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Mentoring a Spirit of Gentleness for Individuals with Disabilities |
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· Quality of Life · Links |
Community-Centered CelebrationsCommunity-Centered Celebrations are an on-going process of deepening and broadening a spirit of companionship and community between a supported person and his/her circle of friends. They are a time to honor the Individual, to reflect on our journey toward companionship and community, and to dream about what is yet to come. The celebrations, which occur quarterly, require active participation from the Individual and the circle of friends. During the celebration, the group reflects on the person's feelings of being safe, engaged, and valued, and his/her actions of returning valuing. This is a time to ask:
The dreams that emerge from this dialogue reflect the needs and longings of the community and the supported person. The circle of friends enters into a collective decision-making process about what is good and just for everyone involved. The process includes up to eight phases (shown below) that occur throughout the year. These phases need to involve the entire circle where each member plays a different role, but where everyone is united by a sense of companionship and community. It is important that the celebrations be flexible to account for the needs of the Individual at the time. The celebrations are the high-point, but the process is on-going and calls for a sense of deep and abiding friendship.
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| EIGHT PHASES | PROCESS |
| 1. Getting ready to dream | An on-going process - making sure that the person has a circle of friends with a deep commitment to companionship. |
| 2. Dreaming | Happening during the year's celebration - imagining the most beautiful future possible. |
| 3. Breaking down the dream | Looking at the possibilities of the dream for the coming year. |
| 4. Grounding in the here-and-now | Taking the year's dream and seeing what we can do right now. |
| 5. Expanding the circle of support | Enrolling other individuals to help the circle of friends. |
| 6. Strengthening the circle of friends | Making sure that the circle deepens its sense of community and dedication to the person. |
| 7. Taking the first steps toward the collective dream | Describing what each member of the circle commits him/herself to in the near future. |
| 8. Ending the celebration and moving on | Having a way to end the celebration in a joyful way and to ensure continuity and the fulfillment of all promises. |
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For more information, view the Community-Centered Celebrations form. This document is the framework for the eight phases. |
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