Community Options Begins Meaningful Life, Meaningful Love in Phoenix
Community Options, Inc. recently announced the start of Meaningful Life, Meaningful Love, a self-advocacy training program designed for young adults with developmental disabilities living in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. The program will provide people with disabilities with the confidence, education and tools necessary to cultivate and maintain healthy romantic relationships.
“Every person has the right to have meaningful romantic relationships,” said Greg Thoennes, Regional Vice President for Community Options. “Having the confidence and skills to lead healthy relationships will allow participants to achieve greater independence in their community.”
The program will also serve as an employment opportunity for individuals with disabilities and provide them with experience in public speaking. As part of the program, Community Options hired three individuals with developmental disabilities to become trainers for up to twenty program participants.
Trainers will use a curriculum designed by Elevatus Training, a leader in sexuality education training for people with developmental disabilities. The Meaningful Life, Meaningful Love curriculum will be introduced in other states after it is proven successful in Arizona.
Funding for the pilot program is provided through a grant with the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, a federally-funded organization comprised of people with disabilities, family members, state government agency representatives, and other stakeholders.
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About Community Options, Inc.:
For over 30 years, Community Options has developed housing and employment supports for people with disabilities – serving thousands of people through over 40 offices across 10 states. Community Options provides advocacy assistance to empower people with disabilities because all people – regardless of ability level – should live and work in the community with dignity, choice and self-determination. For more information please visit our website: www.comop.org and to follow along with the #AllItTakes campaign, search #AllItTakes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.