Introduction
In our community-based day programs, staff assist people to access their local community, using the person’s home as a base. The day program operates Monday through Friday from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. Activities may include recreation, adult education, volunteer work, social activities, and part-time supported employment. Individuals are encouraged to use generic community resources as much as possible, for example public transit and community recreation facilities. The focus is on developing lifeskills and pre-employment skills, enhancing social networks, and increasing the person’s repertoire of leisure interests. Most of the individuals also receive residential service from Spectrum. Spectrum’s day programs are funded primarily by the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
Many of the people in this program came to Spectrum from Woodlands institution with no formal education or previous community training. Initially, our efforts focused on exploring different activities to get a sense of each person’s interests; gradually, we built on one or two interests to create full schedules of community-based activities. Depending on their particular interests, individual programs may include recreation (swimming, hiking, bowling), functional daily living skills (banking, shopping), and for many, supported work - all impressive activities for people who were described by institutional staff as having "no community awareness" and being "totally unsuitable for vocational activity". People who once spent every day, all day, sitting on a hospital ward are now walking dogs for the S.P.C.A., delivering meals to homebound seniors, and sipping cappuccino with friends on Commercial Drive. To our knowledge, no other day program for people with severe mental handicaps provides the extent of community-based programming that Spectrum offers.
For more information, contact Aaron Johannes