Contact Information

1643 Liberty Road
Suite 205
Eldersburg, MD 21784
Telephone: (410)795-6543
FAX: (410)795-6544
E-mail:
Web Address: www.spectrum-support.org

Other Office Locations:

1708 Whitehead Road
Baltimore, Maryland 21207
Telephone: (410)281-7822
FAX: (410)281-7879

9436 Earley Dr., Suite 1
Hagerstown, Maryland 21740
Telephone: (301)791-1242
FAX: (310)791-4841

14716 McCullen Highway
Cresaptown, MD 21502
Telephone: (301)729-9715
FAX: (301)729-9716

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Services Offered

Supported Employment, Community Support Living Arrangements, Family Support Services, Individual Support Services, Day Habilitation Program, Transportation, Residential Services, Vocational Day Program/Sheltered Workshop, Individual Family Care, Behavioral Support Services.

Individuals Have the Following Types of Disabilities:
Autism, Mental Disorder, Mental Retardation, Behavioral Problems, Epilepsy/Seizure Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Head Injury, and other undetermined disabilities.

Number of Individuals Currently Being Served: 240

Ages Served: 8-74

Home Region of DDA: Western

Counties Served: Allegany County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Frederick County, Garrett County, Howard County, Washington County, and out of State

Year Established: 1989

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Mission Statement

Spectrum Support promotes an environment full of opportunities for people with developmental and psychiatric disabilities to make choices, discover their unique talents and realize their full potential.

Unique or Distinctive Qualities

Spectrum Support believes:

Every individual has the same basic rights and fundamental needs to bleong. With support every individual can enjoy these rights and create a place he/she belongs.

• EVERY individual has the gifts, talents and capabilities for living in and with many different communities
• EVERY individual wants the opportunity to make choices for himself/herself and experience self-fulfilment
• EVERY individual wants to feel like he/she is part of something—that he/she belongs in many different communities.
• The communities where individuals Spectrum support live and work can benefit, need through guidance and encouragement about equal the rights of all people. To be successful, Spectrum needs to actively create and maintain relationships with all kinds of community resources.

Trusting relationships are fundamental to discovering one's strengths and experiencing personal growth.

• EVERY individual needs one or more people in his/her life to rely on, unconditionally. Unconditionally means every person keeps his/her word and Spectrum avoid getting into power struggles about who is right or better. Each perspective is a valuable one in a trusting relationship.
• Individual needs and aspirations change. Spectrum must continuously develop its relationships with the individuals its supports—listen to each person's needs and aspirations and be flexible in the way Spectrum responds as it changes and grows together. Spectrum's relationships are based on shared and mutual discovery

When support is genuine, the person giving support and the person receiving it learn from each other

• Being Supportive means
• Creating a non-judgemental safety net for taking risks.
• Guiding not requiring, demonstrating not telling, and asking not assuming Spectrum knows the answers.
• Coaching and teaching by sharing information and ideas, not demanding or telling.
• Educating and helping individuals disciver options and opportunities
• Creating the opportunity for making choices.
• Creating the space for takng risks to experience mutual learning from success and failure.
• Being a positive role model, and cheerleader—celebrating, encouraging, and praising the small things and the big things.
• Saying and modelling that, "I believe in you."
• Helping each person act honestly and respectively in his/her relationships by following through on agreements
• Living a fulfilled life means:
• Learning about ourselves.
• Learning about making good and bad choices.
• Developing new perspectives and appreciations.
• Learning new skills
• Enhancing existing skills
• Growing personally in positive ways
• Experiencing different and effective ways of communicating needs.
• Taking risks and learning from Spectrum's successes and failures
• Spectrum Support is successful when each individual it supports:
• Enjoys new experiences and opportunities for learning and self-discovery.
• Has fun and enjoyment in his/her life
• Makes his/her own choices.
• Achieves his/her own goals.
• Feels comfortable being on his/her own.
• Feels confident and trusting enough to rsik relationships with other people and let those people into his/her life.
• Finds a way to be confident in spite of his/her own vulnerability
• Participates in his/her communities

Discuss How Your Agency Has Utilized The "Ask Me!" Survey Results.

The "The Ask Me" results have assisted Spectrum in providing more individualized supports. Cultivating trusting relationships allows individuals to grow and develop as a person and determine their path as they go. Support staff also guide individuals to make better decisions by being positive role models.

The "Ask Me!" Survey Results is available for the general public.

Describe your quality assurance practices, including any agency accreditations.

Spectrum Support, Inc. has a comprehensive Quality Assurance process to ensure that individuals being supported receive the highest quality of support based on that individual's wants, needs, and desires. This process includes frequent and unannounced visits by all layers of administrative staff. The Director of Quality Assurance visits the homes and the day programs regularly to make sure that the Developmental Disabilities Administration regulations are followed and to ensure that the interaction betwen staff and supported individuals is positive and promotes dignity. Case Coordinators conduct home visits and spend one-to-one time with the supported individuals to ensure that the individual's needs are being met and that their desires are being respected. In addition, the Deputy Director and Executive Director make drop-in visits to the homes and day programs.

How Does Your Agency Support People In Becoming Active Members Of Their Community?

Spectrum Support, Inc. supports its individuals in doing activities of daily living, such as banking, shopping, amintaining a job, etc. Spectrum also encourages its folks to try new and different things. Some of its individuals volunteer time at a horse farm and are allowed to ride the horses. Others participate in the Adopt A highway program. One house in Columbia goes to a downtown coffee shop every Friday night for dinner. Vacations/weekends getaways have included such locations as Six Flags (NJ), Atlantic City, and Williamsburg, VA.

Steps Individuals Must Take to Apply for Services

To apply for day or supported employment services, the individual would need to contact the program director at the Baltimore, Hagerstown, or Cresaptown locations. To apply for residential services, the Deputy Director should be contacted at the Administrative offices. For all referrals, Spectrum Support, Inc. asks for the following information: most recent psychiatric/psychological information, recent medical information, recent behavior information and data, and any other information that would help Spectrum to understand the individual's wants, needs, and desires.

Special Considerations/Comments: None.

Funding Sources: Developmental Disabilities Administration

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