ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
Officials with Mosaic in Southwest Kansas continue to promote the Mosaic at Home program that allows clients to live in homes in the Liberal and Garden City communities.
Agency leaders recently took some time out of their holiday schedule to educate people in the Garden City program, and Mosaic Independent Contract Program Manager Stephanie Releford said the event was combined with the organization’s Thanksgiving celebration.
“We wanted to inform our members more about our program and when ask them if they would like to be a part of our program to know for sure we’re giving them all of the information so they can be aware of what we’re asking if they want to be a part of it,” she said. “We also awarded our members certificates for the amount of time they’ve lived in Mosaic at Home, and on top of that, we chose to celebrate our home provider for their hard work and dedication as well.”
Part of the Garden City event included discussion of Mosaic’s core values – belonging, faithfulness, grit and connection – which Releford said are just some of the things considered in awarding home providers.
Releford likewise said family members, guardians and friends were on hand in Garden City.
“We had a great time,” she said. “We showed our gratitude for all the hard work.”
Releford said getting Mosaic at Home into Garden City has gone well thus far.
“We have 13 homes currently, and these are homes in the community where someone opens their home to have a Mosaic member come in to live with them,” she said. “They are paid a tax-free income to do that on top of a room and board price. We have 13 homes, and we have 15 members in those homes. We’ve got about four to five new home providers we’re working with coming in.”
Now, Releford said Mosaic is looking to grow the program in the Liberal area.
“Shared living is the other name the State of Kansas recognizes it by,” she said. “There have been some Mosaic at Homes here previously, but at this time, we don’t have any. We are really looking for people who are interested in that here. We do have a lot of members who do have some higher needs to care for – people in wheelchairs and things like that.”
Releford said loans and other programs are available for those wanting to support a Mosaic client in their home.
“If someone needs to remodel a bathroom, get a wheelchair ramp to go in the house or anything like that, we can help with some of those things,” she said.
Releford said she believes Mosaic at Home makes a huge difference in the lives of both clients and caretakers.
“I personally believe it makes it 99 percent better,” she said. “Nothing is perfect, but we do believe this model encompasses the connection and the belonging of our core values.”
In Kansas, caretakers can have two Mosaic clients living in their home along with their existing family.
“Those would be the only members they would need to try to figure out giving rides to or go shopping for,” Releford said.
Among the areas of life where change is seen, Releford said behavioral issues likewise decrease with Mosaic at Home.
“We do see people who do take medication for those behaviors,” she said. “Sometimes, they can get off of that medication. Environment is a really huge factor in how things go.”
Overall, Releford said the Garden City event went quite well.
“We had our Liberal Mosaic group come up,” she said. “We had Liberal and Garden City together, and we had Golden Corral come out and give us our Thanksgiving meal. It was really great to see those family members come out and see their person get an award and spend some time with them.”
Releford said Mosaic has some plans coming up for 2025 to continue promoting the Mosaic at Home program.
“We are in the works with meeting with members of certain chambers throughout the area,” she said. “We’re getting into the school districts to talk to people. We recently ran ads at the movie theater.”
Throughout the year, Mosaic hosts its Discover the Possibilities tours at both the Liberal and Garden City office, and those wanting to take part in them can contact Releford at 620-290-7366 or by e-mail at
Releford said the recent change to combine Mosaic’s Liberal and Garden City offices into Mosaic in Southwest Kansas has also helped much with the Mosaic at Home program.
“It’s very rural, and for us to have been separated for so many years, we’re really happy to be coming together to become one,” she said. “We are able to host events in both locations, and everybody can travel one place. We’re combining our staff as well. Mosaic in Southwest Kansas is a great thing.”
As for the rest of what Mosaic has going on for 2025, Releford said the agency will continue with its current programming and moving forward with its mission.
“We’ve recently become affiliated with Arrowhead West, and they serve the Dodge City area and surrounding areas,” she said. “We are affiliated there now. We are also open to doing Mosaic at Home there.”
Mosaic likewise is planning to start a vocational worker for its clients in 2025.
“They are working really hard to get to an environment with no walls,” Releford said. “They actually have a goal for now to get out into the community in a certain amount of time. In 2025, I do expect we’ll see quite a few more changes with that. They’ll meet at a church or at a recreation center to start their day. They won’t even need to come into a Mosaic facility. They’re still supported by the staff, and they go to the community events. What we’re looking to see in 2025 is continued changes with that program.”
