GOALS AND ROLES
Our program is designed especially for mentally and physically challenged individuals who are often neglected or isolated from society. We focus on helping each individual client lead a productive and independent lifestyle by assisting and providing them with support and a wide range of resources drawn from families, professionals, volunteers, and the local communities. We provide a multicultural environment where clients develop and grow the intercultural social skills necessary to live in our diverse society. Clients also gain a wide and open perspective towards others through their exposure to families, professionals and volunteers of many different social and cultural backgrounds. By offering a variety of services aimed at meeting the needs of our clients, we strive to change our community and become a role model for creating a caring environment for those who are disabled.
SOCIOTHERAPEUTIC ROLES IN OUR COMMUNITY
- We provide a multicultural environment where clients develop and grow the intercultural social skills necessary to live in our diverse society. Clients also gain a wide and open perspective towards others through their exposure to families, professionals and volunteers of many different social and cultural backgrounds.
- Emphasis is placed on the current behavior of the client in interaction with the social process of the community. Emphasis is also placed on helping clients see, understand, take responsibility for and, ultimately, alter his/her characteristic ways of interacting with others around him/her. Primary objectives are to have clients be aware of and respect the social expectations around them. The intent is that ALL relationships have 'healing properties'.
- The client is expected to participate actively and responsibly - not only in his/her own treatment - but in the treatment of fellow clients as well, when they attend group sessions. Treatment responsibility is distributed among all clients and staff. Social pressure is brought in an effort to produce behavior that is in conformity with the social norm of the society. Reality testing and recognition of reality are carried out within the same context. Distortions and projections are examined while appropriate problem solving efforts are actively supported. The clients are counseled and taught impulse control, planning for the future, postponement of gratification, interpersonal skills, and stress management in the day-to-day interactions with other community members.
OUR PROGRAM'S UNIQUESNESS AND VISIONS
- The participants in our program come from various age groups with different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Their participation provides them with an opportunity to indirectly experience today’s diverse society. In the future, we will further strengthen this advantage while focusing more on the needs of each individual age group. For example, we will include more specific and comprehensive training programs, such as job-based training, or vocational rehabilitation services, targeted at providing independent living for adolescents with disabilities.
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We deliver integration of services throughout the entire process, from the beginning stages of diagnosis, treatment, and therapy, to vocational rehabilitation service and training programs. The clients and their families meet with our specialized professionals to consult about private matters or other issues such as legal, financial and medical problems. Through mutual interaction, families with disabilities support, advice, and share vital information and feelings which enable them to comfort and help one another. In addition, we empower individual family members understand family roles and responsibilities for building healthier family structure.
- Parents of adult children with disabilities face many concerns such as finding safe and reliable home-like environments such as group homes as well as financial support for their children from government assistance programs. We continue to research on these issues while focusing on helping our clients grow emotionally as well as socially to become independent members of society.
