Types of services and placement offered

WNC Group Homes operates five group homes in the Asheville area. Each home is designed and licensed to meet the needs of specific groups of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). All of the homes are licensed via the State of North Carolina and monitored by the Division of Health Service Regulation.

Four of the homes are designated as Intermediate Care Facilities for persons with Mental Retardation (ICF/MR). One of the homes is designated as an Adult Care home. All homes utilize the TEACCH method of structured teaching to provide training and support to the residents who live in each home, with the goal of increasing independence with life skills.

Each home is supported by a clinical interdisciplinary team and has the support of the administrative staff to ensure consistent and appropriate operations and compliance with all state and local government regulations, as well as specific licensing standards and the guiding principles of the agency.

Typically, placement in one of the group homes is a long term placement. However, it is always the goal of the interdisciplinary team to assist and support residents in every effort to achieve a greater level of independence, thus gaining the ability to consider moving into a less intensive level of residential care or support service.

The Ora Street, Pisgah View, Kenmore and Montford homes each provide ICF/MR level of care. The Gwen Rash Memorial Group Home offers Adult Care services. The ICF/MR homes require that the individual seeking placement have a qualifying mental retardation diagnosis as outlined by the State of North Carolina and verified by a medical professional who knows and has treated the individual seeking this level of service. The Adult Care home requires that persons seeking this level of service have a qualifying Developmental Disability and not require intensive supervision and support.

WNC Group Homes receives applications on an on-going basis. The Social Services Coordinator screens applications as they are received and identifies which home the applicant may be considered for when an opening is available. Additionally, the application is reviewed to ensure all information is current and complete. Incomplete applications cannot be considered as an open file.

When an opening occurs, the Social Services Coordinator contacts individuals whose needs match that of the opening, to inquire of continued interest in placement. If the applicant would like to be considered for the opening, the Social Services Coordinator presents a summary of the request for placement to the Admissions Committee. This committee is comprised of Board members, a school placement specialist and a day program placement specialist. The Admissions Committee screens each applicant and determines which applicants are to be interviewed by the clinical interdisciplinary team. The team then meets with applicants, for observation and an interview. Lastly, the team gives a placement recommendation to the Admissions Committee.

Two factors are considered when recommending placement. The first is the current make-up of the residents in the group home and the compatibility of the needs of the applying individual with the needs of the current group of individuals being served in that group home. The next is the person’s qualifying diagnosis and the person’s county of origin. It is the policy of the agency to serve persons from the five surrounding counties as a priority over an individual from a different part of the state or from another state. Admission may be granted to someone outside of the five county areas if appropriate.

If you would like to apply for an individual to be admitted to WNC Group Homes, please complete the application for admission packet (Word version or Acrobat pdf version) and mail the application to:

Social Services Coordinator
WNC Group Homes
28 Pisgah View Avenue
Asheville, NC  28803

Parent-Guardian Council

The Parent-Guardian Council is an organization comprised of parents and guardians who help the WNC Group Homes administration team make decisions on behalf of the group homes. Meetings are held regularly to discuss pertinent issues and to plan events.

Meetings are held four times a year during the first, second, third and fourth quarter of the year. The next meeting is noted on the calendar.

The Council meetings are open to all parents and guardians of individuals currently residing at one of the five group homes. A parent or guardian may attend the meeting in person or through a teleconference phone call.

Parent-Guardian Handbook

The parent or guardian of a newly admitted resident receives a printed copy of the Parent-Guardian Handbook at the time of admission. The Handbook is also available as a downloadable pdf file from this site.