By Tim Leeds
Quality Life Concepts (QLC), a private non-profit corporation, provides support to children with developmental needs and their families in a nine-county area around the Golden Triangle.
QLC provides services for children, from birth through age 21, depending in the diagnosis and eligibility of the child.
The services are provided for children with physical delays, mental delays or are at risk of developing delays in cognitive development, physical development, social development, academic development or self-help skills.
QLC's home-based services are divided into three main areas. The Infant and Toddler Program provides services to children from birth to age three who have a diagnosed physical or mental condition or are experiencing developmental delays. The program provides child and parent education and resource and support coordination.
Depending on the needs identified for the child and his family, services could include audiology and speech and language therapy, nursing services, health services and medical evaluations, nursing services, psychological services, physical therapy, occupational therapy, psychological services and transportation.
The program is funded in part under an agreement with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.
QLC's Family Support Services provides services to children from birth through their senior years who are developmentally disabled or at risk of being developmentally delayed and reside in their natural home or in a foster home. An at risk child is an infant, toddler or preschooler who may become developmentally delayed due to prematurity, ongoing medical problems or his environment. The service provides child and parent education and resource and support coordination.
For older individuals the services provided are resource and support coordination, which is locating or providing resources and supports identified by the family as needs. These could include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, counseling, medical information, disability information, financial support, respite and parent support.
Intensive Family Education and Support Services is a program to assist families to care for children, from birth through age 21, with severe handicaps or behaviors. To be eligible, the child must meet one or more of the criteria of severe or profound mental retardation, significant maladaptive social or behavior problems, severe medical or health related problems or being at risk for placement in a more restrictive setting like a foster home.
The services provided depend on the needs of the families served. They could include case management, extended respite, home modification, habilitative equipment, foster placement and resource and support coordination.
This program waives parent income and uses only the child's income for determining eligibility for Medicaid.
QLC is based out of Great Falls and also has outreach offices in Havre and Cut Bank. The company serves Region II, including Glacier, Toole, Liberty, Hill, Blaine, Pondera, Chouteau, Teton and Cascade counties. The Havre office serves Hill, Blaine, Liberty and Chouteau counties.
For more information on the services provided or how contributions will help children with developmental needs, call the Havre office at 265-2620 or stop by the office at 845 Fifth St.
