BRITISH COLUMBIA

PEOPLE FIRST

Handbook

For Local Chapter

People First Meetings

Different kinds of groups

There are lots of different groups that meet in places where we go for services. These groups can have different names such as:

  • Self Advocacy Groups
  • Speak for Yourself Groups
  • User Meetings in Day Program Centres
  • Client Meetings
  • Student Council
  • Tenant Meetings

Staff usually take part in these meetings in some way.

People First think that staff should not take part in our meetings.

If someone in the group needs some support, this is ok.

The support person should be from outside the place where these meetings are.

What to do before the meeting

  • Help come up with ideas for things to talk about at the meeting (making the agenda)
  • Phone people
  • Make sure transportation is available if needed.
  • Work with the secretary to do the notes from the meeting.
  • Make phone calls and write letters if needed.
  • If the group wants somebody to speak at a meeting, the Chair can ask this person to attend.

What the Chairperson can do

In the meeting,

  • Welcome everyone and call the meeting to order
  • Go over the agenda for the meeting
  • Read through the notes from the last meeting.
  • Make sure that everyone knows what is happening at the meeting.
  • Make sure that everyone who wants to talk has a chance.
  • Make sure that only one person speaks at a time.

What the Secretary can do

In the meeting:

  • Take notes of the meeting, if they are able to write
  • Support other members of the group
  • Help to fill in forms to get money

Outside the meeting:

  • Check who is coming to the meetings and who is not
  • Work with the Chairperson to do the notes from the last meeting.

Other Jobs

There are other jobs that might need to be done. The group can decide who does these jobs.

For example, people could take turns doing different kinds of jobs such as:

  • Making tea and coffee
  • Washing up after the meeting
  • Collecting money for the tea, coffee and cookies
  • Opening up the building where the meeting is
  • Locking up the building when the meeting is finished.
  • Making sure everything is clean before leaving.

Sample Agenda

1)Call the meeting to order

2)Approval of agenda

3)Roll call

4)Minutes of the last meeting

5)Chairperson’s report

6)Treasurer’s report

7)Old business

  1. ______
  2. ______
  3. ______
  4. ______

8)New business

  1. ______
  2. ______
  3. ______
  4. ______

9)Next meeting

10)Adjourn

What are People First groups for?

  • Talking to each other about things that matter to us.
  • Supporting each other.
  • Learning new things.
  • Meeting new people and making new friends.
  • Getting to know each other.
  • Having some fun.

Why are People First groups important?

  • They can make us strong.
  • We can get control over our lives.
  • We can have a say in what happens in our lives.

Whoshould go to People First meetings?

  • Only people who have some sort of disability.

Who should not go?

  • Staff, parents or caregivers should not go to our meetings.

Why not?

  • People First meetings are only for us because we need a chance to talk to each other.
  • We need to talk about what is important to us, not what is important to staff, parents or caregivers.
  • We need to sort things out for ourselves.

BC People First

Membership Form

Name: ______

Address: ______

City: ______Prov: ______

Postal Code: ______Phone: ______

Email address: ______

Membership fee of $1.00 per year per person to go to British Columbia People First.

Each local People First chapter to decide on any additional fees.

$ ______for the year ______.

Please send a copy of membership form to the President of British Columbia People First.

BC People First

Nomination Form

(Send to local or regional executive.)

I would like to nominate:

Name: ______

Address: ______

______

Phone: ______Email: ______

to stand for election as the (city) ______Regional Board Member for BC People First.

I understand that the person I have nominated above:

  1. Must be a paid member in good standing of a local or regional People First Group prior to an election.
  1. Must accept this nomination in person at the election meeting of (city) ______Regional People First.
  1. Must understand the roles and responsibilities of a BC People First Board Member prior to an election.
  1. Must be present to be elected.

BC People First

What is important to be a BC People First Board Member?

  1. A paid member in good standing of a local or regional People First group.
  1. A desire for a leadership role.
  1. Have an active and volunteer Advisor.
  1. An ability to travel as necessary.
  1. Volunteer time and commitment to work on projects of the Board.
  1. An ability to communicate clearly in person, in writing, on the telephone (this may involve your Advisor).
  1. A sincere, honest, respectful approach to all people.
  1. A desire to learn and share information.
  1. To work as a fair team player.

Advocacy

Advocacy simply means PROMOTION – promoting your message and persuading the others to do what you want.

By law, disabled people have a right to a certain quality and equality in living. The right to equality in such things as:

Housing

Transportation

Employment

Education

Accessibility in Public Places

Adequate home and medical services

Usable communication and information services

By law, we have a right to certain quality and equality in our living, not as a favour, but something due to us as citizens – Section 15 of the CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOM.

ADVOCACY IS NOT EASY; IT IS HARD WORK

Advocacy means:

  • addressing unequal opportunities and righting wrongs
  • making people do things they do not want to do; otherwise they would have done it in the first place
  • challenging people in authority and therefore taking away a little bit of their power.

Citizen Advocacy

Providing a voice for those who might otherwise not be heard.

Citizen Advocacy proclaims that all people, no matter what their disabilities, have the right to full participation in life, through access to resources and the opportunities for personal growth and development. In order to embrace these high ideals, we must shift the focus from our disabilities to our abilities.

Good Advocacy is . . .

POSTIVENo one needs more problems, always advocate for solutions, not problems.

PERONSALTarget your goal on a particular person. Target thedecision maker.

ACTION-ORIENTEDLet the other person know what you want them

to do.

DETAILEDBe as detailed and specific as possible.

Advocacy is . . . Advocacy is not . . .

ADVOCACY IS:

. / Helping people help themselves / . / Agitating to get legislation implemented
. / Building confidence so people are able to help themselves / . / Organizing for change
. / Supporting efforts toward independence / . / Initiating new services
. / Providing necessary tools for appropriate decisions and appropriate action / . / Investigating grievances
. / Informing peopl of their rights / . / Following up on complaints
. / Helping people get their rights / . / Going to court when other avenues have failed to get results
. / Analyzing a problem and pinpointing areas of responsibility / . / Bringing people and groups together for mutual support and action
. / Stating options available to resolve a problem / . / Advocating and/or interceding on behalf of peopleonly when they are unable to help themselves
. / Providing assistance in locating appropriate services / . / A partnership with people, with mutual sharing of information, tasks and action
. / Referring to appropriate agencies / . / Lobbying for necessary legislation

ADVOCAY IS NOT:

. / Taking over a persons life (or problem) and making all decisions for him/her / . / Closing the door to people because “there’s nothing I can do to help”
. / Squelching efforts of self-help / . / Keeping “hands off” of politics
. / Reinforcing feelings of helplessness and dependence / . / Acting the status quo when legislation is not implemented
. / Keeping people in the dark while doing everything for them / . / Seeking individual solutions to group problems
. / Keeping people uninformed about their rights, so they will have to rely on the advocate for everything / . / Accepting unavailability and inadequacy of services
. / Discouraging people from becoming activities / . / Denying existence of problems reported
. / Making excuses for unavailability or inadequacy of services / . / Dropping a complaint after initial contact
. / Making decisions for people / . / Filing a lawsuit as the first approach to a problem
. / Controlling people / . / Working only with individuals when others share a mutual problem
. / Persuading people to accept “make do” services / . / Interceding on behalf of people who can help themselves

Six Steps in Self Advocacy

  1. Talking

The first step in becoming a self advocate is to talk about our own lives. We need to talk about what has happened to us. This includes things that make us angry and hurt us, and things that make us happy.

  1. Listening

This means letting other people with mental handicaps talk about what has happened to them. It is important not to judge people. We should let other people talk about their feelings without saying they are wrong for having those feelings.

  1. Sharing Information

This means giving and getting information so we know what is going on in our community. It also means teaching ourselves and others what our rights are and how to protect them. Be sure and use words that everyone understands.

  1. Meeting in Small Groups

Getting together in small groups helps. People talking together makes us stronger. Big groups are harder to talk in.

  1. Taking Action

This means doing something about our problems. There comes a time when we must do something, not just talk about it.

  1. Looking Back

After we do something it is important to talk about how it went. What worked well and where does change still need to happen.

How to Start a Self Advocacy Group

Starting a self advocacy group is one way to learn about your rights. People can help each other get the things they need to live better lives.

Here are some tips:

  1. Talk to friends who are self advocates. Ask them to come to a meeting to talk about starting a group.
  1. The group can be big or small. Three or four people is a good start.
  1. The people in the group should decide how they want to run the meetings. Some groups have presidents and vice-presidents. Others don’t.
  1. Pick a place to meet. It could be somebody’s home, a room in a community club or a church.
  1. If you need help running the group, ask people who you trust or people who have started a group of their own.
  1. Make sure everyone gets to talk and make sure everyone listens.
  1. Invite people from your community to come and talk with your group about things you want to learn.
  1. Don’t forget to have fun. Your group can have a potluck supper, videos, dances or parties. People like to have a good time.
  1. Brainstorm ideas for raising money. Bake sales, garage sales and raffles are some ways to get money for the group.
  1. Spread the word. Get new people involved.

What does it mean?

Representative: / Someone you choose to speak for you and your needs
Monitor: / To check up on something and make sure it is working
Agreement: / When two or more people (or groups) come to a decision that is okay with each of them.
Guardian: / Someone who makes all the decisions for a person when the law thinks they cannot make their own decisions
Public Guardian and Trustee: / A government person in BC who makes decisions for you when the law decides you cannot make your own decisions
Accountable/Accountability: / Being responsible to others for the things you do.
Legal: / Issues that have to do with the law
Alternatives: / Different ways of doing things.
Legislation: / The way the government makes laws.
Self-determination: / The right to decide what you want to do about your life.
Care Facilities: / Hospitals, institutions, large group homes, etc.
Competence/Capability: / Being able to make important decisions about your life
Abuse: / When someone hurts you in any way.
Substitute Decision-Maker: / Someone who makes decisions for you when your representative cannot.

Challenge to Change

Issues in the Support of Self Advocates

With the increasing involvement of self advocates in organizations for people with mental handicaps, it has become obvious that we must do more than pass motions or add mentally handicapped people to committees if they are to have real, effective input. Agreeing to create more meaningful involvement necessitates looking at some of the broader problems that have limited people’s participation. Whether it’s the language we use or the volume of information being processed, there are many ways in which our associations are inaccessible to people with mental handicaps.

In addition, few self advocates have had the opportunity to learn the complicated skills or acquire the political sophistication demanded in their new roles. More importantly, attitudes rooted in all of us, whether or not we have an intellectual handicap, have limited the amount of time and energy we have put into changing this situation.

While many of us have recognized that support is the key factor in increasing integration, what is not as easily recognized are the complexities involved in providing that support.

General Support

Mentally handicapped people need initial support in understanding our organizations work and in accessing the various resources that are available to them. Support in this sense is crucial because once people become involved in our organizations, many changes can occur in their lives. These changes cover a broad range: from learning to manage a travel advance to dealing with the fear and anxiety their involvement creates for those she/he is close to. Many self advocates get caught up in the excitement of being involved without being cognizant of the tensions it can cause in relationships with people they have known all their lives. As the self advocate begins to change, and especially if she/he becomes more assertive and outspoken, a great deal of anxiety may result for family, friends or co-workers. Understanding this, we have a responsibility to help the self advocate deal with the changes and wherever possible, find a way to ensure that their lives are enhanced through their involvement.

Besides this initial support, self advocates need ongoing support that enables them to hone their ability to effectively participate. This necessitates a variety of new skills.

One of the skills that a few self advocates have needed to develop is that of self evaluation. Consequently, they often have difficulty assessing what they have done well and where they need to improve their skills. Self evaluation is an important skill because it enables us to make the decisions about how or why we are going to change how we act or function. Too often self advocates respond solely on the basis of feedback from others, yet independent decision making in an organizational context is crucial to more effective participation. There is a tendency on the part of self advocates to see things in absolutes where their performance was either wonderful or disastrous. Analyzing the specific aspects of their performance is extraordinarily difficult, partly because we as professionals, parents or volunteers have learned to focus on constant, positive reinforcement. Generally, self advocates are told their contribution was “fine”, making it difficult for them to learn how to accept constructive criticism or how to self evaluate. Obviously, positive reinforcement is essential because it creates a more conducive environment for learning, but honest, constructive feedback is equally necessary.

I have seen many situations where self advocates speak up but what they are saying is unrelated or too personal for the current discussion. However, the non-handicapped treat it as an embarrassing blunder. There’s a moment of uncomfortable silence and then we carry on as if nothing happened. This does a real disservice to mentally handicapped people because it indicates that we are not prepared to treat them as people capable of valuable insights. Unfortunately, it also reveals our lack of faith. We don’t believe that they can change so we don’t challenge the self advocates. Yet through the process of challenge, they have the chance to learn new, more effective ways of participating. In fact, self advocates have frequently told me that they want this feedback because it give them the power to respond to others’ concerns. Constructive criticism is not damaging and it gives self advocates the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and from their successes. Acknowledging someone’s good ideas is equally important, but it requires careful listening to overcome our deep rooted assumptions that someone with a mental handicap will not have useful suggestions for solving complex problems.

I believe that ultimately we must set high expectations for both self advocates and the non-handicapped. High expectations for the disabled are necessary because setting seemingly unreachable goals is an integral part of change. Having high expectations of people with intellectual handicaps challenges deeply ingrained attitudes and beliefs about mentally handicapped people. We must provide the support which enables mentally handicapped people to participate effectively or we will be guilty of tokenizing them. Not every intellectually handicapped person will contribute in the same way, but if we have the expectation that self advocates can play leadership roles then they will emerge as indeed I believe they are emerging now.

Critical to this discussion is the question of self advocates playing leadership roles within the organization. To do this, mentally handicapped people must develop some very sophisticated political skills.

For instance, most of us understand how important discretion is in dealing with sensitive issues such as policy development and negotiations. Understanding what information is confidential and why is essential. Only when I had the opportunity to teach discretion to someone who has a mental disability, did I begin to understand what a complex idea discretion is and therefore what complex skills are required in exercising it. Initially I thought it would be easy to teach. Discretion means not telling people things they shouldn’t know. Right? Sounds easy! It’s not nearly that easy! What I learned is that most of us are “discretely indiscrete” all the time. We know how to assess a situation involving a variety of people and determine who to tell a piece of information to and what the potential consequences of revealing information might be. We also know how to protect ourselves when we do that. Very complicated skills are involved in assessing who a person is, thinking of them in the context of connections, and therefore the potential consequences of telling them something. Sophisticated strategizing and thinking is involved and mentally handicapped people have to develop those skills in order to be fully involved in this organization. Yet, very few self advocates understand these skills, not because they are incapable of doing so, but because these things are not critical survival skills.