CK Community Supports LLC is Building Relationships

CK Community Supports LLC serves intellectually and developmentally disabled adults, children and their families. It was founded by Crave Weber and Ken Biamont, who run the company with their family. They help their clients fulfill happy productive lives in our community.

Some individuals served by CK require in-home help with light housework or transportation. Others need opportunities to socialize.  Activities like fishing, bowling and beach visits are popular outings scheduled by CK staff. The company’s caregivers build trust and relationships through these interactions. They learn what the client enjoys, what their strengths are and where there is room to grow. Joseph Biamont, an administrator at CK and son of founder Ken Biamont says, “Some of our adult clients don’t really have someone to help them learn skills, they don’t realize things they do aren’t socially acceptable, so we are able to help. We don’t tell them what to do, we make suggestions. Try this and see if it works better.” In this way, teaching and caregiving go hand in hand at CK. What may seem like a simple trip to the movies can encompass lessons on social mores, appropriate conversations or safety in new settings. According to CK staff, many individuals with disabilities may be stuck at home too often. CK’s goal is to improve their clients’ quality of life. They help them develop self-esteem, independence and social skills so that interactions in the community are safe and enjoyable.

Reliable caregivers are the main asset in reaching this goal. And the company needs more of them. Joseph says they are always hiring. When they opened their doors just a year ago, their goal was to serve five or six individuals. The team now serves thirty clients. Lacey Biamont says before CK, sometimes individuals in Clatsop were not filling the hours outlined in their Individual Support Plans (ISP). An ISP is a state document listing goals for an individual with developmental or intellectual delays. Hours listed on the plan indicate where an individual may need assistance. CK’s client’s hours range from 60 to 600 a month. A majority of CK’s staff works with a client one on one to meet the needs of his or her ISP. These caregivers have to be a certain kind of person, Joseph says, a special person. Patient, generous, calm, and forgiving are just a few of the traits needed to fill this role. Plus, compatibility is key. “We have to figure out who staff click with,” Lacey says. “We move staff around until we figure it out.”

When well-suited relationships start to blossom, the rewards of working at CK Community Supports are huge. “The growth in individuals is amazing,” Lacey says. The changes caregivers see in their clients in just a short time of consistent and heartfelt care are astonishing. Lives are changed, on both sides, though. Caregivers may spend several hundred hours a month with a client, which allows for innumerable positive interactions. Trust grows and so do caring relationships.

These relationships are built company-wide. The CK family understands the struggles their clients face daily. They know that respect and dignity are important lenses in their business.  Crave’s brother, Billy, has been her inspiration in starting the business in Warrenton.

Today, Billy is doing great. He has beat cancer not once, but three times. And he’s living a happy life with his family’s support. But Billy was young at a time when individuals with disabilities were treated inhumanely. Fighting this injustice was where Crave’s desire to help people began. She saw how Billy was mistreated and the lack of services available to help him be successful. This catalyst pushed her and her family forward in providing these much-needed supports in Clatsop County.

Crave started by fostering children with special needs, then opened KC Care, foster homes for adults with developmental disabilities. Most recently, CK Community Supports LLC was opened. After starting in a garage office a year ago, Ken and Crave and the whole family quickly moved into a small rental office off Hwy 101. When their caseload kept growing, the team worked with their landlord to develop a larger space that fit their needs as a business. And still, their future holds more growth. The team recently purchased a coffee shop, Craven Coffee, in the same complex. Right now, it is a great source of caffeine for the team, but it has potential for the future. The company’s clients could work in the shop through supported employment. Lacey says she is excited to pursue this dream by visiting Happy Cup, a shop in Portland with a similar model.  Clients would work several hour shifts at the shop with support staff in order to develop and practice skills, as well as integrate with the community.

The company’s goal is quality not quantity says Lacey. “We hope to support individuals the best we can.” CK serves clients in Clatsop, Tillamook, and Columbia County. If you believe a friend or family member should benefit from CK Community Supports LLC, you can contact the County Developmental Disability Office or CK directly. Both are happy to guide and support you in pursuing the services needed.