Many older adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities prefer to participate in day activities that are typical of those that many seniors enjoy during their retirement years. JCDS retirement activity programs are structured to connect both the aging systems and disabilities networks in empowering older adults with disabilities to have full access to community services.

The retirement program is open to individuals who are over the age of 55 who are receiving services from JCDS. The retirement program is structured so participants can maintain integration in the community while benefiting from therapeutic intervention and daily on-site leisure, health and wellness, and educational activities.

The JCDS retirement program is divided into three groups:

The Sage group does primarily in-house activities that are provided along with a daily activity around Johnson County, such as volunteering with a food pantry.

The Active Agers group enjoy a range of daily activities such as sporting events, plays, and music therapy.

Dementia Supports includes individuals with Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Dementia Supports are provided in service areas where lighting, activities, sounds, and decorations are more conducive for success for a person with those conditions. DSPs receive specialized training in order to give the highest quality of care. Staff is offered training on compassion fatigue, coping with grief, and other issues that may arise from this specialized line of work.

Activities

Some of the activities focus on therapeutic intervention as well as involvement in normalized daily routines such as attending movies, memory retention activities, T-Bones baseball games, rodeos, and animal therapy. Opportunities to practice a range of motion and joint flexibility in gym exercise within the community for the purpose of slowing age-related losses in physical reserves in the context of a normal daily activity.

We participate in rehabilitative/habilitative leisure outing opportunities that promote community inclusion and allow individuals to contribute to community life through various volunteering sites and settings.

These include programs and organizations such as:

• Meals on Wheels
• Stroke Foundation
• Kids TLC
• KU Pediatrics
• Kansas City Hospice House
• Johnson County Library
• Shawnee Gardens
• Homestead
• Growing Futures (Head Start)
• Yearly “Adopt-a-Senior” Christmas Project
• DaVita Dialysis

Staffs provide immediate and frequent verbal encouragement, build on skills and capabilities and use repetition to promote success and positive engagement. Leisure lifestyle education is also provided on a regular basis which promotes choices and self-determination and recognizes the human qualities that exist in all older adults with lifelong developmental challenges.

Papercrete Works is a program of Johnson county Developmental Supports that creates community integrated employment for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. People served can earn an hourly wage while learning new job skills and working toward achieving their goals in employment. 

Papercrete is a mixture of cement, water and recycled paper. The crew of individuals served and staff work together to pour it into molds to create unique products. Proceeds from the sales go back into the program.

Our Mission

Papercrete Works supports people with IDD by providing paid on the job skills training as a stepping stone to integrated competitive employment. We promote independence, provide choice driven supports and advocate alongside people to work in our community. 

Our Products

Our employees create and sell several different products in the outdoor furnishing, home décor and gift item categories.

If you're interested in purchasing items, check out the photo album below. All items will be parking lot pickups from 6000 Lamar Ave. in Mission, KS. Please contact Micah Wickstrom for purchasing.

Our Promise

With Papercrete Works, you can have confidence that you are purchasing a unique and well-crafted product made by many hands. You will also know that your purchase is helping provide community employment for people with an intellectual or developmental disability, helping them lead more independent lives. 

Our Partners

Our program continues to thrive with the support from our community and our volunteers. Thank you.

Volunteer

Papercrete offers unique volunteer opportunities for those who would like to get involved. To learn more about you can contribute please contact Melissa Reeves.

Note: Due to COVID-19, the volunteer program is currently suspended.

Contact

For more information about this program, please contact Micah Wickstrom.

JCDS promotes the values of “Employment First” with a focus on integrated, community-based employment for individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities to earn at or above the minimum wage as the first option. If competitive integrated employment is not an immediate goal or inaccessible in the short term, JCDS offers a variety of on-site and community-based employment and community volunteer service options for individuals with all levels of support needs. For retired citizens, and for those impacted by significant health-related conditions, JCDS provides a variety of meaningful day activities.

To participate in any of the services or programs that are available at JCDS, one must first be determined eligible under CDDO guidelines. Visit the CDDO online to learn more about this process. Every service listed in JCDS service pages and every private provider for developmental services in our area require CDDO eligibility to participate.

After determining eligibility, you will meet with the CDDO to select service providers. All the services described on these web pages are provided and managed by JCDS, and you will need to select JCDS as a Day and Employment service provider to participate in them. In addition, not all services listed may be currently accepting new participants. JCDS services are but one of many options: there are many other private entities in our area that provide day and employment services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. You can find a list of other local day and employment service providers on the CDDO webpage.

Contact

Amy Fair
Community Employment Team Leader
(913) 826-2223

Meet Olga

Olga was part of our Project SEARCH internship class of 2016-2017 who got a full-time job before she graduated. Check out her story:

You can see more employment success stories on our YouTube channel.

Work Enrichment Services

Johnson County Developmental Supports offers confidential shredding in our Document Destruction program.  Our Assistive Technology Department developed adaptive equipment for those with physical limitations to complete the job and earn a paycheck.  In addition, participants also complete important assembly, packaging, and other subcontract tasks at the Elmore Center. 

Our Direct Supports Professionals provide ongoing training in quality control, work ethics, social interaction skills, safety, and a variety of job tasks all in preparation for the individuals to work in our community.