Covey outlines respite, adult family homes and community programs for people with disabilities

Covey, a nonprofit serving people with developmental and intellectual disabilities in Winnebago and Outagamie counties, described a range of services at a Winnebago County ADRC meeting. Lexi Hall, identified in the meeting as Covey’s director of care and community-based services, said the organization’s mission is "creating opportunities that foster personal growth" and that it operates respite, day services, adult family homes and community programming.

Why it matters: The presentation gave county staff and local stakeholders details about supports available to residents with disabilities, how programs are staffed and how families can refer people for services.

Lexi Hall said Covey provides 24/7 respite services (including one respite home in Oshkosh), operates Horizons daytime services Monday through Friday from roughly 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and opened its first adult family home in 2024; she said Covey has since opened three more adult family homes (four total) and that nearly all are at capacity. Hall described adult family homes as smaller, residential group homes (typical AFH maximum of four residents) that differ from community-based residential facilities (CBRFs), which can be larger and follow a different set of licensing rules. She said Covey often uses CBRF standards as best practice even when AFH rules are shorter.

Tony Aaron, Covey’s activities coordinator for the Connects program, explained that Connects offers evening and weekend community-based social and skills-building events — bowling, cooking classes, volunteer activities — and that some offerings are grant-funded while others are self-pay. Aaron said events are designed to be fully inclusive and adapted to participants’ abilities; he described a participant-led Covey Council that meets monthly and gives participants a voice in programming.

Board members and attendees asked about the difference between AFHs and CBRFs, whether Covey planned a campus-style residential community and how the organization advertises and manages transportation. Hall said AFHs are typically permanent residences with staff on site and private bedrooms; CBRFs have a longer regulatory code and larger capacity. She said Covey does not currently operate a campus but is open to community conversations about supported-apartment or cluster models if quality supports and demand exist. Covey posts a rolling monthly calendar on its website, uses Facebook and partner outlets for outreach, and is exploring transportation options including vans and volunteer drivers to improve access to off-site events.

Covey described a number of targeted programs: Horizons day services focused on community engagement and volunteering; a "Meaningful Meals" initiative that works with restaurants to improve inclusivity (for example, ensuring adaptive silverware is available); an I Can Shine adaptive bike camp that uses volunteers and adaptive equipment; and adult family homes developed in partnership with Fox Valley Technical College and local Neighborhood Investment funding.

The presenters urged attendees to refer participants through county resource channels and offered flyers and contact cards for follow-up. Hall noted one administrative detail: an address listed in the ERC resource guide (1930 Oklahoma Boulevard) was the organization’s prior office; she said Covey has since moved to a location on Algoma and will supply updated directory information.

The meeting closed the presentation portion with attendees thanking Covey staff and exchanging contact information for referrals and volunteer sign-ups. The ADRC will follow up on transportation partnerships and presentations requested by the board.