Community Support Team for the

Golden Horseshoe Region of Ontario
Communities Served: Hamilton | Niagara | Click on Regional links for local updates
 

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PERSONAL & COMMUNITY VALUES FOR THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT TEAM

INTRODUCTION

These personal and community values form the foundation upon which the CST Process is implemented within a community, a region, or across a province.

A community as referred to here is a group of people that live, play and potentially work in proximity to each other and care for each other. It may also be defined by culture (e.g. Polish community, Asian community, etc.).

PERSONAL VALUES

  • Respect
  • The right to be listened to and heard
  • The right to self determination
  • The right to be seen as having worth in society
  • The right to live life with dignity
  • The importance of access, voice and ownership: “nothing about us without us!”
  • The golden rule: “treat others as you would want them to treat you!”
  • The right to support even with complex needs

COMMUNITY VALUES

VALUE ONE – PEOPLE/FAMILIES FIRST

    • Services and supports are provided in the best interest of the person/family, ensuring that the person’s/family’s needs across all life domain areas (e.g. physical, emotional, spiritual, etc.) are being met.

    • All components of the Wraparound process recognize the need and value of permanent stable relationships and strive to maintain and strengthen them for the person/family.

VALUE TWO – “FAMILY” COUNTS

    • The person is viewed as a part of the whole family system and services and supports are based on the strengths and needs of the entire family.

    • It is understood that the term “family” is defined by those for whom the planning is being done and is not limited to traditional roles and membership.

VALUE THREE - “NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US”

    • No planning meetings occur without the person/family.

    • They have access to all discussions related to their plan, voice their preferences, and ultimately feel that they own their plan.

VALUE FOUR - SAFETY ALWAYS

    • An immediate crisis plan is developed to ensure the safety of the person/family, and the community.

    • Safety is a priority for all involved

VALUE FIVE – PERSONALIZED – CST FITS THE PROGRAM TO THE PERSON/FAMILY

    • Individualized services and supports are tailored to the unique situation, strengths, and needs of each person/family.

    • Resources must be available to support individualization.

VALUE SIX – RESPECT FOR CULTURE

  • Services and supports reflect the unique cultural values and practices of the person/family that include issues of ethnicity, family structures, community, and spiritual preferences

VALUE SEVEN – NEVER GIVE UP

  • Services and supports commit themselves to never give up on the person/family, changing the plan instead of rejecting or discharging them
  • A person/family has a basic right to stability and permanence

VALUE EIGHT – KEEP IT CLOSE TO HOME

  • Services and supports are provided in the local community of the person/family

VALUE NINE – BUILD ON YOUR STRENGTHS

  • Services and supports will build upon the identified strengths of the person/family, their team, and the community in which they live

VALUE TEN - “NO BLAME – NO SHAME”

  • Interactions between professionals and people/families are conducted in a “no blame – no shame” fashion
  • Services and supports involved with a person/family listen to one another and adapt what they do to benefit the person/family

VALUE ELEVEN – ONE PLAN BRINGING COMMUNITY AND SERVICES TOGETHER

  • All services and supports involved with a person/family commit to work together to create one overall plan
  • Wherever the needs of people/families go beyond what any one organization can provide, agencies, schools, faith based organizations and Community Mobilization Teams and other people/families should work together in partnership to meet these needs

VALUE TWELVE – IT TAKES A COMMUNITY

  • It takes a community to nurture healthy human development for people/families
  • People/families are included in the normal activities of community life

VALUE THIRTEEN – DO WHAT WORKS

  • Plans for people/families include methods to track progress towards their goals

VALUE FOURTEEN – EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE

  • CST plans always look at the most efficient and effective use of services and supports in helping the person/family achieve their goals