L’ife at L’Arche

L’Arche homes are places of welcome, celebration, cooperation, and inclusion. We welcome those of every race, ethnic background, nationality, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, family or socioeconomic status, and educational background. Those sharing life in a home commit to being active participants in creating a healthy home life that supports everyone. There are many intentional practices that go into creating a culture of home. These include, but are not limited to welcoming new housemates & guests, practicing hospitality, sharing meals, celebrating holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries, and being open to, and supporting, the spiritual practices of one another.

Imagine community differently:

#liveatlarchenc

Become a Core Member

If you’re thinking of living at L’Arche, we invite you as you are able to join our L’Arche North Carolina’s community events as a way to learn more about us . We offer virtual and in-person events that are designed for families that include adults with disabilities. We’d love to get to know you, and want you to get to know us!

When L’Arche welcomes a new core member, we anticipate that they will live in L’Arche for life. For that reason, openings in L’Arche are very rare and we move through the selection process carefully. A number of factors go in to the decision, including whether the prospective core member is interested in living in an intentional community.

Imagine community differently:

#liveatlarchenc

Eligibility

For a person to be eligible to be welcomed into L'Arche NC, the following criteria must be met:
  • The candidate must have a current clinical diagnosis of intellectual or developmental disability.
  • The candidate must be over the age of 21.
  • The candidate must be a NC Innovations Medicaid Waiver Recipient
  • The candidate must be ambulatory and able to exit the home in case of an emergency without assistance.
  • The candidate must be willing to live in an intentional community home
  • The candidate must be supportive of L’Arche North Carolina’s mission.

While everyone is welcome in community at L’Arche, this first house will be licensed for members who are ambulatory due to the multilevel layout. We do hope to offer opportunities for non-ambulatory people at future L’Arche NC homes.

You are welcome to fill out the interest form on behalf of a non-ambulatory person so that we have your information for the future, but we aren’t able to welcome a non-ambulatory core member in this first home.

Paying for Care: What Families Should Know

Living at L’Arche is made possible through North Carolina Medicaid programs that fund the daily supports core members receive. There are two programs relevant to our homes, and understanding how they work is an important step toward getting your loved one the care they need.

The NC Innovations Waiver

The NC Innovations Waiver is a comprehensive package of home- and community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It funds the kind of residential support that makes a home like ours possible. There are a limited number of “slots” funded by the state legislature, and because demand far exceeds the slots available, there is a long waiting list – currently more than a decade.

Here is the most important thing for any family to know: the wait does not begin until your loved one is on the list. The only way to get on it is to contact your local LME/MCO (the regional organization that manages these services) and ask to be added to the Registry of Unmet Needs. If you think L’Arche, a group home, or some other independent living setting may ever be something you or your loved one might want, we strongly encourage you to get on the list now, even if you’re years away from being ready.

Find your LME/MCO here.

You can also view the current Innovations Waiver waitlist dashboard here.

Our current home and one of the two Friendship Houses we hope to acquire are intended for individuals who have an Innovations Waiver slot.

1915(i) Services

While families wait for an Innovations slot, North Carolina offers a separate set of Medicaid benefits called 1915(i) services. These are a smaller set of supports than the Innovations Waiver, but they are available much sooner – and using them does not affect your place on the Innovations waiting list. 1915(i) services can include community living and supports, respite for caregivers, supported employment, and help transitioning to a community home.

Because 1915(i) provides a more limited set of supports, core members in a 1915(i)-funded home would generally need to be able to live somewhat more independently than those we welcome through the Innovations Waiver. We hope that the second of the two Friendship Houses will be able to welcome core members receiving 1915(i) services.

To learn whether 1915(i) services might be right for your family, contact your LME/MCO.

Medicaid funds the daily care services each core member receives – but the heart of L’Arche, our shared homes and community life, is made possible by the generosity of those who believe in our mission.

Other Organizations in the Triangle

Here are some other organizations in the Triangle area that are doing great work that may be worth looking into (but by no means a comprehensive list).

Our Discernment Process

Applying to live at L’Arche North Carolina has several important steps. As we discern who to welcome into our first home, we will use the following discernment process. If at any point during the process L’Arche NC determines you are not eligible for any reason to live at L’Arche NC we will notify you. We hope that this is our first of many L’Arche NC homes so there may be opportunities to live at L’Arche NC in the future.

Initial Inquiry

Individuals interesting in living at L’Arche should complete the Interested Core Member Application. We will accept applications on an ongoing basis. L’Arche NC does not have a first-come-first-served waiting list but when there is an opening in a L’Arche NC home, we will contact those who have completed this form.

Connection & Exploration

For those eligible we will schedule time to connect, either in person or virtually, to get to know each other better. This is a chance for us to learn about the core member candidate’s aspirations, needs, and desires, and for them to learn about our community and way of life.

Mutual Discernment

We will engage together in a process of mutual discernment, exploring whether L’Arche NC is the right fit for the individual and whether the individual is the right fit for our community. This may involve further conversations, review of medical history, visits to our home, and opportunities to meet current community members. This is a lengthy process to make sure L’Arche is a good fit for all involved.

Questions

Our Core Member Discernment team stands ready to guide you through the application process, and help you with any questions you have along the way. If you have questions, contact us at coremember@larchenc.org.