Bounded Options
The people living in these options have the same choices and resources as the average community member.
It’s like a breath of fresh air for someone. That moment where they are like “this is mine, no one is controlling my life”. I have control of my own world. As we’ve worked with people who live independently, you notice them laughing more and looking for ways to engage in the community.
- Kathryn Wood, Assistant Residential Director
Overview
They can make choices and take risks like everyone else.
The risks allowed are set by team decision and monitored by the staff (but remember staff are not there 24/7). The staff however are bounded to do good, in other words they cannot assist someone in a choice or risk that is not in their best interest, healthy or legal. For example they cannot take them for unhealthy food when they are diabetic; they cannot help them do something illegal even if it is the person supported’ own decision. Sometimes people moving into independent living are for the first time getting the chance to take greater risk and make a choice that they may not ordinarily do; and sometimes those choices can place them in an unsafe or unhealthy place. It is important to note that as part of every person’s life journey there comes a time when each person has to learn good choices and every person during their life has made choices that were not good for them (for most of us this exploration process takes place in our teen years, however many people with intellectual disabilities do not get to exert their rights to freedom when teenagers…sometimes when they move out as adults it is the first time they have ever had the chance to take risks and participate in trial and error)
MidState Arc’s
Philosophy on Independent Living
The agency is continually re-evaluating its services and redesigning supports to better meet the needs, desires and dreams of the people supported by MidState Arc in their journey to independent living.