Attain, Inc. Joins Forces with Inperium, Inc., Strengthening Its Mission-Driven Growth & Community-Based Care in Florida
Founded in 1988, Attain serves individuals, providing community-based group homes, a childhood development center program, and integrated adult training services. But even those familiar categories, says Dr. Craig A. Cook, Executive Director of Attain, are evolving.
He further shares, "We've grown as the community's needs have grown. We serve individuals with more complex challenges, people whose support needs often exceed what their families can provide, despite their love and willingness. Our job is to step in when those families are in crisis and build a path forward."
What Attain offers goes beyond what traditional group homes or day programs might imply. Its model centers on supported community living, underpinned by Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Residents receive personalized care, Behavior Analysis services, healthcare coordination, and social integration services, all within homes embedded in local neighborhoods. As Dr. Cook says, "What we provide is a real home in the community, with comprehensive care that fosters independence, social connection, and dignity among these individuals."
Often, traditional healthcare providers' involvement begins at a moment of crisis. Referrals come from hospitals, first responders, or social service agencies when individuals need more support than existing systems can offer. That is why, rather than fragmented services, medical care in one place, housing in another, counseling elsewhere, Attain delivers integrated, person-centered care under one umbrella. "That integration is where stability begins for these individuals," Dr. Cook explains. "Yes, health and safety come first, but joy, normalcy, and community inclusion follow close behind. This is how we aim to maximize their potential and make them a valued member of their community."
In 2024, faced with rising inflation, fluctuating regulations, and other mounting pressures, Attain began searching for solutions to sustain its mission without compromising its autonomy. According to Dr. Cook, many of the offers they received promised stability, but at the expense of identity. "We've spent 37 years building trusted community relationships. We couldn't accept a future that sacrificed our local governance or diluted our mission," Dr. Cook says.
That's when Attain discovered Inperium, a national nonprofit human services network organization that supports mission-driven organizations with operational, administrative, and financial infrastructure without imposing uniformity. "As nonprofit leaders, we often bear the dual burden of visionary leadership and operational reality. The Inperium model offered relief from that tension," says Dr. Cook.
Under the Inperium model, Attain retains its own board, branding, and decision-making power, while gaining access to strategic guidance from a growing national network. Dr. Cook affirms, "They brought us tools, expertise, and a peer network that has strengthened our ability to deliver on our mission."
For Inperium, the affiliation with Attain marks a significant first: its entry into the state of Florida. Ryan Dewey Smith, Founding Executive Chairman and CEO of Inperium, confirms, "With Dr. Cook and Attain, we found the right partner that is mission-aligned, community-rooted, and is ready to scale further."
He further notes that entering Florida gives Inperium a platform to introduce its unique model of collaboration to other organizations throughout the state, especially at a time when nonprofits are reevaluating their changing landscape. "You can't let your vision slip in pursuit of financial survival. And you can't ignore financial realities just to preserve a mission; both matter. That's what we aim to balance through our model," explains Smith.
With Inperium's support, Attain is poised for strategic, sustainable growth, but that growth, Dr. Cook emphasizes, will always be guided by the needs of the community. "We've always been good listeners," he says. "Whether it's a hospital, a parent, or an agency telling us where the gaps are, we want to meet that need in a tangible, meaningful way. Now, with Inperium, we have a platform to do that more effectively and at a broader level."
Attain's future plans include deeper collaboration with Florida's statewide provider associations, further integration of community-based care strategies, and continued investments in staff development and infrastructure, all while remaining deeply embedded in the Central Florida communities it serves.
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