Stu the Cockatoo is New at the Zoo: Life is Not a Program! Kingstone & Wellar, APSE Conference 2014

After steadily accumulating site-based infrastructure and resources for more than ten years, this charitable organization based in Ottawa, Canada, made a radical shift in thinking and actions. Starting in 2008 and over a period of three years, the agency completed a full transition away from day programs and other sheltered activities, finding new energy and synergies through partnership with hundreds of individuals and partners in the community.

For individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families, in addition to the enjoyment of concrete results that range from employment to the development of new friendships, they report dramatic new feelings of hope and possibility, finding new energy through escape from ongoing dialogues about systems limitations and scarcity.

Informed by collaboration with other agencies and thought leaders that have embraced person-centred and social capital concepts and models, LiveWorkPlay now seeks to encourage and support other agencies and jurisdictions to pursue similar transitions. 

1. After steadily accumulating site-based infrastructure and resources for more than ten years, this charitable organization based in Ottawa, Canada, made a radical shift in thinking and actions. Starting in 2008 and over a period of three years, the agency completed a full transition away from day programs and other sheltered activities, finding new energy and synergies through partnership with hundreds of individuals and partners in the community. For individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families, in addition to the enjoyment of concrete results that range from employment to the development of new friendships, they report dramatic new feelings of hope and possibility, finding new energy through escape from ongoing dialogues about systems limitations and scarcity. Informed by collaboration with other agencies and thought leaders that have embraced person-centered and social capital concepts and models, LiveWorkPlay now seeks to encourage and support other agencies and jurisdictions to pursue similar transitions.  No need to take notes about what is on the slides, you will be able to download the show http://presentations.liveworkplay.ca/

2. Is this really how people get a job?

3. We think getting and keeping a job has more to do with r elationships…

4. WHY did you decide to start a charitable organization for people with intellectual disabilities? ???

5. When we get innovative in human services, sometimes we end up with the equivalent of a car with square wheels!

6. http://j.mp/ablastfrompast

7. What Did You Think Of Our Video?

8. Popularity is not a significant or critical measurement. We are called to a higher level of accountability.

9. So why should people with intellectual disabilities all live together? (Adapted from hope-house.org)

10. (Inspired by Dave Hingsburger ) Does our staff team want to perform like stars? Sure ! But we don’t want to be your world .

11. If you have an intellectual disability, it’s not such a good thing to be SPECIAL SPECIAL PEOPLE Stigmatized. Pitiable. SPECIAL PROGRAMS Limited. Dream-Crushing. SPECIAL PLACES Isolated. Segregated.

12. Fear not, it’s the new millennium! New catchphrases are here! Person-Centred Planning Individualized Supports Sometimes we are the doctors of hypocrisy…

13. Thank you for choosing Acme Support Services, where we proudly facilitate individual independence through person-centered planning! Now, let me start by outlining the list of fixed choices available to you!

14. Why is the pace of change so slow? Everyone seems to agree that it’s all about inclusion, and yet group homes and day programs and sheltered workshop scenarios continue to dominate our field.

15. The systemic approach to supporting an included life…

16. We built it and they came….

17. It All Starts with Person-Centered Thinking & Planning

18. What’s Working What’s Not Working

19. Person Centered Planning:Tools

20. Some other examples: person-centered thinking tools we use

21. One page profiles for all!

22. Action Plan

23. Staff Matching

24. It’s not enough to be IN the community, it’s about being OF the community!

25. The reality is, developmental services agencies tend to be not very skilled or practiced in the art or science of relationships. Traditionally, their talent lies in creating and managing p rograms and infrastructure. We need a different theory to get us where we need to be as facilitators of relationships for the people we are trusted and honoured with supporting.

26. Community Inclusion I t’s All A bout R elationships! Asdfasdf ads From Al Condeluci’s Blackboard

27. Phil: Home Sweet Home

28. 20 years ago: “Matt will never walk or talk” 2 years ago: “Matt will never have paid employment” Want to bet against Matt again?

29. “THIS IS TUESDAY NIGHT LEAGUE BOWLING. PLEASE COME BACK ON THURSDAY NIGHT AND SIGN UP FOR SPECIAL NEEDS BOWLING.”

30. Friday Night Meet-Ups

31. 1:1 Matches

32. Opportunities at LiveWorkPlay / Cooking Companion (Downtown/Britannia/Kanata/Orleans/Barrhaven) / Friday Night Fun! / Do you have a hobby or interest you'd like to share? / Movie Companion (Kanata/Orleans/Downtown/Barrhaven/Lincoln Heights) / Like Video Games!? / Wanna shoot some hoops? (Vanier) / Do you love dinner, movies or shopping ? / Bowling Companion ( Merivale ) / Workout Partner (Various locations) / Computer Companion (Lincoln Fields) / Interested in horses? / Walk & Chat (Kanata/Barrhaven/Baseline/Britannia/Orleans) / Calling All Movers and Shakers! / Be an Employment Champion!

33. Person-Centered Teams 100+ Volunteers

34. RISK: STATEMENT OF INTENT   The people supported by LiveWorkPlay tell us that they want to be involved in the community, access opportunities, and to achieve their goals like everyone else in society. With an ordinary life comes risk, and sometimes accidents may happen. The people we support, as with most people, will not always choose to live in a totally healthy and safe way. We will support people to manage the risks involved in exercising control over their own lives, through offering advice and guidance. In managing risk, we will take sensible precautions to reduce the risk of harm to staff, the people we support and anyone else who may be affected by our work. Those precautions will effectively balance what is important to the people we support with what is important for the people we support. Risk assessments will not be used to curtail or ban activity. Sensible risk management is not about generating useless paperwork mountains. Risk assessments should address real risk, in other words risk which actually exists. Written assessments should contain information essential for maintaining safety. As part of our commitment to enabling people we support to take planned risks, LiveWorkPlay as an employer will always support staff who have used sound judgement and taken sensible precautions, even if these have not been sufficient to avert an incident .

35. Celebrate!

36. Trying to change the world? Don’t forget to tell others about it!

37. 44 Instead of investing in segregation from life, we are investing in life.

38. Let us stop being innovative with people’s lives by turning them into special people in special programs in special places. Let us stop building the infrastructure of segregation. Let us start building the richness of an ordinary life.

39. Because an ordinary life has extraordinary features like these: A partment . J ob. Teammates. Friends. S pouse. Thank You!

40. Please don’t reinvent t he wheel! Instead, please visit: buildingsocialcapital.org helensandersonassociates.co.uk liveworkplay.ca