Supporting People with Intellectual Disabilities to be Included in the

Community

Melbourne, November 11, 2013 Presented by:

Angela Novak Amado, Ph.D.

Integration People with disabilities have active opportunities to spend most of

each day and most of their lives in good relationships with ordinary people in common community settings

AND

People without disabilities have active opportunities to spend most of each day and some of their lives in good relationships with people who have disabilities in common community settings.

US

THEM

All OF US

TEN REASONS TO WORK ON RELATIONSHIPS

1. Relationships are important to all of us 2. People with disabilities themselves express

that friendships & relationships are important 3. People really do have very few friends 4. Health and well-being 5. Adjust the balance between personal and

functional relationships 6. More power and control

7. Reduce personal stress 8. Reduce staff burnout 9. When relationships are supported, people change 10. Provide community members the opportunity to be contributed to

Relationship Map

Connect------Ongoing Support Plan Introduce----Assist Others ******************************

Agency Issues

Where did you meet

YOUR

friends?

Opportunities for Relationships 1. SAME PLACE

SAME PEOPLE

OVER TIME

2. SOME BASIS FOR CONNECTING & EXCHANGE

OPPORTUNITIES TO:

SHARE INTERESTS

CONTRIBUTE

BE CONTRIBUTED TO Activity

SHIFT OUR THINKING

From “Activities” to:

“Who is the person going to get to know there?”

Interests …

-express the meaning in a person’s life -identify: where are others who share these interests -identify memberships and associations -may not be easy to define- are discovered and developed in action, trying things out -express the person’s life “calling”

GIFTS . . . 1. What does the person do well? What are their talents and abilities?

2. What do others receive from knowing this person?

• Identifying gifts that can be contributed to others- leads to community connections

SEVEN APPROACHES TO CONNECTING

OVERALL QUESTION: Where are the Opportunities for Relationships? Who will they get

to know there?

A. CONNECTING WITH INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS

1. Where are people who would appreciate receiving this person’s gifts? 2. Where are all the community places where people engage in one of this person’s interests? Who are the people who share this interest? 3. Who are the people who are already acquaintances, who could be asked to get to know the person better? 4. Who might be/where could we find an interested person who could be asked to get to know the person better?

SEVEN APPROACHES TO CONNECTING

• B. COMMUNITY MEMBERSHIP

5. Where are the associations, clubs, and groups?

- formal - informal 6. Where are there community places that are hospitable

and welcoming? 7. Where are there community places the person can fit in,

just the way they are?

Approach 2: Where Are All the Places An Interest Can Be Expressed? Who Are the People who Share This

Interest?

Example with Cars: • Auto repair body shops • Auto parts dealers • Service departments • Auto inspection • Auto rentals • Performance racing • Mechanics

• Parking lots-garages • Auto magazines • Used Cars • Car washes • Auto stereos • Race tracks • Gas Stations • Tires

• Where are the Places?

• Who do we know there?

Approach 4: Finding an Interested Person Where could we find someone who might befriend this person?

1. Who do you know who would like this person?

2. Social ministry

3. Formal volunteer programs, such as “Best Buddies” (i.e. college, corporate, high school)

4. Ex-staff

5. Family members of staff

6. Other places, other people?

An Associational Map Prepared by John McKnight

Northwestern University Center for Urban Affairs and PolIcy Research

2040 Sheridan Road Evanston, Illinois 60208

Artistic Organizations: choral, theatrical, writing Business Organizations: Chamber of Commerce,

neighborhood business associations, trade groups

Charitable Groups & Drives: Red Cross, Cancer Society, United Way

Church Groups: service, prayer, maintenance, stewardship, acolytes, men’s, women’s, youth, seniors

Civic Events: July 4th, art fair, Halloween Collectors Groups: stamp collectors, flower dryers,

antiques Community Support Group: “friends” of the library,

nursing home, hospital Elderly Groups: Senior Citizens Ethnic Associations: Sons of Norway, Black Heritage

Club, Hibemians Health and Fitness Groups: Bicycling, jogging, exercise Interest Clubs: poodle owners, antique car owners Local Government: town, township, electoral units,

fire department, emergency units Local Media: radio, newspaper, local access cable TV

Men’s Group: cultural, political, social, educational, vocational

Mutual Support (Self-Help) Groups: Alcoholics Anonymous, Epilepsy Self-Help, La Leche League

Neighborhood and Block Clubs: crime watch, beautification, Christmas decorations

Outdoor Groups: garden clubs, Audubon Society, conservations clubs

Political Organizations: Democrats, Republicans, caucuses

School Groups: printing club, PTA, child care Service Clubs: Zonta, Kiwanis, Rotary, American

Association of University Women Social Cause Groups: peace, rights, advocacy, service Sports Leagues: bowling, swimming, baseball, fishing,

volleyball Study Groups: literary clubs, bible study groups Veterans Groups: American Legion, Amvets, Veterans

of Foreign Wars & Auxiliaries Women’s Groups: cultural , political, social,

educational, vocational Youth Groups: 4H, Future Farmers, Scouts, YMCA

FINDING WELCOMING PLACES

*LOCAL PLACES *SMALL, FAMILY OWNED BUSINESSES *NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS & CLUBS *COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO “UNDERSTAND” *PLACES TO “HANG OUT” *EXPLORE/LOOK FOR/SORT OUT: WHAT PERSON CAN CONTRIBUTE, EVEN SMALL THINGS *INTERDEPENDENCE *ONE PERSON, ONE ENVIRONMENT

- Kathy Bartholomew-Lorimer

SEVEN APPROACHES TO CONNECTING

• B. COMMUNITY MEMBERSHIP

5. Where are the associations, clubs, and groups?

- formal - informal 6. Where are there community places that are hospitable

and welcoming? 7. Where are there community places the person can fit in,

just the way they are?

Selecting Ideas to Pursue: (Balance these criteria-- figure out which 3 places to start)

1. How good an opportunity it is to get to know community members personally, and community members to get to know them

2. Person agrees/likes/willing to try

3. Do-able

4. Ease of welcome

“Asking” -- FEARS

• Person with disabilities

• Families

• Staff

• Community members

Getting to “Yes”

• What maximizes getting to “yes”? • What is more likely to have a positive

response?

Introductions

TRUST/BELIEF IN INDIVIDUAL

What are you going to say about the individual?

TRUST/BELIEF IN COMMUNITY MEMBERS

What will you ask the community member for?

Agency Structures

5. Ongoing internal structures:

7. Do “Programming” and “Goals” support flexibility, belonging, the spirit of community?

2. Not doing “More” but “Different” 3. Define role of staff as community connectors (expand beyond physical care and skill training) 4. Internal structures:

1. Prioritization: work on what’s most important in life

6. Agency relationships to perceived barriers

a. Job descriptions b. Staff schedules

a. Ongoing generation of ideas b. Discussion of what’s worked, what hasn’t c. Support through ups and downs

a. Friends are not volunteers b. Promotion of community belonging vs. liability concerns c. Introductions as people vs. confidentiality concerns

Structuring One-to-One Connecting Time

1. Individual staff each select one person to focus on for

connecting; restructure schedule for all staff to spend X number of hours a week working on connecting their person

2. Program coordinator/director do connecting

3. Program coordinator/director come in for direct support staff, to free up connecting time for direct support staff

4. Re-arrange accountabilities of all staff to free up one staff person as community connector

5. Get additional funding or grant for community connector position

Direct Approaches to Community 1. Find/involve town members who “know everybody” and “know what’s going on” 2. Invite citizens to Community Members’ Forums

-generate connecting ideas around people’s interests -ask members to ask others who they know -what associations/clubs (based on people’s interests) do people know about? who can they approach? 3. Get a list of associations and clubs from the Chamber of

Commerce, etc. 4. Approach associations about having someone join 5. Ask ministers/key church people to initiate efforts within faith communities 6. Line up interested citizens on one-to-one basis with people who

receive services

Tips for Success “To-Do”s

1. See the person as their Interests and Gifts

2. Explore opportunities for relationships- who can the

person get to know there?

3. Introduce one-to-one

4. One person, one environment

5. Become an “asker”- “It never hurts to ask”

Three Necessary Beliefs for Success

1. Your valuing and personal appreciation of the individual with disabilities

2. Your faith and trust in community members

3. Your belief in the importance of community building for everyone

Friendship and Community Connections

If you are interested in knowing more about us, our projects, or other training possibilities for the future, please contact:

Angela Novak Amado, Ph.D. Executive Director

Human Services Research and Development Center 1195 Juno Avenue St. Paul, MN 55116

651-698-5565 amado003@umn.edu

Resources

1. New Friends Manual: www.rtc.umn.edu/friends 2. Friendship and Community Connections Between

People with and without Developmental Disabilities, by Angela Novak Amado www.amazon.com/used books

3. TASH CONNECTIONS, September 2001 “Resource Review: Promoting Friendships, Community Connections, and Membership”