Community Living Project Inc.

'Some of the most common community activities for people who receive services (and for many of us!) are going to restaurants, shopping and movies. Yet, when was the last time you made a new friend at any of those places? A big tip for success is to start shifting our focus, shifting our thinking, from “activities” to “people.” The most important question we can start asking is: “Who are they going to get to know there?” Remember, where will they see the same people, in the same place, over time? How will they get involved with others there, in meaningful ways?' A tip for success from Dr Angela Amado, speaking to families and workers.

There's one week to go for Dr Angela's Connecting to Community workshop in Adelaide - Saturday June 27 at the Junction, Camden Park. Book via Humanitix.

Free workshop for people with disabilities and their families! Saturday 27 June 9am - 4pm, The Junction, Anzac Highway.
What you will learn
🍂Practical strategies to support friendships and community connection
🍂How to identify a person’s interests, strengths and gifts
🍂Ways to connect people with community members and groups
🍂The role of staff and others as community connectors
🍂How to support relationships to grow and last over time.
Connecting with Community - tickets via Humanitix.
Image description: Inset portrait of Dr Angela Amado, Background photo of a group of people at a community book club. Title Connecting with Community a workshop with Dr Angela Amado. Logos: Community Living Project; Flinders University; Research in Disability and Community Inclusion.
This workshop is co-sponsored by Community Living Project and the Flinders University Disability and Community Inclusion teaching and research program.

Intentionally connecting people to community provides community members the opportunity to be contributed to. Dr Angela Amado explains:

"One of the most important reasons to work on relationships with community members is what community members receive by getting to know an individual with disabilities. Each person has many gifts to offer. There are countless community members who have befriended individuals with disabilities who say something like “I’m probably getting more out of this relationship than they are.”

Join Dr Angela Amado in Adelaide to learn strategies to connect people to Community - Saturday June 27, 9am to 4pm. Tickets free for people with disabilities and their families to attend. Book via Humanitix.

Pic description: Two young adults sitting shoulder to shoulder in a beer garden enjoing a pint and smiling at each other.

Dr Angela Amado asks: 'How would you feel about yourself if you knew that most people who were around you were people who were paid to be there? Paid staff come and go. That dance of people in and out of an individual’s life can lead to many stresses —
🔶Turning anyone who is there into a “friend.”
🔶Testing the new staff — are you someone who really cares about me, no matter what I do?

It can lead to —
🔶Not wanting to try anything new, or
🔶Trusting very few people.

Bringing people into someone’s life who care about them as a person can reduce this stress.'

Join Dr Angela Amado for workshop in Adelaide on Saturday June 27 - 'Connecting with Community' Tickets are free for people with disabilities and their families. Book via Humanitix. Link in comments.

Pic description: A 2 hour parking sign in North Adelaide, with the city skyline and Adelaide Oval in the background.

'When relationships are supported, people change. If a person only has staff and other people with disabilities in their life, if they only have a “service life” of being told what to do, why bother changing? When a person has people in their life that are valued to them, that they know care about them, there have been many examples of reduced “behavior problems,” increased self-confidence, and other desirable changes.' Taken from Friends: Connecting people with disabilities by Dr Angela Amado.

Dr Angela Amado is presenting a workshop in Adelaide on Saturday June 27. Tickets are free for people with disabilities and their families, and subsidised for workers and professionals. Book via Humanitix - Connecting with Community. Details in comments.

Pic description: a young adult is crouched in close patting a ginger cat.

How can connecting to community help to reduce staff burnout?

Dr Angela Amado puts it this way:
"Let’s say there are 10 people in the life of an individual who receives services, and that a given staff person is one of those ten. Let’s say a staff person has 100 people in their social network. That means for that given individual, the staff person is representing TEN people that they themselves have. That one staff person has to do the work of TEN people for that individual. There are individuals who turn to the staff for everything, who want everything from a given staff member. No wonder they do that — they have so few others! Perhaps one of the most valuable things the staff can do with their time is bring more people into the individual’s life. This can also apply with family members who are caregivers!"

The upcoming workshop with Dr Angela Amado will have tips and strategies for people with disabilities, families, workers and community members to put into place to build community connection. Book at Humanitix - details in comments.

Pic description: A group of women sit around a cafe table, The women in view are looking intently at someone off to the left of the photo.

Free workshop for people with disabilities and their families. Saturday 27 June 9am - 4pm, The Junction, Anzac Highway, join Dr Angela Amado (US) and learn:
🍂How to identify a person’s interests, strengths and gifts
🍂Ways to connect people with community members and groups
🍂The role of staff and others as community connectors
🍂Practical strategies to support friendships and community connection
🍂How to support relationships to grow and last over time.

This workshop is co-sponsored by Community Living Project and the Flinders University Disability and Community Inclusion teaching and research program.

Image description: Inset portrait of Dr Angela Amado, Background photo of a group of people at a community book club. Title Connecting with Community a workshop with Dr Angela Amado. Logos: Community Living Project; Flinders University; Research in Disability and Community Inclusion.

Connecting with Community - a workshop with Dr Angela Amado We all need people in our lives. For many people with intellectual disability, friendship and connection is still missing.

Free workshop for people with disabilities and their families! Saturday 27 June 9am - 4pm, The Junction, Anzac Highway.

What you will learn
🍂Practical strategies to support friendships and community connection
🍂How to identify a person’s interests, strengths and gifts
🍂Ways to connect people with community members and groups
🍂The role of staff and others as community connectors
🍂How to support relationships to grow and last over time.

Connecting with Community - tickets via Humanitix.

Image description: Inset portrait of Dr Angela Amado, Background photo of a group of people at a community book club. Title Connecting with Community a workshop with Dr Angela Amado. Logos: Community Living Project; Flinders University; Research in Disability and Community Inclusion.

This workshop is co-sponsored by Community Living Project and the Flinders University Disability and Community Inclusion teaching and research program.

We all need people in our lives. Friendships. Being known. Being part of community. For many people living with disabilities, this is still missing.

Connecting with Community, Dr Angela Amado (US)
Saturday 27 June 9am - 4pm, The Junction, Anzac Highway. Tickets are free for people with disabilities and their family members.

What you will learn
🍂Practical strategies to support friendships and community connection
🍂How to identify a person’s interests, strengths and gifts
🍂Ways to connect people with community members and groups
🍂The role of staff and others as community connectors
🍂How to support relationships to grow and last over time.

Tickets via Humanitix.

Image description: Inset portrait of Dr Angela Amado, Background photo of a group of people at a community book club. Title Connecting with Community a workshop with Dr Angela Amado. Logos: Community Living Project; Flinders University; Research in Disability and Community Inclusion.

This workshop is co-sponsored by Community Living Project and the Flinders University Disability and Community Inclusion teaching and research program.