Community Inclusion Program

We practice community inclusion and help participants reclaim their lives in every aspect of our programming by living the following values:

• Our program participants are strong. They have lived full lives, had many experiences, thrived in the face of past trauma, and deserve our respect.
• We are intentional in the way we engage with participants. Staff attitudes matter, and we want to support folks in their choices. We're here to help them to do the things they want to do.
• If we're going to support and encourage program participants in their choices, we need to have a solid foundation to build from. Talking about where they have been, what their lives are like today, and what they hope their lives will be like in the future happens through genuine conversations and connection – enveloped in healthy dialogue and reasonable boundaries.
• We are intentional about helping people. We do that through kindness and respect while advocating in the community for our folks to live their lives just like everybody else.

We help share participant experiences and perspectives through our advocacy work. Participant Advocates engage with legislators across all levels of government. Regular trainings with staff help us keep in touch with why we each entered this field while empowering participants to be experts on themselves. Life is so much bigger than home visits and medical appointments and we want to empower program participants through goalsetting and positive experiences.  At the end of the day, our hope is for program participants to reclaim lives of quality and to live just like everybody else. Some of this is done in group events and activities, promoting voter engagement, and believing that everyone is capable of work. It might take a little time to find just the right employer, but competitive employment is an option we explore thought Work First practices.