The Source DDA Program
Caring for children and supporting families.
Riverbluff House - Enhanced Respite Services
The Source is pleased to offer a break to caregivers, and therapeutic care to children with complex needs through our Enhanced Respite Services (ERS). When caring for your loved one feels overwhelming and you simply need a rest and support, we are here to help.
Our ERS program provides professional care to children for up to 30 consecutive days in a quiet, country setting. Our Riverbluff home is surrounded by over 15 acres of wooded area, providing plenty of peace and quiet, and offering an ideal environment for children to explore.
It is our goal to provide exceptional service to families from first contact all the way to pick-up, and to compassionately support children during their stay with us.
We are honored that you would consider entrusting your child to our care for a season, and we look forward to meeting you.
ERS Management
Sharday Watson
ERS House Manager
Alix Hays
ERS Weekend Supervisor
Sharday has been a caregiver for close to a decade, and it passionate about supporting individuals in reaching their full potential. As our ERS house manager, she brings compassion, reliability, and a team-focused approach, while creating safe and supportive environments for those in our care.
Alix is a dedicated caregiver with over seven years of experience supporting DDA clients and the elderly. Growing up in a home with foster siblings and two autistic brothers, she developed a deep sense of empathy and understanding from an early age. Throughout school, Alix volunteered and mentored in special education classrooms, further fueling her passion for care and advocacy. Now pursuing a nursing degree, she continues to build on her lifelong commitment to helping others with compassion, patience, and purpose.
The Home
Emmet Marsh
Our ERS home is designed with your child’s comfort and care in mind. Each child residing in the Riverbluff Home will have their own bedroom equipped with all the necessities. We provide a comfortable bed, place for storage, a large closet and ample space to personalize their room. We have a sensory room complete with a swing, crash pad, balance board, trampoline, etc. Each sensory room provides a broad variety of therapeutic spaces that can be tailored to meet the specific needs of your child. Our living room is kept clean, safe, and welcoming, with plenty of light flooding through large nature facing windows.
ERS Eligibility Requirements
If it sounds like we might be a good fit to support your child, we would love to start a conversation. Often, the first question we are asked surrounds eligibility. For the sake of clarity, we have included eligibility requirements here.
To be eligible for enhanced respite services at the Riverbluff Home, your child must be:
1. DDA eligible
2. At least twelve years of age, or between the ages of 18 and 20 and enrolled in school
3. Have proof of current immunization requirements outlined in the CDC established schedule (please note this is a licensing requirement for our facility)
4. At high risk for institutionalization, out of home placement, or both
5. The family or caregiver must demonstrate they have accessed alternative appropriate and available services to meet the unmet need
If all of these eligibility requirements have been met, and you believe we may be able to help offer support in your situation, contact us by clicking on the button below. We look forward to hearing from you!
Out of Home Services
In addition to respite services, our Riverbluff home provides long-term care through our Out of Home Services (OHS) program. Our OHS team provides care for children who are voluntarily residing with us full-time.
Out of Home Services (OHS) Management
Our OHS team at Riverbluff is led by Kelsey Buccat and Cameron Dandridge.
Kelsey has 10 years experience in DDA which has been her passion. Her own 16 year-old is developmentally and intellectually disabled, and has taught her the skills she utilizes in her profession to be a wonderful caregiver and team manager.
Cameron has worked with youth in various settings throughout his professional life. He has used this experience to provide 1:1 counseling and mentoring to behavioral youth, helping them build the skills to thrive in school, relationships, and life. Always looking for the positive, Cameron strongly believes in utilizing positive framing and a strengths-based approach when helping clients achieve their goals.
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The Goals for the Riverbluff Home
1. Providing physical supports and adequate supervision and protection to children residing with us in the areas of their daily routine and activities while allowing families a time to decompress and rest, attend to the needs of siblings, and providing a space for restabilization of the child.
2. Building trust and interpersonal relationships with families, providers, and children receiving support. Helping families feel comfortable with staff within the home by ensuring open lines of communication and problem solving to reduce stressors when children return home.
3. Data collection relating to any identified challenging behaviors which can be used in the development of a Positive Behavior Support Plan and a Functional Assessment, while also providing support from our Clinical Director.
4. Evaluating and modifying strategies as indicated by behavior data.
5. Working closely with families and medical providers where medical issues are present to ensure all medical needs are met.
6. Creating a space for all children residing with us to reach their highest potential.
7. Equipping and assisting youth in their spiritual, occupational, and educational journey, while guiding them to reclaim a sense of self respect and dignity.
8. Our respite services include housing needs, medication administration, local transportation, basic hygiene supplies, furnishings, linens, and 24hr staffing.
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Riverbluff Setting
The Riverbluff home consists of a three-story home providing 24-hour care. The ground level is dedicated to the Enhanced Respite Services program, while the top two levels of the home support the Out of Home Services program. Our Respite home supports two children, while our Out of Home Services program supports 3 children. Both programs have a separate family room, kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, and a sensory room. Each program also has its own laundry room and separate entrance. With the separation of the two programs (OHS and ERS), this allows staff to provide person-centered care and allows staff to meet the needs of every individual in the home.
Each child residing in the Riverbluff Home will have their own bedroom equipped with all the necessities. We provide a comfortable bed, place for storage, a large closet and ample space to personalize their room. We have, available with both programs, a sensory room. Each sensory room provides a broad variety of therapeutic spaces specifically designed and utilized to promote self-organization and positive change. Our home is surrounded by 15+ wooded acres that allow for individuals to explore and experience outdoor activities. We provide a safe environment with adequate staffing to ensure each child can enjoy nature and build independent outdoor skills.
We recognize that people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities are selfadvocates and contributing citizens who enrich their communities across their lifespans. Great strides have been made helping people connect, and still many people lack solid, mutual relationships and support networks. The role of services is to support the inclusion of all people into their communities and build these strengths starting at birth with parents and transitioning to adulthood.
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Riverbluff Staff
The staff at The Riverbluff Home are fully trained to meet the various needs of the children residing with us. Staff are certified in CPR and First Aid, trained in Mandated Reporting, Right Response, 40-Hour Core Training, and agency missions and values. Additionally, staff receive specialized annual training as well as monthly training dedicated to meeting the specific needs of the children we serve. Some of these trainings consist of Behavior management, Right Response, Dual-diagnosis training, the Effects of Childhood Trauma, and Cultural Diversity and Inclusion training.
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Respite Eligibility
To be eligible for enhanced respite services at the Riverbluff Home, your child must be:
1. DDA eligible;
2. At least twelve years of age, or between the ages of 18 and 20 and enrolled in school;
3. Have proof of current immunization requirements outlined in the CDC established schedule (please note this is a licensing requirement for our facility)
4. At high risk for institutionalization, out of home placement, or both;
5. The family or caregiver must demonstrate they have accessed alternative appropriate and available services to meet the unmet need
People with developmental disabilities and their families are valued citizens of the state of Washington. The Developmental Disabilities Administration strives to develop and implement public policies that will promote individual worth, self-respect, and dignity such that each individual is valued as a contributing member of the community.