Monroe County OPWDD Community and Home Intervention and Response Program (CHIRP)
CHIRP Program Information Flyer | Call (585) 275-7264 for an Appointment
First Steps for New Families
This is not an emergency service. If your family or family is in need of emergency help, please call 9-1-1. Our team will attempt to speak on the phone with a family within 24 hrs. of contacting the program. We also will attempt to meet the family the same week. We provide short term, community-based support to children and adults experiencing intense challenging behaviors. This program does not provide Psychotherapy; Emergency psychiatric services; Training for non-crisis behavioral problems (toileting concerns, not following instructions, school refusal); Restrain or teach how to restrain a person. In these situations, we will try to connect families with alternate treatment options.
How Can Our Program Help?
We work with families for a short time to understand why a behavior is happening and teach caregivers ways to help. We do this by:
- Learning about the person and family, observing challenging behaviors
- Asking caregivers to track challenging behaviors
- Developing a behavior plan, which may include:
- Ways caregivers can prevent behaviors
- Helping caregivers use new skills to increase desired behaviors
- Helping the person develop ways to communicate other than challenging behavior
- Teaching caregivers to use the behavior plan
- Linking family to longer term services, if needed
Eligibility
In order to be eligible, the person being must:
- Live in Monroe County
- Live with a family member who can participate in treatment and is willing to learn new ways to help with the behavior challenges.
- Have OPWDD eligibility
Cost
CHIRP is supported through a grant from the OPWDD Family Support Services program. There is no cost to families
Who We Help
Children, teens and adults with developmental disabilities AND ongoing challenging behaviors such as:
- Aggression (hurting others)
- Self-injury
- Running off from caregivers
- Serious property destruction
These behaviors are considered a crisis when there are:
- Problems keeping the person safe
- Problems keeping others safe
- Risk of losing home and community supports
- Risk of losing school or daycare placement
Referrals
Referrals can be made by families, medical or mental health providers, or developmental disability service providers. However, we ask that a caregiver call to start services.
Our Service Team