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CREATIVE LIVING SOLUTIONS INC

ALBANY, NY · EIN 465627443 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE P80 · Human Services · Medium ($1M-$10M) · clsinc.org
revenue
$4.2M
expenses
$4.0M
net assets
$582K
employees
136
volunteers
4
program ratio
87%
mission · from form 990

THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION IS TO EMPOWER INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES TO "REALIZE WHAT'S POSSIBLE" IN THEIR EVERY-DAY LIVES.

profile · synthesized from sources

Nonprofit organization based in Albany, NY, that provides community-based support services for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Offers programs including community habilitation, respite care, supportive employment, and self-direction services to promote independence and inclusion. Founded in 2013 and operates under New York State's OPWDD Home and Community Based Services Waiver system.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $615K
    COMMUNITY HABILITATION OUR PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED SPECIALISTS WORK ONE TO ONE OR IN GROUP SETTINGS TO ASSIST THE INDIVIDUAL(S) ON AN ARRAY OF OUTCOMES TO DEVELOP SKILLS SUCH AS: TRAVEL TRAINING, MONEY MANAGEMENT, ASSISTANCE WITH ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING, COMMUNITY INCLUSION AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING, DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL SKILLS, LEISURE SKILLS, SELF-ADVOCACY AND INFORMED CHOICE SKILLS ACQUIRING, RETAINING AND IMPROVING ADAPTIVE SKILLS AND SELF-HELP SKILLS NEEDED TO LIVE INDEPENDENTLY AT HOME AND IN COMMUNITY-BASED SETTINGS.
named programs · 6 · from sources

What they call their work

Agency Broker Services
Offers start-up and ongoing broker support for self-direction, including plan development, staff recruitment, community connections, and person-centered planning facilitation.
Community Habilitation
Provides one-to-one or group support to develop skills such as travel training, money management, activities of daily living, social skills, and community inclusion to promote independent living.
Fiscal Intermediary Services
Provides administrative and billing support for self-directed service recipients, including background checks, payroll, Medicaid billing, and expenditure tracking.
Respite Services
Offers in-home, one-to-one care for individuals with developmental disabilities to give family caregivers a break; available for individuals aged three and older.
Self-Direction Services
Supports individuals in designing and managing their own service plans and budgets under OPWDD's HCBS Waiver, including staff hiring, financial management, and person-centered planning.
Supportive Employment
Helps individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities find competitively paid community-based employment through career assessments, resume development, interview prep, and on-site job coaching.
activities · 4 groups

What they do

  • Residential Support for Developmental Disabilities 1 activity
    • Community Habilitation Services
      Provides one-to-one and group community habilitation services to individuals with developmental disabilities to develop skills for independent living, including travel training, money management, activities of daily living, social and leisure skills, community inclusion, and self-advocacy. These services are delivered in-home or in the community and are approved under OPWDD's Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waiver.
  • Respite Care for Developmental Disabilities 1 activity
    • In-Home Respite Care
      Provides in-home, one-to-one respite care for individuals with developmental disabilities to support family caregivers by offering temporary relief while ensuring continuity of care.
  • Guardianship and Representative Payee Services 1 activity
    • Self-Direction Support Services
      Provides comprehensive administrative and support services for individuals utilizing Self-Directed Services under OPWDD, including development and management of personalized plans and budgets, recruitment and management of self-hired staff, background checks, payroll, Medicaid and state billing, expenditure tracking, and person-centered planning updates.
  • Supported Employment for Developmental Disabilities 1 activity
    • Supportive Employment Services
      Offers career exploration, job development, resume building, interview preparation, and soft skills training to help individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities obtain competitively paid jobs in the community. Includes on-site job coaching and support for securing reasonable accommodations in employment settings.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$4.20M
Contributions & grants$3.99M95%
Program service revenue$205K5%
Investment income$10%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$3.96M
Program expenses87%
Admin / overhead13%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$2.93M
Grants paid out$615K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$727K
Cash$22K
Investments$0
Liabilities$146K
Net assets$582K
Liquid reserves0.1 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +47.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
TELBERTH FORDE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $254K
board members · 4
  • AKUA GIBSON — SECRETARY
  • CYNTHIA WILLIAMS-STEPHENS — PRESIDENT
  • RAFAEL VERAS — DIRECTOR
  • VALARIE MCGLOINE — TREASURER
relationships · 6

Who they work with

  • Medicaid Government — Bills Medicaid for services provided under self-directed service budgets.
  • New York State Government — Bills New York State for services provided under self-directed service budgets.
  • OPWDD Government — Collaborates with OPWDD in delivering self-directed services for individuals with developmental disabilities.
  • OPWDD Government — Collaborates with OPWDD to deliver Home and Community Based Waiver services under the Self-Direction program.
  • OPWDD Government — Provider of Community Habilitation services under OPWDD's Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waiver.
  • OPWDD Government — Provider of Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waiver-approved services
strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Community Habilitation for Skill-Building and Inclusion
    methodology: community_habilitation
    By providing structured, real-world skill development through individual and group activities, the organization promotes adaptive and independent living skills because experiential learning in natural settings leads to greater autonomy and sustained community integration.
  • Person-Centered Empowerment and Planning
    methodology: person_centered_planning
    By co-creating individualized support plans that center on personal strengths, goals, and life changes, the organization fosters independence and community inclusion because ongoing, adaptive planning ensures services evolve with the individual’s needs and aspirations.
  • Self-Directed Supports Model
    methodology: self_direction
    By enabling individuals with developmental disabilities to design, manage, and direct their own support services and budgets, the organization increases autonomy and self-determination because control over personal care leads to greater engagement, dignity, and alignment with individual life goals.
  • Supported Employment for Economic Independence
    methodology: supported_employment
    By supporting individuals with developmental disabilities to secure competitively paid jobs with minimal ongoing supervision, the organization promotes independence because meaningful employment fosters self-worth, financial autonomy, and social inclusion.