Douglas County Disabilities Coalition (The Arc Douglas County)

Douglas County Disabilities Coalition (DCDC) is The Arc chapter for Douglas County, Georgia. Citizens and family members of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities founded it as a parent support and advocacy group, and today it pairs that advocacy with direct services, with a vision of every person with a disability living a full and meaningful life as part of the community.

DCDC provides Medicaid waiver services through Georgia's NOW and COMP programs, including Community Living Supports, Community Access Individual Support and Specialized Medical Supplies. It is a provider with the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, holds a private home health care license, and has been CARF accredited since 2014. Support is one-on-one and community based: each person works with the same trained direct support professional, and the people DCDC serves live at home with family, in host homes or in homes of their own.

Days are built around each person's choices. That can mean Special Olympics, Night to Shine, art projects, fishing, walks in local parks, gym memberships and yoga, or trips to museums and the airport. People also give back by delivering Meals on Wheels, helping with church ministries and volunteering at libraries. Each December, families, staff and members of the Delta Psi Chapter of Eta Phi Beta Sorority gather for the annual Christmas party and meeting.

Families can call the office at (770) 402-4711, weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., to ask about services. Membership is open to anyone who wants to work on behalf of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and members meet quarterly at the Arbor Place Mall food court.