The Institute of Professional Practice, Inc. is a private, non-profit corporation serving people with developmental and other disabilities. We provide residential, educational, and vocational services throughout New England and in Maryland. We also provide consultation and technical assistance to other organizations in these states, as well as those outside the region.

The Institute evolved in response to the social policies of the '70s and 80's. During that era, thousands of people with developmental and other disabilities left state facilities and returned to their local communities. However, those communities were ill equipped to provide the highly specialized services these individuals required. The Institute, an offshoot of a community mental health center in Vermont (Washington County Mental Health Services, Inc.) was able to step in to fill that void with a uniquely qualified professional staff. These staff had experience in providing community-based support to people with a variety of disabilities, and had operated programs that received national recognition for excellence from the Joint Dissemination and Review Panel of the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Labor.

At first, we offered technical assistance and consultation. However, our tenure as exclusively a consulting agency was short-lived. Although we were (and remain) very busy providing assistance to others, we felt compelled to respond to the urgent pleas from commissioners, parent groups and other governmental agencies for us to set up and directly operate programs. As a result, we became a service provider: first in New Hampshire, later in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Within a few years, The Institute grew to become a major provider agency within these states, focusing on the development and operation of residential and day program services. Our success with these projects gained us a reputation for service excellence, especially in our programs for people with challenging behaviors and complex needs. In each region where we are located, our diverse activities, breadth of expertise and reputation for quality have made us a leader in the effort to support people with disabilities in their community.