Beliefs

At WALK we believe that:

We are part of a larger community and work towards improving the quality of life for all people in our community. Our challenge is not only to engage in person-centred processes but rather to use this direction to build Social Capital & Community Life for ALL people. All Personal Outcomes Measures happen in a social context and when we work to achieve Personal Outcomes Goal in the community we are relying on Social Capital. We have strong appreciation for formal and informal networks in our community Life. We use the same resources available to all community members and we believe in the power reciprocal relationships.

Each person is special and unique

Safety and structure are the foundations for success – Service users need to know that staff within WALK care enough about them to expect them to succeed. This is demonstrated by staffs' ability to provide safety and structure and by expecting the best from the person they are supporting.

It is difficult to change - People tend to be naturally resistant and fearful of change. Service users must be guided to try new behaviors, succeed, and be allowed to possibly fail before actual change occurs. Much practice and support must occur before internalization of new behaviors is accomplished.

People desire to do well and succeed – Every person hungers for approval and acceptance.

People have needs - Everyone has fears, insecurities, and basic needs including safety, attention, and belonging. Our job is to attend to these needs and assist service users in learning to fulfill these needs in positive and productive ways.

Emotions are not to be judged - Feelings are not right or wrong. Service users may often have limited communication skills and are unable to distinguish between their thoughts and emotions. They often feel very little control over their behavior and perceive feelings as controlling factors in their lives.

All behavior has a purpose - Behavior is often a symptom of unmet needs. Services within WALK are designed to help address these needs, to help the service user investigate and understand their behavior and its effects, and to explore more healthy alternatives.

People do the best they can with the resources available to them

The family has an important role to play - All members of the family system affect each other. Services provided by WALK take into account the values and behaviors established within the family system. Family input and cooperation is an essential factor in service users lives.

Behavior as a symptom - Problem behavior presented by service users can be symptomatic of other and more deep-seated problems. While it is necessary for the problem behavior to stop, long-term change requires contextual issues and concerns to be identified and addressed.

Core Values

At WALK we are dedicated to:

The empowerment of service users through advocacy.
The design of services which respond to individual person centred plans.
The delivery of services which maximise social inclusion and community participation for all citizens.
To work in partnership with internal and externalstakeholders to develop good practice and to achieve mutually agreed and beneficial outcomes.

We Aim

To provide a comprehensive system of services using a low arousal non-aversive approach, that enable individuals to exercise self determination, be independent, be productive, and be integrated and included in all facets of community life.
To support the service user in their quest for the attainment of individual goals and life experiences through their inclusion and integration into community based resources and facilities

The role we play in the community is as follows;

Active Contributor - to the development of plans to the local community and the City.
Partner - we enter partnerships with community organisations at local, regional and national levels to increase the quality of life for all people.
Informer – we have guided national policy by our involvement with local political parties on national issues and through our membership of the National federation of voluntary bodies.
Leader - we recognise the importance of leadership and as such take leadership roles in our working alliances with other organisations.
Educator – we provide opportunities for all community members to be educated and work in partnership with secondary schools and third level institutes to offer student placement and training.
Facilitator – we facilitate opportunities for staff, service users, families, and other organisational members to build social capital.
Employer – we employ many local people in our service