Towards Better | Consultation agency

Towards Better

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25.01.2022 HAPPY FRIDAY!! . I love how creative artists (musicians, visual artists, comedians) can bring light to the sometimes harsh realities of life through their work. . Check out Peter's wonderful song about "Outings"...and remember, as you go into the weekend, "Role Goals" not "Activities & Outings".... https://youtu.be/eeUygRjM2V8 . . #towardsbetter #townsville #socialrolevalorization

25.01.2022 I was reminded today about the "Ordinary Path" and how fragile this can be at any moment. Let me explain... . I heard a story about an adult who had started their life on a separate path filled with a few things on the right side such as therapies, sheltered work (where people make less than $8 per hour in most cases!), and a day program. . The individual, their family, and a "glass half full" support worker began exploring potential options to find rich unpaid relationships ...Continue reading

25.01.2022 Awesome morning & afternoon at the Townsville Disc Golf Association Aussie Golf Day 2020 . Really cool how welcoming everyone was to myself and the person I was working alongside. . .... #towardsbetter #towardsbettertownsville See more

24.01.2022 There is a saying that goes like, "Where your focus goes your energy flows". For me, this means that where we put our focus, leads to where we put our time and energy. . Our focus also dictates our actions and can be, in itself, a "self-fulfilling prophecy" (AKA it leads to the exact things we are trying to prevent). . For example, if we are trying to prevent the exclusion of people with a disability (or to promote inclusion), but we focus on the "separateness" of that pers...on from others (such as their diagnosis, their "needy-ness" needs, their barriers), then we are likely to put our time and energy into finding separate "solutions" to address that focus. And what might come from that is even more exclusion (self-fulfilling prophecy). The same thing can happen if we focus on problems (what's wrong) with a person or situation. . However, if we are trying to prevent exclusion (and promote inclusion) and we focus on what is strong about a person (their gifts, talents, and potential contributions) and what is strong about communities, then we will likely find possibilities that lead to opportunities. . I am not saying that we shouldn't focus on needs or problems, BUT that should not be our starting point, our primary focus or emphasis...ever. . . #towardsbetter #towardsbettertownsville See more

24.01.2022 Excerpts from The Limitations and Vulnerabilities of Individual Support Arrangements by Michael Kendrick . INCLUDING things to keep in mind as you struggle with your responsibilities . .... #towardsbetter #townsville See more

24.01.2022 If you did not know already, our work at Towards Better is based on the something called Social Role Valorization (or SRV). . In short the basic belief of us (and SRV) is that the Goof Things in Life (like money, belonging, friends, purpose, safety & security etc etc) are more likely to be experienced by people who hold valued social roles than if they do not. . So a major goal of our work (and SRV) is to create or support socially valued roles for people in Townsville, be...cause if a person holds valued social roles, that person is highly likely to receive from society those good things in life that are available or at least the opportunities for obtaining these. . Many of you would have roles that give you access to the good things in life. For example, a valued social role of ‘employee’ or ‘business owner’ (assuming it is open, full paid work) gives purpose, money, valued relationships, home, health, and opportunities to pursue hobbies outside of work, friends, etc. . Traditionally, there is a major focus on activities and outings where people are only in the role of client. In fact many people spend entire weeks in client hood with weeks filled with services, therapies, appointments, group programs...even some people who appear to be in the employee role may only be there due to government funding from employment agency and thus still a client. . Our work at Towards Better focuses on Role Goals and uses both the enhancement of people’s social image in the eyes of others AND the enhancement of their competencies to bring about those valued social role. . Cheers to that and Wolf Wolfensberger, the man who created SRV. . https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_Wolfensberger See more

23.01.2022 Any guess what’s on the cards for ‘Towards Better’ tonight?!

23.01.2022 HAPPY MONDAY! What better way to start off the week than focusing on the "Glass Half Full". Here is a wonderful work opportunity I was sent today. Please have a look, share onward, and if you want some help to apply or do some thinking around future work roles, please dont hesitate to get in touch! ............................................................................................................................................ If you or someone you know has a passion for helping your Mob and community, get ready to launch your career with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traineeship with the Queensland Government Department of Housing and Public Works. The traineeship is for First Nations Queenslanders aged 16-25 years who are looking to build a career in business administration, community services, IT or social housing. https://www.hpw.qld.gov.au/about/initiatives/atsitraineeship This opportunity enables you to earn and learn, and your work will impact and transform lives. We have strong connections to the communities we serve across Queenslandfrom Brisbane to Rockhampton, to Cairns and up to the Torres Strait. By choosing a traineeship with us, you’ll support the diverse work we do and have access to the right support to launch your career. You’ll receive: paid work at a real job a nationally recognised qualification hands-on learning training mentoring. The traineeship can be completed full-time or part-time around school, sport or family commitments. Go online to learn more about the program and watch real stories of past trainees. Potential applicants for this or other employment opportunities may be eligible for support through the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Youth Employment Program (YEP) which has a focus on transition into employment. If you would like some more information on our YEP program and /or some support with your application to apply to these opportunities please don’t hesitate to contact our team at DATSIP YEP team via email [email protected] or phone 07 3080 4700.

23.01.2022 Found this bad boy in my pile of old electronics I might need one day. . So many good games like minesweeper and snake! To re activate or not, hmm... . #fridayfunnies

22.01.2022 A mindset is simply a setting of the mind. Is yours on open? . . Our mindsets, attitudes, beliefs determine how we judge people (as either valued or devalued), which then leads to how we treat people (positively or negatively). There’s a lot more to it (based on Social Role Valorization Theory) but this is a start! .... Additionally, what we believe, what we expect and what we think about people determines our response towards people. . Not sure on your mindset?! The first step is acknowledging to yourself that each and every one of us has old, learned hidden biases that need examining. And it’s our responsibility to check in with ourselves on our stereotypes, judgements and beliefs. Then ask yourself how might I shift or alter these? . Is changing your mindset the answer to everything or the be all and end all? Well...NO of course it’s not. BUT, if we can simply start by reconsidering where the attitudes and limits that we place on things really are, then we can start to shift our setting of the mind towards open. . We all owe it to ourselves and others to move Towards Better! . . #towardsbetter #townsville #socialrolevalorization See more

21.01.2022 Are you going to the Community Information Centre Townsville's "Together Townsville" Lunch?! . I know I am! . For more info on the event, check out their Facebook/Instagram and the Eventbrite link below:... . https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/together-townsville-lunch-t See more

19.01.2022 Thank you again to all the phenomenal humans of Townsville who turned up for the two-day "Asset Based Community Development (ABCD)" workshop last week! . You, ladies and gentleman, are the reason it went off without a "hitch"...absolutely magical! . I would describe you as 15 human sponges, keen to soak up all they could about ABCD, to share their "head, heart, and hand", and to use these tools and principles to truly uncover the gifts and talents of individuals and communiti...es. . This picture will never do justice to the energy, the swirling conversations, and the "ah-ha" moments that we experienced together for those two days. . Personally, I would also like to thank my mentor, co-teacher, and phenomenal Community Development Worker, Fee Sanders, for all her wisdom, guidance, support to make it such a value-packed two days. . Go well all you Community Development enthusiasts and remember "Every single person has capacities, abilities, gifts and ideas and living a good life depends on whether those capacities can be used, abilities expressed, gifts are given and ideas shared" (John McKnight). . #towardsbetter #towardsbettertownsville #AssetBasedCommunityDevelopment See more

19.01.2022 Fantastic workshop coming to Townsville next week! . . We are sending one of our team who has lived experience and would highly encourage any individuals and families with lived experience of disability to make the time to attend. .... https://events.humanitix.com/belonging-townsville . #towardsbettertownsville #townsvilleinclusion See more

19.01.2022 ITS FINALLY HERE!! Could not be more excited (and of course some pre-workshop jitters) to deliver this fantastic ABCD Workshop with my good friend Fee over the next two days. . #AssetBasedCommunityDevelopment

19.01.2022 I would love to take a minute to express my sincerest condolences to the family of Jennifer Board. While I didn’t know her personally, I can imagine what it’s like to lose a child. My hope is that as a community we can find a way for something even slightly positive to come from this. And meanwhile that our community can continue to execute our utmost empathy for her family. ... Everyone has the opportunity to do something, to be better, and to support each other. -Ricky-

18.01.2022 Hope everyone had a great weekend! . This weekend, I had the opportunity to work alongside someone at a singles group, hence the singles memes. . He and I are working on his role as a single bloke interested in dating. I wanted to use this example and highlight this role and experience to compare the difference in thinking about roles versus activities and outings. Let me explain...... . If our focus was activities or outings, we would address his interest in meeting women his own age by going for a walk down the strand where lots of people are, or joining a disability only program or other daytime activity based groups. . Instead, with a focus on the role goal of single and dating, we have: continued to explore online dating including learning how to safely and normatively use the apps, examine his personal likes dislikes and preferences in a potential partner, continually practiced conversation starters and skills, built competencies around outfit selection, enhanced his image through a variety of methods, helped him create and use social media, gone to a variety of local date type spots during evenings and weekends to understand more about the vibe and etiquette, joined a local singles group and attended a variety of singles events...just to name a few! . The potency and relevance of role goals towards addressing real human needs (such as love, belonging, meaning, rich relationships) is so much more than that of activities and outings. . So excited to see where things go as we move ‘Towards Better’ . . #towardsbetter #townsville #towardsbettertownsville See more

17.01.2022 Happy Fathers Day to all the Dads, Step Dads, and sons out there and to those who’s dads who are no longer with them. . Blessed to be a dad . Hope you all had a wonderful day and here’s to another great week ahead. Cheers!

16.01.2022 Burning rubber

15.01.2022 Question #2 in our series of "What to ask a Human Service Provider" is "What networks are you a part of"? . It is helpful to work with an organization that is well connected and can leverage its networks to assist you. Asking this question will help you see how well connected they are and if their connections align with your values. . Here is who we are connected with, just to name a few (so grateful for each and every one):... . Community Information Centre Townsville . CRU - Community Resource Unit Ltd. . ASRVA - Australian Social Role Valorisation Association . International SRV Association - ISRVA / ABCD Asia Pacific . Townsville Business Development Centre . Smart Precinct NQ . Queensland Social Enterprise Council . Joanne Lynam - Speaker and Author . ACON . Strive Lane - Developing Tomorrow's Leaders . Baseball Association Townsville . Values in Action Association (QLD State SRV Group) . I am sure there are a few more that are slipping my mind (but still very important)... . #towardsbettertownsville See more

15.01.2022 Great list of NDIS National Disability Insurance Scheme and Disability related sites from The Growing Space . #towardsbettertownsville #ndistownsville

14.01.2022 Happy Monday legends! . Hope you all had a lovely weekend and are as excited as I am for opportunities that a new week brings! . PS- If you’ve never been to the Booyah Bean Team - Townsville at Thuringowa Library, you’re missing out an a beautiful coffee!

14.01.2022 #TuesdayThoughts . If the BIG problem facing people with disabilities is ongoing prejudice, ongoing marginalization, isolation, rejection, or for people with a disability to get "on the ordinary path" of life and have lives like people who do not have a disability... . Then what are some potential solutions?! ... . Have a watch and a listen of seven really potent propositions for fruitful Directive Control from my friend and mentor Jane Sherwin. . https://youtu.be/UenhFVLhWPk . pic desc: The picture is a visual model of Directive Control created by Jane Sherwin. It contains a picture of two cliffs with a bridge in between connecting the two. The land on the left has a sign that says service life and the land on the right has a sign that says better life. The bridge has two decks running from left to right. One says "relationships" and the other says "democratic paradigm". In between the decks are four piers which are called continuum of authority, negotiations, capacity building and structural change. See more

14.01.2022 What do you do after you train other people in Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) work all day?! . You go do ABCD work alongside someone all night . #gemclub #walkthetalk #abcdtownsville

11.01.2022 #saturdayspotlight . Goes to LiteHaus International . Social Inclusion doesn’t have just one definition, but at its core, it means, ‘All People’. Whether it is the inclusion of ‘all people’ through the distribution of digital devices across Australia and PNG or the inclusion of ‘all people’ in their dynamic team here in Townsville, they truly bring out the best in everyone..... . Social Inclusion doesn’t have just one definition, but at its core, it means, ‘All People’. Whether it is the inclusion of ‘all people’ through the distribution of digital devices across Australia and PNG or the inclusion of ‘all people’ in their dynamic team here in Townsville, they truly do all they can to bring out the best in everyone. . If you are an organisation that wants to contribute to a local, purpose driven organisation making massive impact across Australia and beyond (especially before EOFY), look no further! . #towardsbettertownsville #townsvilleinclusion See more

10.01.2022 Looking to learn something new about Good Life Thinking or other Good Ideas for Better Lives these school holidays, but dont have time (or maybe even interest) in reading?! . Check out of few of my favourite podcasts in the Apple Podcasts store. I’m sure there are ones I have not discovered yet. Would love any suggestions as well! . #towardsbetter #podcasts

10.01.2022 I believe women can learn and grow and hold many valued roles, especially in the workplace. . In addition, I also believe that women with disabilities can learn and grow and hold many valued roles, especially in the workplace. . If you too believe that, please share this onward with your networks ASAP, as applications close Feb 12, 2021.... http://tbwc.com.au/education-bursary/ . #towardsbettertownsville #townsvillewomen

10.01.2022 Had the pleasure of exploring a variety of positive roles with some amazing individuals and families today (if you are not sure what some examples might be, then check out this excerpt from A Brief Intro to Social Role Valorization). . There’s no doubt that crafting and working towards role goals versus activities and outings is the harder way, but trust me, it’s worth it! . .... #towardsbetter #valuedsocialroles #townsville See more

10.01.2022 #thankful . We usually arent the crew to be executing the old school "Creating Resumes, Applying for Jobs, Getting Interviews" (since we are more about "carving" out particular roles based on people's gifts, talents, and aspirations. . But tonight we thankful for the old school method too. ... . Two of our mentees have had 5 interviews, 1 job offer, and 1 work trial between themselves alone, just this week. . In baseball, we call this "a better batting average". . Of course, we won't be leaving behind our tried a true "role carving" method, however, it is so great to see ourselves and our mentees getting better at knowing who we are, what we are looking for, and how to execute "the ask" better! . #towardsbettertownsville #rotaryemploymentprojecttownsville See more

09.01.2022 TRAINEESHIPS in TOWNSVILLE! . . . Ive recently spoken to a few employers who have traineeships going now or in the future. Some for school aged young adults and some for adults who have finished school ... . Anyone in the Towards Better network who is interested in work roles, please get in touch. . . #towardsbettertownsville #townsvillejobs See more

08.01.2022 As human beings, we want to do the right thing . . But when we don’t know exactly what that right thing is we retreat back for fear of getting it wrong. Positive inclusion is about asking what do we need to do differently to make sure everyone can participate, and quite regularly people with a disability won’t need any adjustments to do the job. Australian Network on Disability Acting CEO Amy Whalley. .... . Have a watch of this fantastic video by the Australian Network on Disability https://www.and.org.au//disability-inclusion-in-your-busin . And then swipe right (or scroll) for some great screenshots from the video including large Fortune 500 companies that are on board with inclusion! . Often times I hear people say we just can't find good employees or no one wants to work. I'll tell you first hand that there are plenty of people who want to work (at least 5000+ in Townsville alone)! . We are launching an employment project in Townsville in the next few months with another boutique inclusion organization and have a strong network of potential employees with great skills, talents, and contributions. . So if you're looking to grow your business, add to your team and team culture, and are open to inclusion, you know where to find us! And likewise, if you are keen to find meaningful work and learning opportunities, get in touch. . . #towardsbettertownsville #townsvilleinclusion See more

07.01.2022 Lesson from a 1-year-old... . . When eating breakfast, my son is capable of using a spoon to feed himself. But he prefers when I do it. So he will either sit there and wait for me to come to feed him or make some noise to prompt me to feed him. .... However, if I walk away from the table for long enough, and especially if I show him how to put a little bit of food on the spoon before I walk away, he will usually get stuck into eating on his own and before you know it the breakfast is finished. . The Lesson: In working with humans of all ages, it is really easy to 'jump in' and 'do for' someone...I see it all the time. We think we are being helpful. . BUT...if we just pause, show someone the way, have high expectations of what someone can do, and give them space to take action, that's where the magic happens. This isnt neglectful or going against 'duty of care'...in fact, I believe someone is caring more by 'stepping back' as they are allowing the person to 'step forward' and build their competencies for the future...thus reducing dependency. . Personally, I am trying to get better at 'stepping back' every day in my work and personal life. . #mondaymantra #towardsbettertownsville See more

06.01.2022 If we want certain people to be, or become, valued in the eyes of others, then we must do things which strongly prompt others to perceive them in positively valued waysand this is largely means that they must be perceived by others as holding valued social roles. In other words, good things about the perceived person(s) must be deeply embedded into the minds of the perceivers; and more specifically, these good things should have something to do with the roles of the persons being perceived. In fact, as we shall see, as long as one sees others in roles that one values positively, one is apt to overlook, or put up with, those characteristics that one devalues. . . - A Brief Intro to Social Role Valorization by Wolf Wolfensberger-

06.01.2022 Had a cracker of a day at Anthony’s comedy workshop yesterday. Had the pleasure of assisting someone else to step into the role of stand up comedian as well and got the chance to try my hand at it. Thank you to the Burdekin Theatre for sharing the venue with us and Anthony for a brilliant workshop.

06.01.2022 Some people are focused on a "good outing", a "Good shift", a "Good Activity", a "good program". . I am focused on a "Good Life" (and what might it take). . There is a difference.... . -Ricky- . . #socialrolevalorization See more

05.01.2022 All work and no play makes Ricky a dull boy . Wonderful way to end the week with Beers Down Friday celebrating their 5th anniversary! . What a great group and lovely spot!

04.01.2022 As you go out and about this Friday night and this weekend... . Did you know that there are currently NO accessible bathroom facilities for those people in our Townsville community who cannot use the standard accessible facility?! . IMAGINE...Its Friday Night, you are 20 years old and want to go out in the city with friends. The party starts at 8pm. You leave home at 7:15pm to park and arrive by 8. There is no toilet you can use (since there are none in Townsville that suit ...your needs). Now, imagine having to leave the party at 9:30pm because you knew you usually have to go to the bathroom every 3 hours so you need to be home by 10:15pm. . For many people this isn't imaginary, its a consideration 24/7. of "how far or where can I travel in 3 hours because I have to go home to use the bathroom because its the only one that is accessible enough". . How is this living? Townsville City Council and Master Builders Queensland this NEEDS to be a priority in our Townsville community development and future cities plans! . https://changingplaces.org.au/ . #towardsbetter #accessibilitytownsville See more

03.01.2022 Great morning talking all things SRV, Community Development, Good Lives, and Third Place. . Nothing beats an intent that is truly altruistic and focused on pure community development rather than serving clients or providing a service . Some great opportunities for the future. Now to partner with the right people with the right values and beliefs about what is possible. ... . . #towardsbetter #townsvillecommunity See more

03.01.2022 Labeled work cars, staff shirts, lanyards, name tags, fancy brochures and billboards... . And why I chose to have none of them. . #towardsbetter #socialrolevalorization

01.01.2022 This looks absolutely phenomenal! . 10 Days, 50+ speakers, and the cost is "Pay what you Can". Simply priceless. I know ill certainly be tuning in, especially October 12 at 6:30pm to hear Mathew Townsend from Nature Freedom talk about "Disability Entrepreneurship: A Solution to the Unemployment Crisis" . .... https://sparkfestival.co/program/livestream See more

01.01.2022 Have you ever had a job application experience like this?