Agency Goals & Philosophy

Community Living is a private non-profit corporation which provides support services to people with developmental disabilities and their families. The goals of Community Living are:

l To enable people to assume primary responsibility for their lives by providing support services, which promote and enhance self-esteem, interdependence, decision-making and the exercising of civil and personal rights.

l To enable people to live in the community as valuable, contributing citizens.

l To provide specific support services to other people in the community.

In order to achieve these goals, the provision of services is based upon the fact that people with developmental disabilities are PEOPLE. By virtue of this fact, they are due the same dignity, respect and rights accorded any person. In order to ensure these rights are protected, support services shall:

l Reflect the needs, wants and desires expressed by the individual, including choice of lifestyle, daily activities and personal aspirations.

l Honor the decisions an individual makes and recognize their right to learn from the consequences that are a result of their freedom to choose, to take and be at risk and to make mistakes.

l Recognize the fact that an individual is responsible for their decisions, choices and behavior.

l Empower an individual by providing the least amount of assistance necessary to meet their needs as well as honest, accurate information and feedback.