RSI's History
In 1974 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a group of parents, community leaders, and UNC professionals came together to form a private, non-profit organization that would create a community-based alternative to the institutional settings that provided most of the services for people with developmental disabilities at that time. The result was Residential Services, Inc. We opened some of the first community homes in North Carolina in the '70s. In the '80s, we were at the vanguard of community-based ICF/IID programs. In the '90s, we developed smaller homes and supports for people living in their own apartments. In 2003, Spring Glen, the first continuing care retirement community exclusively for seniors with developmental disabilities in North Carolina, and one of the first in the country, opened its doors.
RSI has grown from a single home for 6 individuals, to 16 supervised-living homes, including a continuing care retirement community, a supported-living apartment program, and a vocational & learning services program. We now support over 115 individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. RSI is led by a dedicated volunteer Board of Directors, who are acknowledged leaders in their respective fields, as well as senior leadership and employees who have decades of experience in providing services and supports to persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Among the individuals RSI has served over the decades, some lived in homes that were designated for children with IDD. As those individuals grew into adulthood, the availability of adult homes could not keep pace with demand, leaving no clear path for them to transition elsewhere. Rather than ask families to start over, RSI honored its commitment to the people it knew and cared for... they stayed, their homes remained their homes, and RSI grew alongside them into adulthood. Those individuals are now adults, and their continued presence is a reflection of something RSI has always believed: that the relationships and stability we provide should last. We are not currently providing services to children, but we recognize that families benefit from planning ahead. If you have a child with IDD and believe you may want RSI to support them when they reach adulthood, we encourage you to connect with us now. Hearing from families early helps us plan thoughtfully for the future, and it means your family won't be starting from scratch when the time comes.
In 2025, after more than a year of listening, reflecting, and planning, Residential Services, Inc. became RSI Community. The name change grew directly from our annual survey, where two themes came through clearly: our full name did not fully represent our mission, and it sometimes created missed connections with the public. Keeping our acronym... long associated with excellence in the IDD community... honors our roots while our new name reflects who we have always been at our core: a community. Our updated belief, vision, and mission put into words what has guided RSI for decades. We believe all people should have the opportunity to achieve their own version of success. We envision a world where people with disabilities are valued in their community, encouraged to pursue their dreams, and empowered to lead fulfilling lives. And our mission remains what it has always been: supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through comprehensive, individualized services and secure living options that help them thrive.
RSI is proud of our growth, though the true measure of success is not in what we've built, but in the success achieved by the people we support. For the adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities that RSI Community supports, we see all kinds of success each and every day. These successes take many different forms for different people. For some, success is moving out of a childhood home or making a new friend. For others, it is finding a job, taking part in an art class, participating in a civic group, or giving back to their community through volunteerism. For still others, success is defined as being able to do what you want to do. All people define success in their own terms.