Vision, Mission and Values

Our Vision:

An inclusive community where each citizen is valued as a unique individual, welcomed to participate and contribute in meaningful ways.

Our Mission:

Our mission is "to support and empower individuals to become valued members of their community". This means that we believe that each citizen can become a valued and vital part of the life of their community.

Our Values:

Individualized Approach - we believe in individualized services rather than programming, and independent living rather than 'group living'; our focus is entirely on the person

Citizenship - we believe that all people are citizens with inherent rights and responsibilities, no matter who they are

Community First - we believe in the potential of the community to provide us with what we need

Our Principles of Service:

People:  The people accessing our services must be viewed as individuals each with their own ideas and desires. Our understanding of them and their life situation should be based on our own life experiences.

Freedom: Every effort must be made to ensure the maximum amount of freedom for people while providing for personal safety.  People should ultimately be free from emotional dependence on service systems.

Choice:  Our services must encourage and assist people to make their own choices about the lives that they lead.

Responsibilities:  We should encourage responsible choices, and encourage individuals to assume responsibility for their lives and community.

Rights:  We must encourage people to recognize and obtain their social rights.  We will assist and empower individuals who, for whatever reasons, are unable to obtain their rights.

Help:  All people require assistance with aspects of the process of living during their lifetime.  We must identify where help is needed and wanted and provide help in a manner that does not create excessive dependence. Other sources of help must be acknowledged and used.

Friends and Family:  The normal desire for human relationships with friends and family will be encouraged and assisted where desired by the individual.

Value:  Everything we do must enhance the inherent value to individuals.  Efforts to teach society to value all persons should be made.  People must have the experience of learning what is valued by society.

Growth:  We believe in the ability of all individuals to grow.  Independence, relationships and personal growth should be encouraged.  The normal human experiences of the life cycle should be able to be experienced.

Participation:  Involvement as an equal member of the community must be encouraged.  Ownership and sharing of community resources should be made possible.

Work and Leisure:  People should be empowered to make choices about how they will participate in work and leisure.  Work should allow a person to be economically productive and to take ownership providing the opportunity for sharing and charitable giving.

Home:  People must have the experience of privacy, equity and comfort in their own home.  They should have the ability to live with significant others or to live alone in the manner that they choose.

Community:  Community is people, more so than a place.  Basic human needs include the need to live and be valued in a series of special, individual relationships.  This includes both making and receiving various kinds of contributions.  Every effort must be made to develop and enhance a person’s value in their social network and in the community of Ingersoll.

Service Agency:  Our assumption is that some individuals require varied assistance in fully experiencing community living.  It is our practice to look in the community first, to meet individual needs.  The service agency exists to provide economically responsible, quality service.  Our service is a relentless quest to put the interests of the people who access the services in a position of priority.