Background Statement
Community Link has had various names throughout the last 50 years, but we have always maintained the same vision - to actively support the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities within our community.
We were founded in 1960 by a small group of Boulder County families who envisioned a better future for their sons and daughters who experienced disability. In the early days, very limited services were available for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Community Link initiated both a work program and a school dedicated to helping these individuals. The work program had locations in both Boulder and Longmont that focused on sub-contracting with local businesses to provide a cost-effective solution to their job contracting needs. The school program was created because the public school system did not have the capacity to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities.
By the mid 1970's, the agency was actively integrating people into the workplace of such businesses as: IBM, Ball Aerospace and Beach Aircraft. Public law 94-142, implemented during this decade, required the public school system to provide a fair and appropriate public education for all students and thus our school was phased out.
In the early 1980's, Community Link became the first agency in the state to actively place people into regular jobs within private and public businesses and to provide ongoing one-on-one support. During this decade, nearly everyone served received employment experience within regular community job settings. By the end of the decade, plans were being developed to eliminate the segregated work program.
These plans were initiated in the early 1990's after a significant majority of those served expressed preference for community job settings. At that time, we were identified as the largest organization in the country to have converted to community-based employment and inclusive activities.
Also at this time, both the volunteer and the retirement service components were added. The volunteer program provides work experience to participants through employment at a variety of Boulder County non-profits. In addition to developing skills, the intention of this program is to socially connect with community members. Our retirement program provides seniors with activities consistent with their interests, as well as opportunities to socially connect.
In 2000, the agency increased its geographical scope to include the larger Denver Metro area. We developed systems providing employment in these areas while continuing to send the message that all people who desire employment can become employed with appropriate accommodations. Unfortunately, by mid-decade, a large portion of funding for employment programs was eliminated, causing us to cease employment services in the Denver area in 2012 and put emphasis on other services. We now proudly offer assistance in finding quality living situations through a support companions or host families or to continue to live in their own home or family home.
We believe in taking a holistic approach and focus on achieving the outcomes identified by our customers with support from their families and interdisciplinary team. This is done through true coordination of services of home life, community integrated day activities and one's job and is the new focus of Community Link's services. We provide holistic coordination of an individual's life to provide assurance to their family that they will live a good life both now and in the future.
Community Link includes a diversity of community-based service options, including paid employment, community integrated day activities through volunteer work and community activities. We actively support the inclusion of people with disability within our community.