SWOR

Clovernook home and Ferncroft Home

Mission

South West Ohio Residences (SWOR) functions to develop and oversee group homes for the well being of adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the Cincinnati, Ohio region.

Core Values

The fundamental values, beliefs and principles that guide SWOR include:

Providing safety and comfort

To provide safe, comfortable and relaxing homes for adults with ASD.

Enhancing community and family

To help the residents experience a community spirit within their home that permits a sense of belonging, support, mutual appreciation, and self-worth.

Accomplishing optimal independence

To provide the least restrictive living alternative for adults with ASD, and facilitate adaptive skills development.  We strive for the residents to live in a home arrangement that is well matched to their level of independence based upon social, intellectual, behavioral, and emotional factors.

Achieving potential

To help people with ASD live in homes that lets them achieve their optimal potential for social, behavioral, vocational, and personal development.

Experiencing normalization

To let people with ASD be able to experience a home life that is as typical and healthy as possible, without regard to and without discrimination whatever by reason of race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin or age. To let their living be an inclusive experience within their neighborhood and city, rather than one that makes them feel excluded from normal society.

Granting dignity, self-determination and respect

To view people with ASD as persons first, and their disabling conditions secondary.  They are esteemed and valued, and are encouraged to be free to make decisions to the degree that their choices fulfill their best interests and mutual needs.

History of the SWOR Board

The SWOR Board started in 1979 by a group of consumers, namely parents of adults with ASD, who recognized the residential needs of their adult children with a disability. They sought to establish high quality homes and providers so their children could experience the independence and social-emotional support needed as they grew to adult age. They saw a need to address the social and communication challenges of their adult children that may not have been met by existing service providers. Rather than take on the direct service delivery task on their own, they established a board that would purchase the homes and work with Ohio Valley Residential Services, Inc. (OVRS) to provide the programming and direct care services required. Hence, this partnership was established that continues to the present, with the board comprised of consumers (i.e., currently parents of persons with ASD), professionals in the field of ASD and interested community-minded members. The board meets at least quarterly to maintain the homes, provide some checks and balances of home management, identify ways to support the above values and help advocate for adults with ASD in our community.

Current & Future Aspirations

SWOR is always eager to consider additional board member candidates so that we have a diversity of skills and backgrounds to support our mission. If interested, please send a note of inquiry to the contact link below or send a cover letter with a brief resume attached to the email link. SWOR hopes to expand homes in the future as funds and needs exist.

For more information, please contact us at SWORBOARD@gmail.com