About Our Admissions
Camphill Village Copake is an active community where work, social, and cultural events go hand-in-hand. We nurture responsibility and independence among people who desire to contribute to a healthy, vibrant community.
Admission Process Overview
We encourage families to tour our community before beginning the application process. You can learn more about how to join one of our guided tours here. These are the steps of our admissions process:
OPWDD Eligibility
Application
Interview
Trial Visit
Step 1.
Acquire OPWDD eligibility
In order to begin the admissions process, you must first have support eligibility through the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). Some who are approved to receive services as children become ineligible when they seek to reapply as adults, so it is imperative that you make sure you are eligible in adulthood.
Step 2.
Fill Out the Application Form
This application is our introduction to the person who is applying to live in Camphill Village. It lets us know your basic information, as well as medical and other needs, hobbies, interests, and concerns. This is also an opportunity to provide contact information for your guardians and family members.
Step 3.
The Interview
After reviewing your application, we may invite you to Camphill Village for an interview. The interview involves your family, parents, guardians, and/or social workers, and one or two members of the Camphill Village Admission Committee. Usually, applicants receive a personal tour during the interview.
Step 4.
Trial Visit
After the interview, you may be invited for a four-week trial visit, during which time you will fully experience Village life. If you and our community are a good fit for each other, you will be invited to join us.
During your trial visit, you will live in an extended family household, take on household responsibilities, share wholesome meals, and spend the day in productive contribution to our community.
Trial visits last four weeks, and Camphill Village requires $7,500 to fund your stay because we can’t bill the state for that month of services . Throughout the entire admission process, we look for basic compatibility. We try to determine your needs and strength, and assess what our capacities are to meet your needs. We look at what you may bring to our community in terms of sociability and other qualities, as well as what you can offer and contribute to Camphill Village’s work life. We will assess your care and emotional support needs, as well.
Admissions FAQs
No, there is not. While Camphill Village relies upon the generosity of many of our families to support our annual operating expenses, there is no requirement. Camphill Village is committed to equity and diversity, and provides residential opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities regardless of economic status.
We do, however, require a $7,500 fee at the beginning of trial visits because we’re unable to bill OPWDD for those who are not yet residents of Camphill Village.
Of course! We all enjoy visits and outings with our families. That said, we do hope family members—especially parents—will give their loved ones every opportunity to find their independence and circle of friends in this new community, particularly in the first year of living here.
There are people who support this community in many different roles. These include short-term coworker volunteers, long-term coworkers who have several years of experience in our workplaces and households, nurses, therapists, doctors, counselors, and more. This well-rounded approach enables people of all abilities to come together to guide one another toward their full potential.
For the most part, no. Households are shared by long-term volunteers who run our homes (i.e. “houseleaders”), adults with developmental differences, young volunteers, and students from all over the world. There are also many children and elders living in Camphill Village, which makes us a wonderfully age-diverse community full of intergenerational relationships.
We do, however, have three care houses at Camphill Village, where nurses and direct support professionals (DSPs) work during the day and overnights to care for our community members who need a heightened level of care. Just like the other homes in Camphill Village, these are extended family households that are shared by people of all abilities.
Yes, we value the importance of personal space.
You can be 23 and up to apply to live in Camphill Village.
As of 2023, there is a substantial waiting list for admission.
Yes! There are more than a dozen in North America, and we’re glad to be joined by three other Camphill communities right here in Columbia County. These are Camphill Hudson for adults who prefer a city setting, Camphill Ghent for elders, and Triform Camphill Community for adolescents and young adults. For those pursuing opportunities for children, we recommend looking into the Camphill School in Glenmoore, PA.
