Community Participation

For school leavers with a disability

Please note that you may be looking for Transition to Work or Day Programs

The Community Participation program is for school leavers with a disability, dual diagnosis or mental illness who have moderate to high support needs and require an alternative to paid employment, vocational education and training or higher education.

The program provides school leavers with opportunities for continued learning, life skill development and participation in the community, which increases independence and ability to meet life goals.

The program can assist participants in areas such as:

• Skills development
• Community access, participation and integration
• Employability and living skills

To be eligible for the Community Participation program a person must meet all the following criteria and must be:

• a school leaver in Year 12
• a person with a disability with moderate to high support needs
• assessed by ADHC as being suitable for the Community Participation program
• aged 18 years or over in the first year of participating in the program
• a permanent resident of New South Wales
• a person who is not undertaking more than 6 hours per week of paid employment, and a person who is not undertaking vocational education and training, or higher education

The Community Participation can be accessed after funding allocations have been completed through ADHC.

There is a $5 daily attendance fee and the program operates 4-5 days per week depending on allocated funding, 48 weeks per year.

The program operates between 9am-3pm.

For further information contact MDS on 02 4621 8400.

Day Programs

Macarthur Disability Services (MDS) is an approved provider of Day Programs for people with a disability, dual diagnosis or mental illness.

MDS Day Programs assist service participants in the following areas:

• Skills development
• Activities of daily living
• Social skills
• Independent living development
• Pre-vocational training
• Community access, participation and integration
• Peer support
• Participation in the community and its activities
• Adult education
• Certificate I Employability Skills
• Work preparation
• Living skills
• Leisure and recreation
• Creative expression
• Passive recreation
• Music
• Massage
• Art therapy
• Drama therapy
• Craft
• Passive exercise
• Swimming

Day Programs are centre based with community access. MDS will provide you with activities in small groups with other people. You will also be involved in activities within your local community.

Day Programs operate 48 weeks per year open from 9am-3pm.

For further information contact MDS on 02 4621 8400.