Disability services
role models
Contents
Role: (Top)
Is not exclusive
to how we see ourselves or each other, a role can describe
anybody or anything that we associate with or have any interaction
with.
Roles are neither positive or negative. The value that placed on the
role is determined by the expectations and behaviours associated with
the role within the activity. At a shop, for example, there are a
number of roles of the people in
the shop. Two of those roles are 1) sales person and (2) customer. If a
customer can not behave accordingly, or has some characteristic that
does
not fit into to the expectations of the sales person the customer may
not be treated with dignity or respect.
1) We
learn
strategies
(a set of behaviors) that we find
useful in coping with our personal feelings and day to day situations.
These
strategies
can be
described as the person's role (or function) within the activity that
the
person is
participating in. We learn these
strategies
through our relationships with others in society. In the family, at
school, recreation or work all involve
strategies.
A lawyer, for example,
learns
a set of
strategies
in
defending someone in court. A person learns
set of
strategies
in teaching a class or being a father. A general learns
strategies
in defeating the enemy. A person with
an
intellectual disability
learns social skills, life skills, employment/recreational skills and
other positive behaviors that
provide a valued role for the person (friend, painter, gardener,
musician etc.). These
strategies
are often used in various similar
situations, or mixed and matched in new situations, where the person
has no existing sets of
strategies.
We generally have 2 or more sets of
strategies
that are used in different activities and situations, however, a person
may apply one
strategy
to all activities and situations that may arise.
Labels
are also a way to describe these roles, where a person is characterised
by a set of
strategies
or behaviors.
2) The term "Role" (also known as a social role or social function) is
also used to describe the
activity, the setting and the various interactions of the members
within the
activity and the setting, where these interactions are consistent and
can be defined and measured (
in
the
sense of comparison with other
consistent interactions), and have a particular function
within
the
activity and the setting.
These roles are determined by the society, community, club, team
or group that we are participating in, in that there are a set of
expectations and behaviours associated with the role within the
activity.
(
Note: I
have avoided
the term "behaviors", as a behavior describes a person's actions and
reactions, rather than the
various
intercourses that happen between members, and their relationships with
each other, within the
activity and the setting.)
Our
role
in a particular activity is often predetermined by the type of
activity, the
setting and the other members of the activity. In a classroom, for
example,
(1): the type of activity is structured towards learning and the
gaining of
skills and knowledge in applying the learning, (2): the setting is
separated
(restricted to members that fulfil a set of criteria etc) and (3): the
roles
of the members are Teacher (imparts the knowledge) - Students (learns
the
knowledge). In order for a person to have a valued role
within the activity and setting, the person must be able to satisfy the
criteria associated with the activity and setting. Introducing other
roles
into the classroom (social system) may create some problems.
A
particular role (or
Label)
is also placed on a person or group of people by a society, community,
club, team
or group as a way to justify or legitimise a policy or treatment of the
person or group. This happens all the time where a particular behaviour
or characteristic of the person or group does not fit into the normal
behaviours or characteristics of the society, community, club, team
or group. These policies or treatments often become
institutionalised
into the society, community, club, team
or group.
Buildings also have different roles
or functions within society. The role of the building
describes the various ways buildings are used, and
the
various interactions that happen within the building. The
function
of
the building is determined by these interactions and how they relate to
the members. The most
obvious of this is a "
Function
center"
that is designed to be
used for different functions. A concert hall has a particular role and
function within society. Communities, hospitals, classrooms,
groups/teams
and even a
knife can
have a different role and function according to the user and others
within the
activity and the setting.
... Are successful in
providing for the
needs of its members
... Have been tested in providing the best outcomes for the members
... Have a valued role within the community that it is a part of, and
the wider community
... Act as a model for other similar services
... Full integration
... Partial integration
... Enclaves
... Segregated (isolated)
The person is a part of
and supported
within each community that is most suitable for his/her needs. The
service provider supports the community, where the community has the
skills and resources in providing direct intervention (takes ownership).
Partial integration: (Top)
People with high support
needs may not
be able to be a part of all
communities because of the nature of the disability, or a lack of
skills and resources within each community. Just because a person is a
part of the community of a service provider does not mean that the
person does not have the opportunity to participate in the activities
of other communities.
It can be seen that while
the person
may have various interactions
within other communities, the person is still a part of the service
provider. This is not a bad thing, in as much as the person still has
the opportunity to participate in other community activities. Whether
the person feels
a part of each community (Living, recreational, educational or
employment) would
depend on his/her associations (connectedness)
with the other
members of each community.
Enclaves (separated): (Top)
Where people that have a
severe
disability, or for some other reason
may not be able to participate in any community activity, the service
provider creates new communities (recreation, employment or education)
within the wider community, or it is provided in another service
setting that is a part of another service provider.
It can be seen that while
the
communities are separated from the
service provider, they are still a part of the service provider or
within the service setting.
The advantages over segregated services are:
... They are treated as
individuals
... Have more variety in their life and daily living patterns
... More choices and decision making
... Able to socialise with others in different settings
... The opportunity to experience other experiences that are not
available within the setting of the service provider
Segregated (isolated): (Top)
People that may have a
condition or
characteristic that needs full time
intensive care, or may be a harm to themselves or others in the wider
community are generally isolated from the rest of the community. Some
hospitals (psychiatric, paraplegic etc), nursing homes (dementia etc),
prisons etc are examples of communities that are removed from society.
While these communities are separated, there is still some interaction
with the wider community by the staff, other professionals, family,
friends, volunteers etc.
In all of the above, the person has the opportunity to develop
relationships with family, friends, volunteers and others that are not
a part of their community, and therefor has a greater opportunity to
become accepted as valued members of each community that he/she
participate in. People with high support needs may have more difficulty
in being able to access the wider community, or a particular community
that they wish to be a part of. Through the development of skills and
resources within each community, as well as technological innovations,
the person may have a greater opportunity in the future to become a
part of each community. Whether a person is in a integrated, partially
integrated, an enclave
or segregated community, he/she still has the opportunity to move from
one to another according to their own needs as well as the needs of the
wider community that he/she is a part of.
Services can also be a mixture of integrated, partially integrated, an
enclave or segregated. A service may support people in their own
community, as well as providing full time support in it's own facility
(nursing home, respite or a group home etc). The members also have the
opportunity to move from one community to another within the service
according to their own needs as well as the needs of the service.
When providing the most
appropriate
care for people with high support
needs ...
1) The community is not
where the
person is living, but where the
person participates, shares experiences and has valued relationships
with others.
2) People with high support needs (severe disability, aged etc.)
will always need support structures as a part of their lives.
3) The amount of participation in a community (living, education,
employment or recreation) is directly related to the skills and
resources of the person, and, the skills and resources of the
community that the person wishes to participate in.
4) Institutions are going to be around in one form or another
whether we like it or not, It is the way that they are used that is the
problem.
5) The institutions of a society towards a particular group
determine the way the group participates in society.
6) The institutions of a particular government department,
organisation,
profession or service define the way the person is supported within
that society.
7) Facilities that support people with high support needs do not
need to be the nursing homes or prisons in the
sense
that they are today, but can become warm inviting community places that
offer a range of services to the community, as well as be a part of the
wider community within that society.
8) People with high support needs are a minority group in our
society, and will have the same problems as other minority groups in
being a part of society.
Peter Anderson
http://www.psawa.com
