Collaboration
“We don’t have control over our clients’ lives, and what they do. But we do understand how to communicate with them and work with them to fix problems. We’re problem-solvers at the core of everything.”
What we need to know:
Collaboration is key to developing and keeping adequate housing solutions for individuals with FASD. This means knowing how to work with the individual with FASD, and being guided by what they want and need. This also means connecting different services and supports, including housing, to foster communication between them. In this way, housing becomes part of the support team—and, by extension, is supported by the rest of the team.
Just like there is no “one size fits all” approach, there is no “one person fits all” solution. Supporting housing is a team effort.
Who should be part of the housing team?
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Individuals with FASD have the right to determine their living situation. As such, their team should work together to support their goals—that also includes working together to decide what goals are realistic and achievable. The individual with FASD should always have a seat at the table in discussions about their lives and future.
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For many individuals with FASD, supports play a vital role in fostering communication between landlords and tenants. Support workers help to educate and foster understanding of FASD, which is vital is preventing or dealing with misunderstandings.
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Caregivers are experts in the person they support. They are likely to have years of experience, and have experimented enough to know what works. Services that dismiss the advice of caregivers tend to make mistakes and see failures that could have been avoided. On the other side of the spectrum, supports that work closely with caregivers see much greater success.
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Right now, housing is seen as separate to the rest of the support team. However, housing is impacted by all other aspects of life—and those involved in the housing sector can benefit greatly from improved understanding of FASD, and the simple ways adjustments can be made to help individuals thrive.
Through the work of acting as a team, individuals with FASD can receive comprehensive support in all areas of life.
The topics of FASD and housing are not separate from other areas of life: they don’t fit neatly into their own boxes. But, when making policy, they are often treated like they are. In talking with policymakers, they explained that separate departments that do not work together create their own barriers when trying to make policy for disability and housing.
Policymakers call for the creation of interdepartmental committees or initiatives in order to not only enhance understanding of the topics at hand, but help create relevant, thorough policy when it comes to FASD and housing.
What we need to do:
Collaborate Through Interdependence
Interdependence is the bridge between dependence, and independence. Everyone has different adaptive skills that help them live their daily lives. To make up for any gaps in our skills, we rely on our community. To live well, we live interdependently.
Consider the following questions:
Do you wear glasses?
Have you had your car repaired?
Do you get your groceries from the store?
We rely on our communities to have optometrists, car repair shops, and grocery stores. They make up for the adaptive skills we may not have—like growing your own food!
The balance between adaptive skills and community engagement is different for each person.
This balance will change as we age and grow.
In housing, interdependent living means that individuals with FASD are able to live where they want to, access the levels of support they need, and have their choice of who they live with.
Many housing programs attempt to transition people into what is seen as independent living. However, this view is a fallacy: none of us live completely independently. Even the most capable need supports to thrive.
Interdependency accepts this reality, and encourages us to find our own unique balance. Interdependence encourages us to rely on each other, with all of us contributing our own strengths. In this way, it is intrinsically collaborative.