Oak Hill Helps State Agencies

As a private community provider, Oak Hill helps state agencies better serve people with disabilities by providing supervised housing and employment, day  and in-home, and birth to three services. 

Oak Hill can design an individualized program that will encourage growth, independence and quality of life for people with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities (including visual impairments). 

Our vision: to ensure people with disabilities have the resources they need to be contributing, productive members of their communities.

How to get started

Contact us today at (860) 242-2274; email: info@ciboakhill.org

Established as residential school for blind children (history),today Oak Hill is the largest private nonprofit provider in Connecticut (locations). 

Download Oak Hill program brochure; click on link 

Oak Hill helps people with disabilities to develop their potential

"I had no idea what we were going to do when Andy graduated from the special school he had been attending.  He was 21 years old, still needed help with speech and his behavior was not as good as it needed to be.  Andy needed help.  I needed help.  And we wanted the best for him.  Oak Hill developed a program for Andy that showed me my son could have a wonderful life, better than I even imagined, and I have high expectations." - Lois Nitch, parent of Andy, a participant of the Oak Hill Day Services Program

DDS Home & Community Based Waivers

The Individual and Family Supports Center at Oak Hill offers assistance in the area of self-determination through the State of Connecticut's Department of Developmental Services (DDS) Home and Community Based Waivers.  To learn more, please call Stan Soby, vice president, Oak Hill Community Programs, (860) 769-3822 or email: stans@ciboakhill.org  

"Sylvia loves to get out into the community and be stimulated.  She enjoys the program participants, shopping and laughing and she receives this from Oak Hill.  Some programs wouldn't even let you visit unless you had an appointment.  Oak Hill told me I could visit their program anytime I wanted and were very accommodating.  I feel very happy that my daughter is here and she is doing fine."  - Maureen LaPointe, mother of Sylvia, a participant of Oak Hill Day Program, Hamden, Connecticut   

Connecticut's Budget and the Disabled

A letter from Janice Favreau (resident of South Windsor and parent of a child with disabilities); published in Journal Inquirer, June 3, 2009

My son, Christopher Favreau, lives in an Oak Hill group home in Vernon.  He has lived there for 11 years.  It is his home and the staff are his family.  He suffered traumatic brain injury as a 3-year-old when a drunk driver struck us.  He is multiply physically disabled, as well as cognitively impaired.  He needs 24-hour supervised care, such as he has received from his Oak Hill provider. 

House Bill 6609, "An Act Establishing A Community-Based Services Commission and Grant Program for Nonprofit Organizations," is waiting for action from the legislature.  This bill will provide emergency stopgap funds to pay direct-care staff if a state budget is not in place at the end of the fiscal year (effective July 1, 2009).  Private nonprofit provide direct-care services to 500,000 persons with disabilities.  They do so in the most cost-efficient manner, and have been operating at a 0 percent budget increase for two years.  They cannot continue to operate with a 0 percent increase and remain in business. 

Why does this affect you,the average taxpayer?  If these providers shut down, who will care for these people - for my son? 

Yes, as a society, we have a duty and a responsibility to care for those who are do disadvantaged, but it hits you, the average taxpayer, directly in your pocketbook.  The average cost of group home care by the private nonprofit provider is $87,221, compared to a state-run group home at $238,624, or nearly three times as much. 

Connecticut is one of only three states that continues to run a "two-tier" direct-care program.  House Bill 6609 not only addresses the short-term stopgap needs, but advocates for a long-term solution to provide the best service to our disabled citizens, like my son, and to do so in the most cost-effective manner. 

Yes, we are in a dire financial situation at this time, and for the next two years.  We need to pass the above bill to take care of the short-term problem.  We need to set up a commission to address the costs for the long term. 

My son worries everyday that he will be forced to leave his group home to live in an "institution."  Let's not balance the budget on the backs of the disabled.

Janice Favreau (South Windsor)