Consider The Columbus Organization approach to person-centered care coordination when you are looking for a partner in your journey.

At The Columbus Organization, “person-centered care” isn’t just a checklist and a process. We put every individual with intellectual or developmental disabilities at the heart of what we do because everyone deserves a meaningful life. View our Care Coordination brochure here.

Click the blue dot on the map below for team and contact information:

Experience and a whole lot more

The Columbus Organization has been in business for more than 30 years and we have supported over 10,000 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in 42 states.

Charting the LifeCourse^TM

We believe and follow the Charting the LifeCourse Framework.

The 8 Principles of the LifeCourse Framework

This means we center the care around the individual to ensure your family member with an intellectual or developmental disability has the opportunity to live a meaningful life. We assess not only immediate physical and behavioral needs, but we also consider them within the framework of a full and meaningful life.

The University of Missouri–Kansas City Institute for Human Development explained the Charting the LifeCourse Framework this way:

“The Charting the LifeCourse Framework was created BY FAMILIES to help individuals and families of all abilities and all ages develop a vision for a good life, think about what they need to know and do, identify how to find or develop supports, and discover what it takes to live the lives they want to live. Individuals and families may focus on their current situation and stage of life but may also find it helpful to look ahead to think about life experiences that will help move them toward an inclusive, productive life in the future.”

*Charting the LifeCourse and LifeCourseTools.com is a project of the University of Missouri–Kansas City Institute for Human Development, Missouri’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Services (UCEDD).

To learn more about the Charting the LifeCourse Framework visit: https://www.lifecoursetools.com/

How we accomplish your goals

We get to know you personally so we can help you:

• Make decisions about which services will be needed
• Find information to help in the journey
• Plan timelines for accessing resources and delivering services
• Make and coordinate appointments for services and supports
• Locate and enroll in services
• Plan for changes in services and programs as needs and available services change
• Ensure appropriate access to Medicaid and non-Medicaid funded services

The Columbus Organization provides care coordination services for many needs. We have a staff of medical, psychosocial, therapeutic and administrative to offer a full range of services whenever and wherever you need them.

Our team includes:

• Physicians
• Psychologists
• Psychiatrists
• Nurses
• LPNs
• Licensed social workers
• Speech-Language Therapists
• Occupational Therapists
• Physical Therapists
• Board Certified Behavior Analysts
• Regulatory and compliance experts
• Trainers and facilitators
• Administrative support
• Executive leadership
  

For individuals and families challenged with an intellectual or developmental disability, the search for quality care coordination can seem like a daunting process.

With thousands of individuals supported by The Columbus Organization, we provide a long history of success and the peace of mind that families are supported by a trusted and reputable organization.

In addition to Traditional Care Coordination, we also offer Intensive Care Coordination and other services to assist individuals in achieving the most full and meaningful life.

Intensive Care Coordination

For individuals and families that need a higher level of service, we can help you manage your challenges.

Our Intensive Care Coordination includes all of the components of Traditional Care Coordination, but the activities reflect specialized coordination of waiver, medical and behavioral support services for individuals with exceptional medical and/or behavioral needs. 

The Columbus Organization ran a pilot program with the state of Georgia in 2016 to develop their intensive waiver program, which was submitted to The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and then approved. This pilot was called The Pioneer Program and set a new standard for intensive care coordination in the state.

Intensive Care Coordinators assist waiver participants with complex needs by:

• Identifying and addressing barriers to care; accessing needed resources and services offered through the waiver as well as the larger healthcare system
• Addressing complex needs by consulting with a registered nurse and physician
• Fostering and maintaining family and other informal relationships and supports
• Coordinating the transition of individuals from state facilities to community based settings, assuring that supports are in place to successfully maintain the individual in a less restrictive and more fulfilling environment

Intensive Care Coordination services are appropriate for individuals who:

• Present severe or persistent medical and/or behavior support needs
• Live in community settings
• Need intense services due to increased incidents of maladaptive behavior, hospitalizations or placement concerns

Intensive services may include:

• Coaching individuals in the development of those daily living skills needed to achieve maximum health and potential
• On-call staff to provide support and crisis management 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

We work with individuals through advocacy, education, communication, identification of service resources and service facilitation resulting in fewer hospitalizations, disruption of services or need for more restrictive placement.