Community Living Assistant

Community Inclusion and Relationships

Everyone wants to belong and to have valued roles in their community. One of your most important roles as a Community Living Assistant is learning how to support people to develop relationships in their communities. In order to do this it will help you to know what the person likes and what their preferences and strengths are.

As a Community Living Assistant you will need to develop ways of finding out what is going on in the community of the person you support. You will also need to find ways to build bridges between the person you support and his or her community.

PUBLIC SPACES...

Dan does not verbally communicate but he makes a variety of noises. His medications cause him to have an excess amount of saliva, which causes him to drool. He tries to wipe his mouth a lot to keep himself from drooling.

Dan enjoys being outside and going to the local open-air mall. While out with Dan, Grace, his Community Living Assistant, notices that many people stare at him.

Dan wants to get lunch from the food court and as Grace is helping to feed him, a young girl comes up to her and asks “what’s wrong with him?” Grace tries to explain to the child that there is nothing wrong with Dan and that this is the way that he eats.

People with disabilities have a history of being excluded from mainstream society. Their presence in the community may cause people to stare or ask questions. As a Community Living Assistant you may be asked to take on the role of educating people who are not comfortable with people who appear different.

To truly be included in communities, people need to have friends, family and other people they love, respect and enjoy being with. For many people with developmental disabilities, their paid staff are the people they see and interact with the most. Therefore, one of your most important roles is to support people with disabilities in maintaining friendships, making new friends and maintaining contact with their personally defined family.

supporting People to have active and fulfilled days