Pine Forest facility to provide individualized care to adults with intellectual disabilities
Last week, Chesterfield County hosted a socially distanced ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of a new, 24-hour intermediate care facility built through the county’s Build-a-House program This is the fourth Build-a-House project completed in Chesterfield.
The Pine Forest Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF-IID) is a five-bedroom facility created to support individuals with the primary diagnosis of intellectual disability. The facility operates on the philosophy that those with intellectual disabilities have the same rights as other citizens, and it offers services that are individualized to meet the needs of each resident.
The programming of the Pine Forest ICF-IID is designed to replicate, as closely as possible, the patterns and conditions of day-to-day life in mainstream society.
According to Kelly Fried, executive director of the Chesterfield County Community Services Board (CSB), the facility aims to allow residents to live, work, and participate in community life to the extent of their abilities.
“The facility’s staff will be advocates for the individuals and empower each of them with the means to succeed at the highest possible level,” said Fried. “Family members or guardians will be involved in each step of the process and are encouraged to maintain contact and pursue activities with residents.”
The Pine Forest ICF-IID is licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. It is managed by the CSB, which is responsible for setting operating policies for the Chesterfield County Department of Mental Health Support Services while promoting wellness and an improved quality of life for residents through comprehensive behavioral health and developmental services.
The Build-a-House Project is a cooperative effort through which students at the Chesterfield Technical Center (CTC) construct homes on donated or county-owned land. Approximately 100 CTC students studying carpentry, plumbing, HVAC and landscaping constructed the five-bed Pine Forest ICF-IID, with local businesses completing more specialized tasks like shingling, paving, and installing a fire suppression system.
Construction expenses are funded by Chesterfield Alternatives Inc., a nonprofit organization that for over 25 years has bought or leased houses operated by the CSB to serve elderly or disabled individuals. Land for the Pine Forest ICF-IID was donated by Henry Moore of Chester.
Since 2008, the Build-A-House Project has constructed three adult group homes in Chesterfield County. Pine Forest ICF-IID is the program’s fourth project and first intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Construction of the facility began in 2017, and residents moved into the facility July 17, 2020. The Pine Forest ICF-IID is located at 2519 Pine Forest Drive, South Chesterfield.
Due to social distancing guidelines, in-person tours of the facility were not available to attendees during the ribbon cutting ceremony. However, a virtual tour of the facility may be viewed on the Chesterfield County Facebook and YouTube pages.
