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SEPI BOOK 69 PACE <br />Tommy Thompson, the new Executive Director of the Associa- <br />tion of Retarded Citizens, advised that his experience with group <br />homes over the last 20 years has included a number of residential <br />programs. In California, it is very true, the issue of numbers <br />of people, the types of programs and thoughts about how you are <br />going to fit in the community are very important. They have a <br />-law in California, however, that makes it extremely easy to open <br />up homes for people with developmental disabilities. If you meet <br />the licensing requirements, there is no appeal process, but that <br />does not eliminate the organization's responsibility for being <br />good neighbors. <br />Mr. Thompson assured everyone that they want to have the <br />residents in this home be good citizens and fit in the neighbor- <br />hood, and they want the home to fit in with the trend for <br />deinstitutionalization of these people. If all states had ample <br />funds, then you could have very small groups with a 1 on 1 basis, <br />or 1 on 2, but economics do not allow this. The ARC, therefore, <br />necessarily has looked at the property involved in relation to <br />state regulations and economics as well as compatibility, etc. <br />He emphasized that the clients who are projected to live in the <br />home are more normal than abnormal and have the same needs as <br />other people; some will actually have jobs and be taxpayers; and <br />the Association has a better knowledge of these individuals than <br />most people in the neighborhood have of their neighbors. They <br />are not destructive individuals, but just have low intellects and <br />need supervision, which is the role of the house parent. <br />Further, they will not complicate traffic congestion because <br />their work program does not start until 9:00 A.M. which is after <br />regular school starts. <br />Chairman Scurlock wished clarification about the number <br />intended for this particular home, and Mr. Thompson stated that <br />they are talking about eight. The state funds clients on a per <br />client basis; so, you have a unit cost that must be considered. <br />26 <br />