FOUNDATIONS

The Advocates Way is the philosophy that guides our work. It is based on the idea that ALL of us are unique individuals with great potential for health, well-being and fulfillment.

It is a core value of Advocates that we treat people exactly as we would want a beloved member of our

family, a friend, or ourselves – to be treated.

CENTRAL TENETS

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES; REALIZING DREAMS

Part of life is having to overcome

obstacles in order to live the lives we want to live,

be the people we want to be and fulfill our hopes

and dreams.

People with disabilities often have to face

additional challenges. These challenges can

range from the physical, - such as an absence of

curb cuts, to the emotional - such as

prejudice, discrimination and oppression.

However, regardless of the severity of a person’s

challenges, and no matter how long or difficult a person’s

path has been, we believe that with the appropriate supports, a person’s own

efforts and the appreciation of their rights, every person can grow, change and achieve a

fulfilling life.

RELATIONSHIPS

LISTEN DEEPLY

The voices of the people we serve are the most crucial ingredients in the success of our work.

We must be able to understand a person’s perspective, even when that person has difficulty

expressing his or her perspective, or communicates in modalities other than language.

We strive to listen with empathy and with both an open heart and an open mind. We strive to affirm the uniqueness of each individual we serve, to enjoy the experience of knowing that person and to be open to being changed by that

person.

As staff members of Advocates, our role is to listen actively and to create opportunities for inclusion

and partnership with the people we serve in every step of program

design, service delivery and program evaluation. The

experiences had by the people we serve are the benchmarks by which

we measure success.

A POWERFUL UNION

When we combine a person’s expertise on his or her own life with that person’s hopes and

dreams and factor in our knowledge and capabilities, in

an atmosphere of hope, collaboration and mutual

respect, truly marvelous things can happen.

We work to create relationships in

which the people we serve feel heard

and understood, are respected as

experts about their own lives and take

leading roles in all of the decision-

making and planning that impact

their lives.

FINDING AND CELEBRATING STRENGTHS

We are committed to remember at all times the innumerable strengths,

capacities, relationships, talents, accomplishments, skills and other

remarkable attributes that make up a human being – and not simply

whatever diagnosis or disability that human being might be faced with.

We also try to imagine a person’s

potential if given a full and real chance to live a life of his

or her own design. In this way, we strive to avoid having

our own preconceptions

limit the potential of the

people we serve.

EVERY INTERACTION IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR RESPECT

It is the obligation of every staff member to communicate our commitment to partnership with the people we serve, and to demonstrate the utmost respect in every interaction and in every setting.

It is the obligation of all staff members to be conscious and deliberate in action and in communication to embody respect, inclusiveness and deference to the preferences of the people we serve whenever possible.

This sort of partnership requires openness, warmth, flexibility and friendliness on the part of the staff. We

seek to help people grow, change, and realize their dreams in an atmosphere of acceptance and

encouragement, in which they feel safe enough to take risks, learn from their mistakes and try new ways of

being and living.

COMMON VALUES WITH ONE ANOTHER AND WITH OUR COMMUNITY

We aspire to treat each other with the same open-mindedness and open-heartedness that we extend to the people we serve.

Similarly, we strive to listen deeply to each other, and to find ways of partnering and collaborating based on mutual respect.

We strive to extend this same respect and collaborative spirit to the communities in which we live and work.

WE ALL DESIRE A FULFILLING LIFE We remind ourselves, too, that people who have

grappled with mental illness or the challenges of a disability want more than a solution to the problems

caused by their difficulties of living. All people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best in themselves and to enhance their experiences of

loving, working and playing.

We always want to find, nurture and celebrate each person’s capacities for love

and work, courage and resiliency, compassion and

integrity, self-knowledge and wisdom – among many other

positive qualities in all members of the human

family. We want to encourage the people we

serve – and each other – to enjoy the good things

available in life, including fellowship, laughter, and joy.

CHALLENGES

BUILDING TRUST We appreciate that,

unfortunately, many people have had

experiences in which they have felt not listened to or

respected by people in positions of power.

For that reason, we must take steps to demonstrate

to the people we serve that we see them as true

partners and full co-experts in our work.

USING POWER HONESTLY, WISELY AND RESPECTFULLY

For example, in a psychiatric crisis, we may have to commit a person to a hospital against his or her will; or we may be serving a person who has a guardian, and

who is forced to take medications or to live in a setting not of his or

her own choice.

At times we are in situations and relationships with people who are engaging in behavior that is challenging and even

sometimes dangerous, and we have to act in our professional roles in ways that the person we are serving does not want.

In these situations, we must make every effort

to honor a person’s dignity, respect that person’s rights and

afford that person as many real choices as

we can within the scope of the person’s

legal situation.

It is however, crucial that we be as honest and clear as we can

about the power dynamics in such

situations.

RESPECTFUL LANGUAGE

How we speak to, with and about the people we serve is important. We need to be mindful that

language can be demeaning and disempowering, without the speaker having any such intention in

mind. Especially in the fields of mental health and developmental disabilities, short-hand terms

can be profoundly shaming and hurtful.

To this end, we make every effort never to speak of a person as if they were defined by a condition or diagnosis. For this reason, the use of person-first

language in all contexts and all settings is of paramount importance; we speak of a “person with schizophrenia,” or “a person with a developmental

disability,” or “a person with substance abuse issues,” for example.

UNDERSTANDING THE WHOLE PERSON

When we encounter a person who is facing a challenge, we try to think about that person from 4

perspectives…

First, a social or cultural

perspective, that appreciates that we

are all connected with one another in

webs of relationships, and

with our communities and

society as a whole.

A second way of looking at people involves a biological perspective, acknowledging

that each person has a unique biological

endowment of strengths and vulnerabilities, and that

sometimes human problems can be at least partially understood as

“chemical imbalances,” for which biological treatments

are sometimes helpful options.

The third perspective from which we try to understand people is

a psychological perspective,

appreciating that all human beings have scars from the past, and that sometimes

recovery from suffering or living a fulfilling life requires working through old

and unresolved issues.

Finally, we approach people from a

spiritual perspective, appreciating that we

all have to find meaning in our lives, and that sometimes people experience

difficulty due to issues in their spiritual lives.

THE PROMISE

LOOKING INWARD We acknowledge that we are not where we want

to be with regard to putting this philosophy into action. We often fall short of the mark. We do not

always treat the people we serve as equals in every regard. We do not always use our power

wisely or mindfully, nor do we always acknowledge it when we use power in a disempowering way.

We acknowledge, too, that the staff of Advocates often face great difficulties in doing their work – the press of paperwork, not enough resources, overwhelming and competing needs,

and sometimes community resistance and inadequate compensation. Advocates staff needs and deserves support and encouragement to practice The Advocates Way, day in

and day out.

MILES TO GO BEFORE WE SLEEP…

We pledge to remain open always, to be taught by

and changed by, the people we serve.

It is our great hope that this philosophy will grow and change as Advocates

grows and changes.

We pledge to be open in every interaction and to consider how we may be missing the mark. We pledge to

continually try to behave in a way consistent with this philosophy.