We better the lives of those with intellectual disabilities by raising the standard of support, building healthy relationships, and creating opportunities for them to invest in and be valued by society.
We carry this out through a variety of unique initiatives and traditional residential and daytime supports.
Back in 1988 when acid wash jeans and the walkman were cool, our very first home opened up. There was a desire for the gentlemen that lived there to be apart of purposeful activities during the day and that was the beginning of our first day program.
From there some pretty exciting things have happened. We continued to grow and have homes and Day Programs scattered throughout the city that support some of Saskatoon’s finest.
A while back we asked a question that propelled us onto a new journey that has begun to create waves in places further than we could have imagined. We wanted to do more for those we support and so we asked, How do people live their best live?
We discovered that people live their best lives when they have healthy meaningful relationships and the solution can be can be summed up in our “Do Love First” Philosophy. You can read more about that if you scroll down. This method allows us to communicate to others that they are loved, not through explanation but rather through action. Now we are on a journey to help people have healthy relationships and see the value of that people with disabilities have.
When we started out we had no idea we were creating a philosophy that would change the direction of our agency and profoundly impact the lives of our staff and those we support. It all started with the question, “How do People Live their best lives?”
The answer was as simple and complicated as the question, at the core of all people is the same truth, people live their best lives when they are involved in healthy meaningful relationships.
We see this in all our lives, when our relationships are good we are able to go through remarkable challenges and come out stronger, when our relationships are struggling it impacts all areas of life and can become crippling. Those we support feel this in a deeper way than most, they are often quick to sense emotional tone and respond to how others react to them. It is equally, if not more important that they are surrounded with healthy relationships where they feel and know that they are loved. It is from this understanding that the ‘Do Love First‘ philosophy was born. All meaningful relationships are rooted in a true understanding and experience of love. It is our objective to help people grow in their relationships through the implementation of ten core practices that positively impact all relationships and communicate that a person is loved and valued.
The Stage One training involves a 1-day interactive training module which walks participants through the 10 practices of healthy relationships. Participants find the course insightful and inspiring as they are challenged to think differently about their actions and communications in their relationships. The training provides practical applications to enhance all relationships while teaching people how to communicate to those who have cognitive disabilities.
Stage Two is a one year mentorship program that digs deeper into the understanding and application of the ten practices. It includes a training kit that helps the participant focus on specific relationships and provides opportunity for them to discuss the implementation of the practices with a mentor.
