For over 37 years, Traverse Independence has not only been helping people with a physical disability and/or brain injury, but also re-teaching them how to live as individuals and to be independent.
“It’s really important for people with brain injuries to be trained in an environment that will be the same as the one they’re moving onto,” said Toby Harris, executive director of Traverse Independence.
Programs such as ABI (acquired brain injury) outreach, ABI Summit Transitional Living and ABI day program, were designed to support clients as they transition from the hospital to the community.
The Summit Transitional Living program offers affordable housing in Kitchener-Waterloo and Wellington County, to those who require assistance, and is funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
Clients learn to live on their own, pay their own rent and living expenses, and cook and shower independently.
“Often times with a brain injury, it’s a whole new life; they’re never the same person,” said Harris.
There are bachelor and one- and two-bedroom units available, depending on the client’s budget and whether they would like to practice living with a roommate.
Staff is on hand 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and on-call services are also available, to assist clients with personal care.
Harris noted clients could live at the facility for up to two years, or a little longer if needed, but most only stay for about 12 to 14 months.
The program has been running for three and a half years, has graduated about 57 people, and has a high success rate.
“This is the only program like this in Ontario,” says Harris. “The program is unique because it offers support coming in and support going out.”
A couple of weeks before the client leaves the transitional living, either in Fergus or Kitchener-Waterloo, they are introduced to an outreach worker who will continue to work with them for as long as they need it.
The outreach worker helps with things such as making sure the client is organized with life skills, bills and groceries, setting up friendly reminders for appointments and even taking those who need it to their appointments, helping with banking and learning to ride the bus, and addressing any other issues the client may have.
“It’s more of a natural transition,” said Ryan Klassen, a past client of Traverse Independence who now lives on his own.
Klassen spent one year living at the Fergus location and a second in Kitchener.
“The staff is fantastic and the apartments were great,” he said. “They really helped me.”
For more information on the program or Traverse Independence, visit www.traverseindependence.ca.
