RHD in Western PA
RHD’s rich history of services in Western Pennsylvania began with one home in 2000, a community-based residential program for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Today RHD supports more than 300 people each year in programs providing a diverse array of services.
“RHD in Western PA is a lot of things — but one thing it always is, is growing,” said Jeff DeSantis, RHD Regional Director. “We go where the need is. We have this great corporation that’s in many different states, but our services are very much centered in the community where they exist. We employ people from the community. We serve people from the community. One of the things we’re working on right now is bringing RHD to the community where I live.”
RHD is set to open its newest program, an addiction recovery program in Beaver County.
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Our History
RHD’s rich history of services in Western Pennsylvania began with one home in 2000, a community-based residential program for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Today RHD supports more than 300 people each year in programs providing a diverse array of services.
“One of the things that makes RHD special, and has created something special in Western Pennsylvania, is our ability to craft services that impact an individual,” DeSantis said. “If we need to tweak things so that it’s the best service for an individual, that’s what we’ll do. What Person A gets from RHD might be a little different from what Person B gets. But it’s all surrounded by our Values. It’s all with the person’s best interests in mind, and focused on them.
“One size doesn’t fit all. We find the size that fits each person. We do whatever we can to create a situation where someone can flourish, where they can grow.”
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CORE Values
RHD CORE, RHD’s first addiction recovery program in Western Pennsylvania, builds trust and empowerment in recovery.
Nationally, RHD supports more than 40 programs serving people in addiction recovery, and more than 90 programs that support people in recovery from mental health challenges with a great track record of success. RHD was one of a handful of providers to win a CCBHC grant and RHD’s Montgomery County Recovery Center was named as a Center of Excellence by the Department of Human Services.
Most importantly, RHD programs don’t just deliver services in a community; they are an important part of that community. RHD has a long history of being good neighbors and a positive presence in the communities in which RHD staff work and live.
“When a community invites RHD in to provide service, that’s an honor,” DeSantis said. “We take that very seriously. We want to do, obviously, the best that we can — we bring our years of experience, we bring our philosophy, and we bring our values.
“But we also bring the community into what we do. We’re hiring people from the area; people who know and live in and understand that community. The community shapes us, too. If you walk into an RHD program in Western Pennsylvania, it’s going to feel a little bit like the larger corporation but it’s going to feel very much like the area where it’s located.
“When RHD is part of a community, we think it’s very important to let that community be part of us.”