SUPPORT INNOVATIONS

“Trust men and they will be true to you; 

 treat them greatly and they will show themselves great.” 

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) 

  In the movie "Catch Me If You Can" Frank William Abagnale Jr. covers his identity over and over again as he is chased by the FBI. At one point in the film, he has fallen in love and revealed his identity to his new fiance. In a fluster she begins to panic as they both hear the police knock on the door. 

"We can live anywhere we want!" He tells her. 

"but you have to trust me, Brenda." 

"Do you trust me?" 

  Trust is a very powerful, and vulnerable, tool. To the character above, his ventures and behavior no longer mattered. At the end of the day what mattered most was trust. 

  Everything people do is on display. The things we say, our body language, our interactions, they are all visible cues to who we are and how we think. When people behave in a "negative" manner, it is very noticeable. The same is true when people behave in a "positive" manner. 

  "Sometimes, staff, families etc., 

 focus more on controlling a person’s behavior   

rather than the relationship component." 

  People are complex. Behaviors are our observable actions that allow others to make determinations of “who” we are. It is through behaviors we determine if we “like” someone.  

  Behaviors are also learned. So while trust is imperative in a relationship, it may not fully guarantee eliminating disruptive, harmful, or illegal behavior. It can be hard for people to get past looking at behavior. Yet that is the key in building strong relationships.  

The less we focus on behavior, and the more we focus on building trust, the better our relationships will be. However, if we are looking to replace behavior, trust alone will not instill more appropriate coping skills/behaviors to replace disruptive, harmful, illegal ones.  

  "By paying less attention to behavior,  we may actually be encouraging behaviors." 

  This notion extends to all people, of all backgrounds and abilities. Yet keep in mind each person is unique. We all have detailed backgrounds, we are all specific. Behaviors can be replaced through sound behavioral management. 

The question, then,  we must always ask ourselves is "In what ways can I work on building trust with this specific person?" And then "What person specific techniques can be utilized in replacing the behavior?" 

*Want to know more about behavioral modification? Here is a good start. 

http://www.crisisprevention.com/Resources/Article-Library/Nonviolent-Crisis-Intervention-Training-Articles/10-Ways-to-Enhance-Relationships-and-Communica

  By Geries Shaheen 

Co-author: JoAnn Becker 

   About the Author

Geries Shaheen is the team leader at Support Innovations WestCentre. He graduated from Lincoln Christian University and is currently pursuing a master's degree from Lindenwood University. Follow Support Innovations  Here

  JoAnn Becker is the associate director at Support Innovations. 

Support Innovations is an adult day service designed for people with developmental disabilities located in St. Louis Missouri. For more information on Person- Centered philosophy, and how it is being implemented at Support Innovations Centres, feel free to 

The story of Romeo and Juliet is classifiedas a tragedy. (Warning Spoilers ahead). 

Two star crossed lovers, finding love impossible to exist, leading up to their unfortunate suicides. 

On 9/11/ 2001, the Twin Towers were attacked. Thousands were killed and injured. It was a tragedy that to this day still affects the world.

If you google search 'famous tragedies' you will find the following; Titanic, Holocaust, Columbine, Virginia Tech, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Kent State shooting, Rwanda, Romanov Family, Wars (I, II, Vietnam, etc), Princess Diana, Triangle Shirt Factory Fire, Iraq war, Darfur.

What you will not find is an inquiry result of people with developmental disabilities.

When you read through the list of tragedies and try to insert the name of someone you know, it doesn't work. Now, if that person was in the Towers when they came down, or on the Titanic, or in the car with Princess Diana, that would be tragic, but not because of the person's disability. 

Tragedy is a human experience, not limited to anyone’s abilities. One concept that reigns true at Support Innovations is that “Disability” does not equal tragedy.

People might be suffering and have a disability, but that doesn’t mean the person is suffering because of the disability. It is a very simple notion, one that is often 

disregarded. Too many times are the statements "Poor guy." or "What a sad situation." heard, when that may simply not be the case.

Disability may or may not include tragedy, it is just a facet of a person’s life, not a defining limitation. True tragedies transcend disability.

Support Innovations is an adult day service designed for people with developmental disabilities located in St. Louis Missouri. For more information on Person- Centered philosophy, and how it is being implemented at Support Innovations Centres, feel free to contact us via website, email, or Facebook.

By Geries Shaheen

About the Author

  How often do you find yourself adjusting your lifestyle to meet society’s expectations? For a person with typical abilities, one might have to be patient with traffic in the morning, maybe even hold their tongue during an offensive conversation, meeting or email. How about beyond that? Would that person find themselves unable to open a door because it was missing a doorknob? Or how about unable to get to their apartment because a stairway was never built in the building? These issues may not arise for a person with typical abilities. What makes that so?

  For some strange reason, society has skewed certain standards of meanings, and in turn behaviors. This is evident with people who do not have typical abilities. Words such as 'handicapped, special, or accessible' have been deemed to hold with them meanings that may not be very accurate or true.

  Take for example "Handicapped/ special/ accessible" buses. Society has created a distinct 'other' portrait of disabilities. The suggestion of utilizing a more accessible bus indicates a sense of hardship in most people’s minds. In reality if all buses were 'accessible', then there would be no focus on requiring a specially designed bus for certain individuals. If all buses had more room and utilized lifts, people would not be able to distinguish or label one bus from the other. 

  This concept can be seen all through culture. Take a quick look around you. What aspects of your world do you find hold distinctions, labels, or negative connotations? If true equality existed throughout our communities and in our minds, then the need for specialized terminology would perhaps be nonexistent. People who do not have typical abilities are bombarded with labels, diagnosis, and expectations. If anything, people who do not have typical abilities may not be seeking belonging to a subculture predesigned and executed for them, but rather live in the larger culture that exists. 

  It all starts with perspective. Once our perspective changes so do our words and actions. May we always strive to first ask before we implement, question before we answer, and regard before distinguish.

   Support Innovations is an adult day service designed for people with developmental disabilities located in St. Louis Missouri. For more information on Person- Centered philosophy, and how it is being implemented at Support Innovations Centres, feel free to contact us via website, email, or Facebook.

  By Geries Shaheen

About the Author

    To the general public, the term 'disability' can be very confusing. It is often misused and thrown around.  

          When someone describes a person      as having a mental disability, what do they mean? Do they mean that person has an intellectual disability? Or do they have a cognitive disability? ‘Mentally disabled,’ in addition to often being used as a slur, is not very accurate.   

          When in a situation where disability is involved     , take the time to know specifically what is being referenced. It can be very disrespectful to wrongfully label a person , or at all.   

          Don't forget      that the true conversation at hand really isn't the disability, but the person. The person is being addressed, not their abilities. Wouldn't it be a very strange world if everyone started their conversation by asking the other person if they can; spell their name, recite why they take their medicine, or know what to do if the fire alarm were to go off?   

          These questions are obviously very important     , and they ought to be answered. However the      approach      in asking these question must be conducted with tact and respectfulness, as well as in a very natural and non biased way.   

          So remember, before basing a statement around the label of 'mentally disabled', first try and focus on the person and then how specifically they are diagnosed if needed.   

               Support Innovations is an adult day service designed for people with developmental disabilities located in St. Louis Missouri. For more information on Person- Centered philosophy, and how it is being implemented at Support Innovations Centres, feel free to contact us via website, email, or Facebook.   

  By Geries Shaheen

  About the Author

Every year parents and guardians attend an annual meeting to discuss their relative's experiences from the past year. They run through everyday routines while the case manager, and support team, write down the needs, supports, and personality of the customer. All this information is secured in their Individualized Support Plan. 

Once the parent or guardian is finished, they usually take a moment and say something along the lines of "Wow, that's a lot more information than I thought, I keep forgetting how much goes into our day!". 

Continually going through the motions year after year places  families in a state of normalcy. They begin to feel as though what they do on a daily basis is what should, and will always, be expected of them. That is not necessarily the case. There are resources that benefit families. Resources that only case managers would know about. 

One way to discover these resources is to develop open communication with your case manager. Case managers can only give out their help when they know there is a need. Case managers are amazing at what they do. However, they can not be expected to read minds.

Many parents and guardians fly through their meeting at first, and miss out on these resources. When this happens at Support Innovations, the support team asks them to slow down and walk through their day, hour by hour. The team asks, 

"What would this person's day look like with you in it, and then what would it look like if you took yourself out of the equation." 

This process usually helps filter out the true needs that exist. Then, the parent feels less like they are complaining, and more self aware of their lives. They become more open to utilizing new resources. Everyone wins.

By Geries Shaheen

About the Author