The focus of the Flame Tree Freedom Center is to provide assistance and care to individuals with disabilities, and strives to create an atmosphere of trust through the compliance of national standards and policies and procedures. The consumers of Flame Tree Freedom Center will benefit form a multitude of human services to help each consumer become more independent of others, increasing their opportunities to live a more independent and fulfilled life within the community. Individuals with disabilities and their loved ones depend on us to ensure our consumers are safe and able to transition into the community, while becoming more independent.

Flame Tree Freedom Center provides extensive support, habilitation and supervision in most or all of the following eleven areas critical to community living:

  • Personal Management
  • Hygiene and Grooming
  • Clothing
  • Basic Skills
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Home Maintenance
  • Money Management
  • Cooking
  • Resource Utilization
  • General Occupational Skills and Job Placement
  • Medication Management
  • Employment Skills

Psychosocial Assessment 

During the intake process to the program, each consumer’s Case Manager will complete a comprehensive Psychosocial Assessment. Any new assessments or needs for updates will be made by referrals to one of our professional consultants or another healthcare provider form the community—e.g., medical services, psychiatry, nutritional assessment, physical therapy, speech therapy or occupational therapy. The psychosocial assessment includes information on the following depending on each individual’s needs:

  • Social History
  • Medical History
  • Psychiatric History
  • Assessment of behavioral functioning
  • Assessment of emotional functioning
  • Assessment of cognitive functioning
  • Family and Community Supports
  • Educational History
  • Legal Status and History
  • Nursing Needs
  • Dental Status
  • History and/or Need for Specialized Services—e.g., Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech or Audiology Services
  • Vocational History and/or Needs
  • History of Abuse, Neglect, or Trauma
  • Substance Abuse History
  • Nutritional History and/or Needs
  • Recreational and Leisure Interests and Skills

Individual Service and Habilitation Planning 

Services for each resident/client will start with the development of an Individualized Service and Habilitation Plan (ISHP). Our staff will be trained to use a person-centered, strength-based approach to service planning. They work with each consumer to understand their goals and desires. Family, friends, legal guardians, and other support people may be included in the planning process according to the preferences of each consumer. Case managers will capitalize on the strengths of each resident, developing a plan that builds on each consumer’s strengths and preferences. Additionally, they will work with consumers to identify needed supports and skills training so that they can realize their goals. Every resident will be treated like the unique person they are, with goals and desires like any other person. Our staff will be dedicated to working with each resident in a truly individualized manner.

Support and Habilitation Services 

Once the initial ISHP is developed, staff will provide the necessary services to meet an individual’s goals. Such services include:

  • Case Management: Each consumer will be assigned a Case Manager who will be responsible for coordinating care and services for the individual. This may include: working with residential staff to formulate the best ways to help an individual learn new skills, working with the consumer and family/guardian to identify needed supports, and connecting the individual to resources in the community. The case manager will also assist the client in the acquisition of personal items, for example, clothes, special hygiene items, and personal recreation materials.

  • Supportive Therapy: Individuals may be enrolled in skills development groups or group therapy. These services will assist individuals in problem solving, identifying symptoms of mental illness, learning new skills, improving coping strategies, managing anger and most other challenges that may occur.

  • Family Education: Family education services will be provided to families who wish to learn more about their relative’s disabilities and how they can be supportive. These services might also target challenges in family dynamics that need to be addressed to better support the individual.

  • Mobility Training: Individuals will be encouraged to increase their interaction in and around the community. In order to achieve this goal, specific objectives will be developed to address mobility needs. Objectives may include orientation to the neighborhood and community, obtaining and using public transportation, and steps to take when lost.

  • Medication Administration: Consumers prescribed medications will receive them from staff trained in the safe and effective administration of medications. Staff will be required to adhere to standards for the safe storage and administration of medications set forth by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

  • Self Care Skills: Self care and personal hygiene is of paramount importance. While residents will receive training in self-care and independent living skills, some individuals need extra assistance in some of these areas. Staff will be trained to provide whatever level of assistance is necessary to help each consumer maintain their personal hygiene and appearance. This includes, but not limited to, bathing, changing undergarments, washing face, combing hair, shaving, and brushing teeth. Furthermore, staff will be trained in assisting residents with any mobility needs they may have such as lifting transferring of consumers who have physical disabilities requiring this service.

  • Social Skills Training: Training will be provided to consumers to help them interact more effectively with others, make friends, get their needs met, express their feelings, and engage satisfactorily in everyday activities.

  • Positive Behavioral Supports: Occasionally, people we serve will display challenging behavior. These behaviors will be addressed through positive behavior supports. A thorough assessment of the function of the challenging behavior will be conducted. This assessment will include the history of the behavior, environmental influences on the behavior, a description of current skills, and a data review. The treatment team, along with the individual, will design supports to assist the individual to replace the challenging behavior with new skills. The treatment team will focus on increasing skills, thereby making problem behaviors unnecessary. If intervention will be required while the person is displaying a challenging behavior, a least restrictive approach will be used. It is noted that some behavors are dangerous to the individual or to others. Facility policy will be followed regarding these behaviors.

  • Support Groups: Individuals may attend support groups in the community (e.g., AA, NA, NAMI, etc.) depending on their needs and supervision requirements. Such groups can be helpful to individuals dealing with special challenges and they can be an important link to the community.

  • Advocacy: Individuals with mental illness and intellectual and developmental disabilities should be treated with dignity and respect. We believe that it is important for them to have the same opportunities as any other person. Staff will serve as advocates by helping individuals speak for themselves, particularly with regard to living arrangements, personal relationships, and their person-centered plan. We encourage individuals to tell others how they feel about issues that affect their lives. We also support self-advocacy by encouraging the individuals we serve to join self-advocacy support groups, to be involved in training sessions, to take courses in school, to share their opinion in newsletters, and to use new technology. Other ways that we encourage self-advocacy include listening to family members, being sensitive to people’s needs, supporting people in gaining their choice of employment, offering choices every day, and listening carefully.

  • Day and Evening Activities: A full range of day and evening activities will be provided for consumers. Some of these focus on integration and inclusion in the wider community appropriate to the wants and circumstances of each individual consumer. Other focus on the development of basic practical skills or recreational and leisure opportunities. In all cases, the desires and preferences of each individual will be respected. Our goal is to engage each consumer in a productive, meaningful, fulfilling lifestyle.

  • Referral Based Services: In some instances, staff will connect an individual to other services and supports in the community. For example, individuals who would like to work or develop employment skills will be referred to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. Those with medical or dental needs will be connected to the appropriate healthcare professionals in the community. Consumers with special rehabilitative services will be connected with physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, audiology services, and other specialty services as appropriate to help them function maximally. Furthermore, individuals may be connected to churches, social service agencies, or other resources in the community to best meet their needs.

  • Employment Placement Services: Clients will be provided appropriate supports to find employment within the community in line with their personal goals as defined by the ISHP. Supports include interface with DVR, identification of employer, job coaching services and follow-up training as needed.

  • Residential Services: Flame Tree Freedom Center will provide a clean, safe, and comfortable home environment. Furnishings will be contemporary and maintained in good repair. Television, internet, DVD players and music devices are available for consumers to enjoy. Each consumer has his or her own bed and personal sleeping area in a private or shared bedroom. Residents will be provided secure storage for their personal belongings, personal hygiene products, and other storage needs. A fully equipped kithcen allows for the preparation of nutritious meals and snacks. Residents will be able to store their own preferred foods in the refrigerator or pantry. All food will be properly labeled and dated. Accommodations and access requirements of the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA) will be adhered to in the community homes. Bathrooms are equipped with grab bars or bathing seats depending on residents’ needs. Residential staff will be available at all times to assist residents with mobility needs and to ensure safety through the provision of continuous supervision. The home will have ample fire extinguishers, functional smoke alarms that are regularly checked, and two accessible exits. Additionally, the home will be equipped with a well stocked first aid kit and other necessary emergency supplies, such as flashlights, candles, food and water in case of the need to “shelter in place”. Individuals will be supported as much as needed to manage the home. Residents will assist with household chores such as meal preparation, setting the table, clearing dishes, and light cleaning. Staff will provide instruction, guidance, and support to help residents learn these valuable basic life skills. The price per bed space in the residential programs will be competitive with national standards; however, for Guam, it is envisaged that these services could be provided at a much lesser cost.

Future Services

At this time, Flame Tree Freedom Center does not have plans for new services or for significant changes to our current offerings. However, we do intend to be responsive to changes in industry standards, sensitive to consumer needs, and competitive with other service providers in the Health Care industry. We will closely monitor the marketplace and make plans for changes or new services should conditions warrant.