Arkadelphia Human Development Center
| Superintendent | Kerry Gambill | 870-246-8011 |
| Assistant Superintendent | Linda Scales | 870-246-8011 |
The Arkadelphia Human Development Center (AHDC) opened its doors on October 7, 1968, as a residential program designed for children. The Center was the first facility of its kind in Arkansas to achieve national accreditation in 1974. AHDC is currently accredited by Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).
The current capacity of the facility is 134 residents. Both respite services and short-term placements are offered to assist people in transitioning back into the community as soon as possible. AHDC provides placements to people age 18 and over that have graduated from high school or have a certificate of completion from public school. The focus of the facility is on transitional placement and vocational training to prepare people to return to their own homes or into supervised living situations, through the Medicaid Waiver program and partnerships with community providers. In 2003 the Center partnered with Rainbow of Challenges, a community provider, to enable four residents to purchase their own homes in Caddo Valley. All four chose to invite another person to share their home, so a total of eight people moved from the facility to new homes. As some have relocated, other people have taken the opportunity to purchase or share local homes, with proper supports. This was followed by a second cooperative project between the Center and Rainbow of Challenges to create a business “Rainbow Junction” in Caddo Valley. The original focus of Rainbow Junction was to produce and sell crafts and other products made by people in programs for the developmentally disabled around the State. As economic factors impacted sales, Rainbow Junction began to subcontract work from the Clark County Recycling Center (CCRC), a growing business on the AHDC campus.
CCRC was opened as a pilot project with the support of the Center’s private non-profit organization the Volunteer Council. CCRC offers recycling services to businesses, schools, universities and other State agencies in the area. The business was established in 2009 to provide jobs for AHDC residents, recycling cardboard, paper, and plastics. Products are sorted, baled and sold generating revenue for continued expansion of CCRC and diverting tons of material from local landfills. The center opened a second business in January 2011 through a contract with the Department of Parks and Tourism, compiling and mailing Arkansas tourism packets. These job opportunities are in addition to the AHDC lawn crew that has a contract with the Arkadelphia Public Schools and other individual jobs provided by local businesses.
The Arkadelphia Human Development Center has become a vital part of the community through the support of local civic groups, the Chamber of Commerce, and an assertive approach to community integration. Through these efforts, AHDC pursues its mission to enable the people that we serve to continuously advance the quality and independence of their lives.
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Booneville Human Development Center
| Superintendent | Jeff Gonyea | 479-675-2121 |
| Assistant Superintendent | Jennifer Berry | 479-675-2121 |
The Booneville Human Development Center (BHDC) is a nationally accredited state-run facility. The Center which opened in 1973 is on the National Historic Register and located on 1,000 acres just two miles south of Booneville Arkansas. As of August 2016, Booneville HDC serves 125 adults with intellectual disabilities. Ninety-four percent of the residents are also diagnosed with mental illness. BHDC is known as an ICF/IID specializing in serving people with intellectual disability and persistent, severe, and chronic mental illness. The residents at Booneville HDC range in age from 20-74.
Booneville HDC assists residents to develop new skills and improve established skills. Various on-campus work programs and training projects include a rug weaving program, paper recycling, and custodial/food service training opportunities.
Rugs made by clients are sold annually at numerous craft fairs throughout the state. The process of sorting and cleaning loops, as well as the actual weaving of the rugs, allows clients to engage in productive pre-vocational training tasks at all functional levels. Paper for the recycling program is gathered from nineteen school districts in six counties, which allows clients to be engaged in this worthwhile project while preserving the environment. Clients are involved in sorting, shredding, and baling the paper products.
Staff and clients enjoy visits to local restaurants, movie theaters, public parks, football games, county fairs, and retail stores. This gives our clients an opportunity to practice their money skills, social skills, and communication skills while interacting with the local community. The clients are involved in Special Olympics in many different sports and in the Scout program at BHDC. They also have the opportunity to attend worship services on campus and in town.
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Conway Human Development Center
| Superintendent | Sarah Murphy | 501-329-6851 |
| Assistant Superintendent | Raven Fuller | 501-329-6851 |
The Conway Human Development Center (CHDC) is one of Arkansas’ five state-managed residential training facilities for people with intellectual disabilities. It is located on a 409.25-acre site in the city of Conway. CHDC’s licensed residential capacity is 518 individuals with a functional capacity of approximately 480 individuals. The Conway Human Development Center is licensed by the Arkansas Office of Long Term Care as an Intermediate Care Facility/Serving Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID). CHDC has been nationally accredited since 1986 and accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) since 1998.
Because of its central location, Arkansans with intellectual disabilities from all over the state reside at CHDC where comprehensive specialized services are provided. CHDC has a fully functional Infirmary and Clinic. Services provided at CHDC include physician, nursing, respiratory, dietary, dysphagia, x-ray, bone density testing, laboratory, pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and orthotics. In addition, CHDC provides audiology, dental and behavioral services. CHDC provides special education services for school-age individuals. Other training for individuals at CHDC includes domestic and personal skill development, habilitation training, work programs, employment training and recreation services. CHDC has a UAMS Infection Control Practitioner and provides Professional Staff Development training. Non-denominational chapel services are also provided for those who choose to attend.
As of July 2016, CHDC had a census of 469 individuals that all have a primary diagnosis of intellectual disability ranging in ages from 6 years old to 77 years old. Of the 469 individuals, 71% function in the profound range of Intellectual Disability. There are 283 individuals that are considered health fragile, 49 residents enrolled in Special Education services, 25 individuals that have been diagnosed with Dementia or Alzheimer’s, 314 individuals with a dual diagnosis, 232 individuals are non-ambulatory, 111 individuals are fed by tube and 186 individuals work and receive commensurate wages.
CHDC’s Volunteer Council sponsors numerous fundraising activities throughout the year to support CHDC programs and services. CHDC Volunteer Council’s annual Walk-a-Thon and Bowl-a-Thon are popular fundraising events. Funds raised by the Volunteer Council are used for projects such as the Parent House, which is a triplex that serves as a place for families to stay in order to visit with their loved ones. Some previous projects completed by the Volunteer Council include building the Therapeutic Swimming Pool and funding construction of awning covers over sidewalks on the CHDC campus, which help shield individuals and staff from unfavorable weather conditions.
CHDC is a part of the continuum of services to individuals with intellectual disabilities in Arkansas and collaborates with community-based programs administering services through the Arkansas Medicaid Waiver Program.
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Jonesboro Human Development Center
| Superintendent | Diane Keith | 870-932-4043 |
| Assistant Superintendent | Ronald Baker | 870-932-4043 |
The Jonesboro Human Development Center (JHDC) is a nationally accredited program providing services to people with intellectual challenges. The center, which opened in 1974, provides 24-hour residential services for adults in need of education relating to vocational, recreational, and daily living skills. JHDC also provides needed medical care, psychological counseling, and physical, occupational, and speech therapy to those in need of these services. JHDC is currently accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, known as CARF.
JHDC provides services to approximately 109 people on its campus and employs approximately 220 staff. It emphasizes individualized training and support while keeping in mind the need to respect the dignity of people receiving services. The primary focus of training provided at JHDC is to enable people to fulfill their potential to the greatest degree possible.
The facility also provides services to assist with transitional opportunities for people who, with guardian consent, are interested in alternative living/service options.
JHDC is supported, in part, through the efforts of the Jonesboro Human Development Center’s Volunteer Council, a private non-profit 501(c) 3 organization. As a supporting foundation, the council opens opportunities for those interested in making donations to the facility.
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Southeast Arkansas Human Development Center
| Superintendent | Mark Wargo | 870-226-6774 |
| Assistant Superintendent | Dana Harvey | 870-226-6774 |
The Southeast Arkansas Human Development Center (SEAHDC) in Bradley County has been open since 1978 and sits on approximately 179 acres of land donated by the citizens of Bradley County. SEAHDC’s mission is:
“To provide the best training, treatment, opportunity and care to the persons we serve”.
SEAHDC has the residential capacity to serve 104 adults who have a primary diagnosis of intellectual disabilities. The center offers a full spectrum of services to its residents, either directly or indirectly. These services are intended to help foster independence as much as possible and include habilitation/rehabilitation, daily living skills training, social skills training for adult dually-diagnosed persons, nursing services, psychological services, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and dental services. SEAHDC has an actively supported employment program that provides employment to approximately 25 percent of SEAHDC residents. Pinewood Village Recycling on the center campus provides pick-up services for local businesses which have paper in need of recycling. The center is also a joint recycling partner with the city of Warren. The program is one of seven state recycling programs featured at annual “Can-Do” recycling conference sponsored by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, the Arkansas Recycling Coalition, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The center has an active volunteer services program providing work experience to people interested in becoming employees, foster grandparents or advocates. Volunteer services also work with the SEAHDC Volunteer Council, a nonprofit organization that provides financial and educational support to the staff and residents of SEAHDC.
SEAHDC has an active outreach program through the regional Community and Staff Development Services (CSDS) which allows SEAHDC to serve as a resource for DDS community service programs as well as other community organizations. As part of this program, the center offers training through staff development along with dental, psychological and medical services. This effort continues to be very successful and has received favorable reviews from the various programs, local businesses, and organizations that have utilized this service.
Other community outreach and development efforts include SEAHDC’s active participation in the Chamber of Commerce, the Bradley County Industrial Development Corporation, the annual Pink Tomato Festival, the Bradley County transitional employment program, the Literacy Council, and the Hometown Health Coalition.
Educational opportunities are provided annually through the Open Horizons conference, an event that provides an atmosphere in which persons who are involved or interested in the field of Developmental Disabilities can receive information on a variety of relevant and timely subjects.
SEAHDC is a recipient of the Governor’s Volunteer Excellence Award and accredited by CARF, the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities.
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