Advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are asking the City of Mobile for last-minute funding to restart a group adult day program that was phased out during the pandemic.
With only weeks left in the current fiscal year before the Mobile City Council votes on a new budget, Tom Holmes of The Arc of Mobile County petitioned the council and mayor for money to launch a structured daytime program for adults. The group hopes to start with about 20 participants and grow from there.
What Changed
In 2019, AltaPointe merged with the former Mobile ARC and took over its services. During the pandemic, group day programs gave way to models that kept adults in their own communities or with family caregivers. The Arc now wants to bring the group setting back, saying adults lose skills they have gained when they are not in a structured program.
Holmes is requesting more than $55,000 through a performance contract — the same amount the former Mobile ARC received before the AltaPointe merger. AltaPointe has asked that the amount be earmarked from its own performance contract for those programs, but nothing has been finalized.
About the Organization
The Arc of Mobile County, Inc. is the legal name of the group and is not an acronym. It promotes and protects the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and supports their full inclusion in the community. It is an affiliated chapter of The Arc of Alabama and The Arc of the United States.
Holmes noted the services would be reimbursed through a combination of state and federal Medicaid dollars once the group is certified as a provider, allowing individuals to be referred for care.