementation of a Person-Centered Planning approach. Members of our administrative staff have completed intensive training on meeting with clients and engaging in this ongoing problem-solving process.
To begin Person-Centered Planning, we ask the individual to focus on their vision for the future—what life would be like without boundaries. Our team then meets to identify opportunities to make the vision become reality.
These opportunities may be through the development of personal relationships, participation in the community or through the acquisition of life skills that give people increased control over their own lives. Person-Centered Planning allows us to help make dreams become reality, both now and in the future.
New Challenges is dedicated to taking this approach rather than a more traditional approach to providing services for people with disabilities. In the past, solutions for people with disabilities were more one-size-fits all. Our Person-Centered Planning approach lets us tailor services to do what’s right for an individual.
Encouraging Positive Behaviors through Positive Behavior Plans
For some people with developmental, cognitive or emotional disabilities, certain negative behaviors can be limiting. They keep people from participating actively in their communities or from living peacefully in the home environment, free from emotional and physical harm.
Our Programs and Services offer positive support planning to individuals throughout the Twin Cities metro area. Positive support services are available to all individuals, whether they live in our many residential placements or receive in-home care.
What to expect from Positive Behavior Plans:
- Staff members work with individuals to develop strategies for overcoming difficult behaviors
- Each Positive Behavior Plan is unique to the individual and lists ways to proactively avoid certain behaviors, as well as positive interventions and other supports
- Constant monitoring of the plan’s effectiveness to make sure that it is working, and adjustments are made when the individuals’ needs and goals change
- Our team works hand-in-hand to support families and caregivers during the entire process; we aim to build relationships and become a part of your family to help you navigate the journey
Our focus is on supporting the individual by taking an effective approach, recognizing that what is effective today may not be effective tomorrow.
Positive Support Analyst
Often, the best way to approach challenging behaviors is to do so with the help of a Positive Support Analyst. When necessary, we partner with a licensed Behavioral Analyst to address our individuals’ specific behavioral needs.
Social Activities
Our social activity planners foster community relationships and build independence through a variety of unique and enjoyable activities. We attend various types of events, as one would with their own family. To us, this sense of community is one of the most important opportunities we provide. To best accomplish this, we focus on each individual’s interests and desires. This allows us to then match the event or activity to the personal preference of the individual.
A Glimpse Into Our Social Activities
Each month, our Activities Coordinator creates a calendar of events that individuals have the ability to register for. Our persons served are welcome to attend as many of these events as they’d like. We always encourage people be active members of their communities, and we provide the support necessary for them to fully participate. If individuals would prefer to do something else, we can help them explore additional options as well.
Fun Can Be Accessible and Affordable for ALL!
We are focused on making event participation as affordable as possible for our persons served. We often obtain free tickets to sporting events, and we negotiate discounts for vacation trips. These financial discounts are just one more way that we provide the support needed to enjoy a full range of social activities.
Our individuals have the opportunity to participate in events such as:
- Minnesota Twins, Vikings, and Wild games, plus other sporting events
- An annual BBQ, bowling parties and BINGO!
- Staffed annual vacation trips to places such as Disney World, Las Vegas, a Caribbean cruise, a voyage up the St. Croix River on a sternwheeler and cabin camping
- Holiday parties and seasonal activities
- An annual prom – a gala celebration that includes most of the people who are served by New Challenges