About Our Services

What We Do:

Advocate provides education, training, advice, guidance, encouragement, mediation, and advocacy.

Intake, Assessment & Orientation

Goal Setting - Individual Rehabilitation Plan (IRP) development

Self Care Skills
• personal hygiene
• grooming
• nutrition
• dietary planning
• food preparation
• physical health

Social Skills
• community integration
• developing natural supports
• family relationships
• friendship/social relations
• community participation

Independent Living Skills
• secure/maintain living environment
• community awareness
• mobility skills
• money management
• entitlements
• legal

Cultural
• school
• work
• leisure interests

Medication
• monitoring
• education
• symptom management

Health Promotion & Training
• nutrition
• exercise
• dental care
• vision
• substance abuse prevention
• prevention of injury
• physical health management

Supported Housing
• needs assessment
• housing development
• accessing subsidized rental support applications & procedures
• accessing utility assistance/management
• accessing/maintaining housing
• accessing emergency shelter/housing

Crisis Services
May include involvement with family, housing or symptom management.

Emergency Care
Usually involves contact with a hospital, clinic, &/or physician.

Linkage
Can be to any resource.

Some things we don't do.

Following is a list of services that are commonly asked of us which are either not covered under Maryland Regulations, unethical, or things our staff are discouraged from performing because they have been found not to promote independence and success.

PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION: Transportation is not a covered service under Maryland Regulations and is not a service we provide. We discourage our staff from providing transportation because we are not paid to provide this service and the provision of transportation often results in a decrease in independence and utilization of resources available to Clients. Staff may, from time to time, in special situations, accompany a Client to a meeting, grocery shopping, appointment, court, emergency, etc. and may offer to transport the Client, but is discouraged to doing so on a regular basis (more than once per month) and is NOT required to do so. In any case, staff are strictly forbidden from transporting children. Please realize that our staff are not reimbursed for gas, mileage or wear and tear on their vehicles and do not abuse their generosity.

RUN ERRANDS FOR CLIENTS: This is not a covered service under Maryland Regulations and is not a service we provide. We discourage our staff from running errands for Clients because it takes away from time when they could be performing services for their Clients.

LOAN MONEY TO CLIENTS: This practice creates an ethical dilemma and is forbidden.

THINGS THAT CLIENTS ARE CAPABLE OF DOING: We encourage our Clients to do the things they can do, and encourage and challenge them to take on as much responsibility as they can. We easily could take on the role of private personal assistant, but this does more harm than good in the long run and we want our Clients to do their very best and be proud of their accomplishments and new found abilities that will last long after we are gone.

PROTECT CLIENTS’ FROM NATURAL CONSEQUENCES: We do NOT protect our Clients from the natural consequences of their actions.

MAKE CLIENTS’ DO THINGS: We encourage our Clients to act in ways we believe is in their best interest, but we do NOT make anyone do things they do not want to do.

Copyright © 2008 Advocate Support Services, Inc. All rights reserved.