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History & Organization
ENCOR's original commitments
made in the 1968 Douglas County Plan and the Governor's Committee Report were:
Description of Region VI:
The Eastern Nebraska Community Office of Retardation
and Developmental Disabilities (ENCOR) is located in Eastern Nebraska and is
known as Region VI of the State's Service System. It is comprised of the five
county service area of Douglas, Dodge, Washington, Cass and Sarpy counties.
History of How ENCOR Began
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Community based services to persons in Eastern Nebraska began with a commitment from parents.
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| Parents developed the Omaha Opportunity Center in 1951
under the auspices of the Greater Omaha Association for Retarded Children
(GOARC), later changed to Greater Omaha Association for Retarded Citizens, and
now called the Ollie Webb Center. This educational program was staffed by volunteers and was located in a church
basement. In 1963 the HELP pre-school was added to the Opportunity
Center.
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| Due to the need to plan and expand services, parents
enlisted the help of such
professionals as Dr. Wolf Wolfensburger and Dr. Frank Menolascino.
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| In 1968 the Douglas County Plan was developed by
parents, professionals and elected officials to focus on keeping people closer
to home. In their own community. It was the “grassroots” movement that
created the agency
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| In October, 1968, services under
the GOARC program expanded to include vocational services at the Douglas
County Vocational Services Center at 60th and Maple Streets. This was ENCOR's
first training center. Soon after this, Residential services started in group
homes that were known as the Harney St. and California St. residences.
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| The Chance School, also developed in the late 1960's,
expanded educational services. Educational services were also provided through
the ARC in Dodge Sarpy and Cass counties as well. Funding for the GOARC
programs consisted of contributions from Douglas county and the United Way, as
well as fund raising efforts.
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| During the 1969 legislative session, the state
legislature passed LB 855. LB 855 established the six regions of the State's
Community Based Service System for persons with mental retardation.
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| As these services grew, ENCOR was developed in 1970 as
the first community-based program in Nebraska and one of the first in the
country/world. It was a comprehensive service system, with the parent group
assuming advisory and advocacy roles. Initial services were provided to
approximately sixty individuals. In addition to vocational services, ENCOR
provided residential and educational services.
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| During 1971/72 ENCOR's vocational services expanded.
Industrial Training Centers (ITC's) opened in all five counties. Three were in
the greater Omaha area, one in Bellevue, and one in Fremont.
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| ENCOR developed the first workstation in industry
concept. Persons served were placed in actual business locations with an ENCOR
staff person providing supervision. The first work training site in industry
at the Lozier Corporation was established in 1971. Loziers has grown to two
sites. In addition, Loziers provides contract work to the workshops on a
routine basis. Currently ENCOR has seven workstations in the following
locations:
| Loziers #1 -
Omaha |
| Loziers #2 - Omaha |
| Lynn Roberts - Omaha |
| Creighton University - Omaha |
| Comfort Inn - Fremont |
| Valmont - Valley
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Service Development
| In 1972 the Horacek vs. Exon lawsuit was filed
with the State of Nebraska. Due to this lawsuit, the population of the
Beatrice State Home was reduced. Between the years 1968 and 1978 over 350
persons returned to their communities in Eastern Nebraska from the Beatrice
State Home. This process was known as deinstitutionalization, and ENCOR was
one of the first in the nation to plan, develop and achieve community based
services.
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| In the early 1970's ENCOR started the Developmental
Maximation Unit. DMU as it was known, was located in Douglas County Hospital
and served infants and children who needed medical care. This type of care was
changed in 1984 (see MSU below).
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| In 1971 ENCOR's Respite services were established.
Known originally as Crisis Assistance, families needing short term placement
were helped. Crisis Assistance closed in 1976 - it reopened in 1977 as the
Respite Group home.
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| In 1973 the NE legislature passed LB 403. This
legislative bill provided for a free education throughout Nebraska's public
school system. In 1975, ENCOR's educational services were phased out.
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| In 1980 ENCOR changed from Division Management to an
Area Management concept of providing services located closer to the families
of persons served.
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| The 1980 /Children's Waiver was the beginning of
Home Based services. These services were changed to in-home habilitation in
1993.
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| In 1984 ENCOR's Medical Support
Unit opened. Previously known as the Developmental Maximation Unit,
MSU became the only known community-based program of its kind in the
country, as a licensed home located in a neighborhood setting. MSU provides
24 hr. medical care for children, adolescents, and adults, with a Registered
Nurse on duty at all times. On an average, 25 - 30 families per year receive
medical support services.
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| In 1986 ENCOR began providing Vocational Support
Services. These services were offered to people waiting to enter full time
day services in a training center. In 2000 these services were phased out
due to lack of need.
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| In 1990 ENCOR started it's own recycling center.
Totally operated by persons served by ENCOR and employees of the agency, the
recycling center was ENCOR's first business. The Central Area Recycling
Exchange (C.A.R.E.) as it is known, recycles
office/computer paper and aluminum cans that are donated by businesses in
the Omaha area.
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