Our community
! Understanding communities
!
Dysfunctional communities !
Building better
communities
Understanding
disability service organisations ! An
alternative model ! Community
research ! Community survey
Removing the
barriers to community participation and inclusion
Social Role Valorisation (SRV)
Deinstitutionalisation
Disability services
Disability and community
Barriers
to community participation
Building
better
communities
Community care
Vs
Institutional (social) care
How
does the community care?
Explanation
of
terms
Removing the barriers to community
participation and inclusion
What is community?
The origin of “community” is from the Latin word …
"The word "community"
is derived from the Old French communité which is derived from
the Latin communitas (cum, "with/together" + munus, "gift"), a broad
term for fellowship or organized society." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community)
"Community: The origin
of the word "community" comes from the Latin munus, which means the
gift, and cum, which means together, among each other. So community
literally means to give among each other." (http://www.seek2know.net/word.html)
Generally, most people define themselves as a part of a community, in
the most generalised form, within society, i.e. the group, team or club
is a part of the community, or, the community is a part of the group,
team or club. The expression "Community", like family, is
also more personal in that there is a greater sense of permanency than
a group, team or club. I'm sure you could list 4 or 5 communities that
you are a part of: your family, where you work and socialise, you may
go to school or be a part of a community group. Expressions such as
"The world community", "The environmental community", "The economic
community", "The European community" etc. are common in society today.
Communities
are
generally groups of people that have something in
common. They may live in the same area, share common interests or
characteristics,
work or play together or just enjoy each others
company. They provide something worthwhile to the members in as much as
there is a value in being a part of the community.
Communities
are about
sharing and caring. There is this sense of
supporting each other as well being a part of something that is greater
than ourselves.
We all have
particular needs and look to the community
to meet those needs. The community provides us with the skills and
resources to meet those needs.
In a sporting community, for example, we
learn the skills and contribute to the facilities that are associated
with the sport, and support other members within the community. Within
the sporting community we see clubs that are communities within
the sporting community. Each club has teams and groups that have
different functions or roles. These
provide each club with a sense of direction and purpose. The management
is responsible for the coordination of activities and behaviours that
strengthen the community. The players are trained and supported in the
providing the best outcomes for the club. The supporters are valued for
their support etc.
Within society, we see all sorts of communities. There are ethnic
communities, religious, living, sporting, educational, employment and
even disability
communities. These
communities have all evolved to fulfill a social need and have valued
roles within society. People generally belong to more than one
community, and each is designed to fulfill a particular need. These
communities are generally open to all members of society. However, some
may have some sort of right of entry, or, are secret or exclusive.
These are rare and are specific to a particular group. Communities
built around services tend to have some sort of right of entry.
Disability communities, educational communities, business communities
etc, are all about some sort of characteristic, skill, induction, or
a price to pay, that allows the person entry into that community.
Barriers to community
participation and inclusion:
1) Communities can become conditioned
to behave a certain way. There are
numerous examples where the patterns of behaviour within a community
have
been influenced by a person, event or activity that involves the whole
community. They can happen in a short time, or over a period of
generations. The attack on the World Trade Centre is a good example
where community attitudes and behaviours were changed in a day. The
motor car, the
telephone, internet and other forms of communication have also changed
the way communities behave. We also see the creation of new communities
and
cultures built around cult figures, ideologies, music etc. Communities
can change with each new generation where young people find their
own identities, they develop their own language, cultures and customes
that are unfamular to older generations. We see communities that have
to adapt to the changing landscape. The RSL was formed to support
solders returned from the great wars. With the numbers of solders
getting smaller each year the RSL is having to find new ways of staying
relevant to the community as a whole. Religous communities are also
having to look new ways they can stay in touch with the changing
needs of their members.
Communities can also change in a subtle way that is not recognised
until the transformation has happened. These changes can affect whole
communities or communities within communities where members grow up in
families and
environments, and learn particular ways of thinking, they learn the
behaviours, values and roles of their peers. New generations live in
communities that are consumer orientated (consumer societies). Why do
it your self when you can purchase it? We loose the skills and
knowledge to be self sufficent, we see the advertising and become
conditioned to a belief that a product is better for us. While the
motor car has opened new horizons, we have become dependant on it in
almost every aspact of our lives. Governments have also contributed to
the reconstruction of communities by becomming service providers or
regulating service sectors. There is a great deal of debate about the
role of governments in todays society. Just as communities of 2nd
and 3rd generation unemployed in England and
Europe have lost the skills to actively engage in a productive work
culture (Their parents and others have not provided the necessary roles
- getting up to go to work etc), and therefore depend (are dependant)
on social welfare, so too, communities have lost the skills (or never
had them) in providing for the needs of people that have a physical or
intellectual disability. The current generation is growing up in a
society where service providers
provide direct intervention
in the care of people with disability and the community
supports these activities. They see the ads, read the literature. Their
families and peers strengthen this culture and so it becomes the social
norm.
2) They are generally outside the
experiences of the other members of the community.
Anything that is different to what is expected will elicit a negative
response; I dont know how to deal with the situation, or I dont want to
deal with this situation, or someone else can deal with this situation,
or a conditioned response that has been successful in the past, or
learned from other members, or passed down from generation to
generation and embedded into the culture.
Comunities can also be suspicious of anything new or different. The
beliefs, values, cultures and behaviours (institutions) are valued as a
part of the community and anything that comes along that challenges
these institutions will be resisted. Muslems for example bring their
traditions with them and expect everyone else to respect them. They
live and participate in the community but find that they may become
marganilised because their cultures, customes and behaviours are not
accepted within the wider community.
3) Communities generally cater for the community as a whole, rather
than meeting individual needs.
When designing facilities, services or activities for the community, it
is impracticable to measure everyone in the community, so a standard is
used that takes into account the averages of its members. Buildings are
built to a standard, services are designed to meet certain criteria,
education and recreational activities are designed around the average
person. Any one outside these averages will be disadvantaged. My mother
is fairly independent, but restricted to a wheel chair, and simple
things like going to the movies etc become a logistical headache. I
know that when I buy a pair of pants or a shirt my size it may take me
a while to find the right size because one size in one brand is not the
same fit in
another brand (too big or small). I find the whole process frustrating,
and can somewhat imagine what it would be like for someone with a
severe physical disability to go throughout their whole life like that.
4) There is generally some form of harm, friction or conflict of
interests
between the members. A good example is where a person with a physical
disability tries to do some shopping and cannot access the shop for
various reasons, and complains to the management. The management does
not
see the need to make any modifications (too expensive etc) and sees the
person as a trouble maker. The person becomes frustrated and angry with
the manager or feels marginalised in not being able to participate in
the activity. The members of the minority group (or others acting on
their behalf)
become aggressive in asserting their rights (and sometimes without
regard to the rights of the others).
We see various minority rights movements actively promoting their cause
through
community education, protests, demonstrations, riots and
civil wars. The rights of people with disability that are enshrined in
law
(Disability Service Standards etc) only came about through advocacy and
education, were people made a stand against the community. People can
also be marginalised by
their behaviour, the activities
that they participate in (taking illegal drugs, stealing etc) or
association to a particular ethnic,
cultural or religious group (street gangs, crime gangs, extreme
religious groups etc). There is a perception that
the characteristic is harmfull or dangerous to other members of the
community. Other people that have aids or a particular
contagious disease etc are
also marginalised (or even disenfranchised) to protect the other
members of the community.
5) Its too hard. People that do not have the support networks
necessary for participating in the activities of the community, or may
not be able to cope with other members
of the community become
marginalised. Members that do not have the means (through a disability
or a lack of resources - personal and social) find that it is better to
just stay at home or mix with their own kind.
People who share a characteristic that is rare in the community often
become marginalised because of a lack of resources to support their
needs. Safety and security also become more important than being a part
of the
community. A good example is where famous people are hounded by the
paparazzi, they feel victimised and powerless to the point that their
lives are at risk.
Removing the barriers to community
participation and inclusion:
Sometimes this is easy, where a community is responsive and there are
no major issues to be resolved. Sometimes this is hard, where there is
more than one community that is involved, or there are government
bureaucracy issues, legal
issues, funding issues, medical issues, available skills and resources
etc. Sometimes the community has issues, hidden agendas that need
to be resolved before we can look at including the person. Sometimes it
is just to hard.
Community sensitivity
A community may be unfamiliar with a
particular characteristic of a person or a group. There may me some
doubt or caution in accepting the person as a part of their community.
Placing a group home with 3 or 4 residents in a suburb, gives the
neighbors, others at the shops etc. an opportunity to become familiar
with this group. Yes, they are still supported by a service, however
they have a greater opportunity to participate in the normal activities
of the living community.
Over a period of time the community that they live in may become
desensitised to their particular characteristics and they may become
more accepted in the community.
Skills and resources in the community
... A lack of community interest
(values, attitudes etc.)
... A lack of community skills and resources (professional support,
facilities, funding etc.)
... Government policy and practice (bureaucracy, lack of coordination
between departments etc.)
... Community dependence on institutional care
... No other alternatives
Where do I start?
Plan the process: What are we trying to
achieve in the process? What sort of participation are we looking for?
If a person is looking for a social community do we place him/her in
a sporting community? What support mechanisms are necessary and how
do these mechanisms impact on the community?
Identify the target community: In many cases this is straightforward,
however there may be other communities within that community. At
school, for example, there is the community of the school, the
community of the classroom, various social and sporting communities
that all interrelate to each other on different levels. A person may be
placed in a work community and be a part of that community, but not be
a part of the social community and not develop any permanent networks
within the social community.
Identify the stake holders: Who are the significant others? Who are
the
others that are in the reference group (others that are not directly
involved, but are a part of the community).
The best place to start is at the
beginning.
Introduce the person to the community leader, coordinator or the
organiser.
Arrange for the community leader, coordinator or the organiser to
introduce the person to others at a function or a social gathering that
has been prearranged.
Plan the process with the community members where they take control.
Its to hard
I have heard this argument to often. A
lack of understanding in, and planing the process means that the
project is doomed to failure before it begins. High expectations are
also to blame when we see things crumbling down around us. By taking
one step at a time and involving all members in the process, where they
take control (ownership), means that the project has a greater chance
of succeeding..
It did not work
Its OK to fail. Only by learning from
our mistakes can we have a better understanding of what we are doing
right.
Some things to keep in mind :
... Does the community have the skills and resources?
... Does the person have the skills and resources?
... Is the community receptive?
... Is the community appropriate for the person?
... Is the person appropriate for the community?
The culture and institutions of the community
Probably the greatest challenge to the
project. By understanding the community and how it works is the first
step in the process.
... What are the formal and informal values, cultures and institutions
that are a part of
the community?
... What other communities are a part of the target community?
... How do the members interact with each other?
... What are the hidden agendas?
Community leadership
Probably the most important. Strong
leadership that supports the community gives the community a clear
direction and will often facilitate solutions.
Communities that:
... Are motivated.
... Have a clear, positive
outcome: outcomes
that are clear, attainable, and worthwhile to all members.
...
Have
committed
members: all members feel a part of the process.
... Have effective communication: all members communicate to, and
respect
each
other.
...
Have
coordination
of activity: all members have clear valued roles.
are more likely to succeed.
Community leaders come and go for
various reasons. We may think that a
person is valued as a member of a community only to find that the
person has lost those networks and has no support. This can be for a
number of reasons for this, but the most common is that there has been
a change of leadership. The person that was coordinating the
activities has left and there is no one else motivated to continue on.
The values, cultures and institutions of the community change.
The way in which the process was
managed
Communities are generally very
protective of their values, cultures and institutions. Anything that
does not fit in will generally fail.
When a group of people are introduced into a community
All members and stake holders may not
feel a part of the process
They may be seen as a threat to the community.
They do not fit into the customs or institutions of the community.
The community may not have the skills or resources to provide for their
needs.
Minority group
Scheerenberger,
Narje, Wolfsnsberger and others have written extensively about devalued
people. Only by letting the community find their own solutions can the
project succeed. Failure to find valued relationships for a person with
high support needs within the target community is not defeat.
The role
of
the gatekeeper in the
community:
The
gatekeeper:
(http://www.answers.com/topic/gatekeeper)
"1.
One that is in charge of passage through a gate.
2. One who monitors or oversees the
actions of others.
3. A primary-care provider, often in
the setting of a managed-care organization, who coordinates patient
care and provides referrals to specialists, hospitals, laboratories,
and other medical services."
In all communities there is some form of leadership, hierarchical
structure or mechanism that:
... Provides the structure of the
community
... Provides direction for the community
... Is designed to protect the members
... Is accountable to the community
The local police are invested by an act of government to protect the
members of the community. A bouncer or security guard is invested by a
social group or organisation to protect the social group or
organisation. A community may have some sort of mechanism (a leader or
group decision making process) that decides who is entitled to gain
admittance and who is not eligible. The police, bouncer or security
guard, or any other mechanism is also responsible for the welfare of
the members of the group (the community). Anybody that does not behave
according to the rules of the group may get removed.
The gate-crasher:
Gate-crasher:
(http://www.yourdictionary.com/gate-crasher)
"Informal: a person who attends a
social affair without an invitation or attends a performance, etc.
without paying admission"
Any person or group that tries to gain
admittance without
an
invitation,
approval or
sanction risks being removed. Communities are
no different in this respect. Any person that tries to force their
presence in a community risks eviction.
The definition also states that there is a price to pay:
... Some form of currency or value
needs to
be offered in exchange for admission.
... Often people bring skills and resources that are valued within the
community.
... There is a value in the person becoming a
part of the community
... There is some form of negotiation between the gate-crasher and the
community
... There may be some form of rite of passage or pass that entitles the
holder to free admission
Where a person does not have any skills or resources to bring to the
community:
... An organisation or service provider
acts as a negotiator or a link in
introducing the person to the community
... SRV is an important strategy in
creating a valued role for the person
... The community may accept the person through familiarity,
understanding
and accepting the person.
... The community may accept the person by providing a valued role for
its
members in supporting the person.
A group of cyclists, for example may be riding along a road in a park.
Along comes a person on a motorcycle and wants to join the group. The
group may allow the person entry if known to others or there is some
value in the motorcyclist being a part of the group, or may call
(mobile phone) the police or security to have the person removed.
Communities are no different. If a person is known to others, has
something of value for the members, or is able to negotiate entry, the
person will be accepted into the community and become a part of the
community. If the person is not accepted, he/she will be ignored, asked
to
leave or forcefully removed.
Building
better communities:
Building better communities is more about building better members that
are responsive to the needs of the community.
Communities that:
Are motivated.
Have a clear, positive
outcome: outcomes
that are clear, attainable, and worthwhile to all members.
Have
committed
members: all members feel a part of the process.
Have effective communication: all members communicate to, and respect
each
other.
Have
coordination
of activity: all members have clear valued roles.
are more likely to succeed.
Strategies:
An issue has been identified, or
A person has a particular
problem.
Identify
the issues:
What is the problem?
Why does the problem happen?
Where does the problem happen?
Who does the problem affect?
How does the problem affect others?
What other issues are involved in the problem?
Build a picture of the problem and how
it relates to the
person or people.
Identify the stakeholders:
Who are the significant others (family,
friends, school /
work colleagues etc)?
There may be others in the same situation.
How are they significant to the problem?
How can the stakeholders resolve the
problem?
Involve the stakeholders (groups,
committees, teams etc).
What are the preferred
outcomes?
What skills / resources are available?
What other agencies /
services are available?
What strategies can be used to resolve the problem.
Identify the communities:
Often, there is more than one community
involved.
List all communities that are a part of the problem.
Understand the communities involved.
See how they work.
Identify communities within communities.
Identify the members.
How can the communities resolve the
problem?
Involve the communities (groups,
committees, teams etc).
What are the preferred
outcomes?
What skills / resources are available?
What other agencies /
services are available?
What strategies can be used to resolve the problem.
Resolving issues can be very complex.
Often, there are no perfect
solutions.
The target communities may also have unresolved issues of
their own which need to be resolved first before the problems of the
person or
people can be addressed.
Motivate the community.
Advocate / negotiate / facilitate,
develop team roles within the stakeholders and the community.
Do not take sides.
The various problems expressed by the person are often best
resolved by the stakeholders <> target
communities.
Your role should be a supportive role, where the people
involved find their own solutions.
Respect the community’s goals, beliefs, values, cultures,
institutions, members, roles, resources etc.
Communities are generally very protective. Anything that does not fit
in will generally fail.
By working with the community in a supportive role (where
they do the work), the community has an opportunity to learn and
grow.
Don't understimate what the community is capable of doing, if it wants
to.
Solutions that the community have found are more likely to
succeed where:
… the community has clearly defined
roles/goals
… the community has shared
goals, beliefs, values, cultures, institutions etc
… the community has clearly defined
boundaries
… the community has ownership of it's members
… the community provides valued roles for it's members
… the community communicates effectively with it's members
… the community can depend on it's resources
… the community can balance it's own needs
… the community can share and draw on skills / resources where
needed
When providing the most appropriate
care for people with high support
needs ...
1) The community is not where the
person is living, but where the
person participates, shares experiences and has valued relationships
with others.
2) People with high support needs (severe disability, aged etc.)
will always need support structures as a part of their lives.
3) The amount of participation in a community (living, education,
employment or recreation) is directly related to the skills and
resources of the person, and, the skills and resources of the
community that the person wishes to participate in.
4) Institutions are going to be around in one form or another
whether we like it or not, It is the way that they are used that is the
problem.
5) The institutions of a society towards a particular group
determine the way the group participates in society.
6) The institutions of a particular government department,
organisation,
profession or service define the way the person is supported within
that society.
7) Facilities that support people with high support needs do not
need to be the nursing homes or prisons in the
sense
that they are today, but can become warm inviting community places that
offer a range of services to the community, as well as be a part of the
wider community within that society.
8) People with high support needs are a minority group in our
society, and will have the same problems as other minority groups in
being a part of society.
01/10/2010
Peter Anderson
http://www.psawa.com