Support for those served by Mosaic in Ellsworth County will look a little different in the future.

“We’re in the middle of our Mosaic at-home transition,” said Mosaic Community Relations Manager Danielle Ricklefs. “It is a transition of residential services that we provide.”

The group home, 500 E. 10th St., Ellsworth, will no longer house residents.

“We have been doing independent contractor for quite awhile. It’s a very personalized service,” she said. “It looks different for each person served, depending on what their wants and needs are.”

While the residential group facility will close, Mosaic will retain its day services.

“We will continue to have day service; you will continue to see supported living folks, those living and working independently,” Ricklefs said. “They will be in the community for as long as they choose to stay in the community.”

The adjustment was shared at the Partners in Possibilities lunch June 1 at Harvest Bible Church.

Art from Ryan Hoobler was on display and Matthew Brickei contributed to the luncheon via song.

“These are my Friday friends,” John Thaemert, Senior Vice President and Trust Officer at Citizens Trust & Investments, said. “If it wasn’t for Mosaic, where would these people go?”

Grow Ellsworth County Executive Director Stacie Schmidt said Mosaic supports 34 individuals locally.

“We are here to ensure Mosaic will be in north central Kansas into the future,” she said. “I invite you to join me in supporting the critical work that takes place every day.”

Bella Dietrich, who is served

“We will continue to have day service; you will continue to see supported living folks, those living and working independently. They will be in the community for as long as they choose to stay in the community.”

Danielle Ricklefs

Mosaic Community Relations Manager by Mosaic, shared her journey.

“I moved to north home. Things changed. I felt happy to see people smiling,” she said. “The staff taught me how to cook, how to do laundry. One of my favorite things was learning how to make Frito pie. I finally had a place I felt like I belong.”

Through Mosaic she obtained a job coach and now lives independently.

“I got to be in my own space without roommates,” Dietrich said. “Mosaic helped me to live independent by taking me grocery shopping, to the doctor and to my hair appointments.”

She continues to set goals about saving money, transportation and eventually moving closer to her family.

As Vice President of Operational Excellence for Mosaic, Jen Zajicek has worked for 26 years supporting operations in 13 states. She remembers growing up in rural Iowa.

“My mom said in a whisper ‘he has special needs,’ and his family kept him at home. At that time, they were ashamed to have a child with disabilities,” she said of a family in her hometown. “For the first 20 years of his life, he didn’t go to school, didn’t go to church.”

This formative experience helped guide her toward serving those with disabilities.

“(We are) working to help people served and their families find the most customized services possible,” she said. “To help people have a meaningful life, we ask people what they want and help provide it. As a caring community, we help people connect with others that make new relationship that help them feel they belong.”

The organization is currently seeking both home providers and financial support.

“People have been opening their hearts and resources,” Schmidt said. “To date, leadership gifts total $36,250.”

Funds raised locally stay in north central Kansas she said.

Education is a significant part of current efforts.

“People assume is it’s a lot like foster care — we will drop them off at the door. It’s not anything like that,” Ricklefs said. “It’s a more personalized service based on what that individual needs. We look for an independent contractor who matches that. It’s a long vetting process that comes with a multitude of layers of matching and a background check.”

Those contractors are provided financial compensation based on the level of support the client needs. Each placement looks different.

“One might live with a contractor who lives on a farm,” Ricklefs said. “One might go to live with a family. One person, she lives with a couple who has children and grandchildren — an active household. Another person has a less-active household and is in a smaller, rural community.”

In addition to financial support, the independent contractor coordinates with Mosaic to have multiple backup options available, should an emergency arise with the contractor or their family.

Ricklefs said the difficulty in finding staff was part of the reason for the move away from group living.

“Staffing did create the drive for (service providers to become the primary option), but so many factors make this a really, really great option,” she said. “Secondary behaviors start to drop away when you have stability in one location.”

There are still four residents living in the group home who have not transitioned to another living arrangement yet. Once they do, the home will close.

“We’ll continue to provide day services,” Ricklefs said. “That’s the hope — we will expand day services and will expand Mosaic at home into more regions throughout north central Kansas.”