What We Do
- Providing Support with Work, Volunteer & Leisure Activities
- Maintaining Family Connections
- Celebrating Life Events & Attending Social Events
- Teaching Life Skills
Ownership
The individuals we serve own the not-for-profit company of Gateway Homes Inc., which means that they own their homes as well. Thus the term or description “Homeowner” that we use. The people we serve are our bosses. We work for them and follow their lead in shaping their lives the way they want them.
Smallness
Our agency currently consists of 6 homes where staff work primarily in one home to build really great relationships with our homeowners. Keeping Gateway small-scale is important because it allows us to not only get to know our homeowners well but also to get to know and invest in the staff who work for our homeowners.
Personal Relationships
This is a fundamental key component to how we serve the individuals we support. It is a key component in the values we look for when we hire and orientate new staff, and how we train our staff. We believe that relationships are key to the success of both the individuals we serve and the staff who serve them. This is also true for the relationships between our staff and our Administration and Management Teams as well.
Individualized Supports
The individuals we serve are all unique. Each persons needs are different so we really focus on relationship building aspects of support. Who are the individuals we support? What do they want for their lives? Who do they want in their lives? What is important to them? What makes them Happy? What makes them Sad? We also provide flexibility as people change and their needs change, making sure to adapt to their needs whatever that may be. This includes teaching life skills or any thing that the Homeowners want to learn to do.
Community Involvement
Another key component of what we do at Gateway is to help our Homeowners establish relationships in their community. Community involvement is vital to creating new friendships and helping out homeowners have new experiences to help figure out what they like to do and what they want to do. Whether it is helping buy their groceries, attending church, going to a dance, participating in Special Olympics, joining a community group or work/volunteering in their community – we try to help people make those things happen.
Permanence
Our Homeowners are homeowners for life. One of Gateway’s values is that we are an organization who supports our homeowners to end of life. No one should have to leave their home at any time unless they wish to. Gateway is able to adapt and train their staff to change supports to allow the Homeowner to be supported at any point in their life no matter what supports are needed.
Staff Training
Gateway is an organization that believes in investing in and helping maintain the skills of our staff. Here at Gateway we offer staff access to:
- Core Competencies Training: Fire & Life Safety, Medication Awareness, Basic Principles and Practices of Personal Care, Individual Program Planning, Positive Principles and Practices of Non-Aversive Behaviour Change, & Food Handlers Course (NS Department of Agriculture), Crisis Management – MANDT
- First Aid – Standard Level “C” with AED
- Open Futures Learning Modules (Orientation for New Staff and House Specific training)
- MANDT – Crisis Management (Relationship Chapters & Technical Skills)
- R.I.C.K (Respect, Integrity, Caring & Knowledge) –the Nova Scotia Residential Agency Association standards
- JOHS Training
- The Open Mind Training
- Mental Health First Aid
- WHMIS
- Safe Handling and Mobility & PACE Training
- Supporting People with Complex Behaviors (Trauma Informed Care)
- Other training offered by the Nova Scotia Residential Agencies Association (NSRAA) and the Department of Community Services (DCS)
We are looking for individuals who:
- Believe all people should be treated with dignity and respect.
- Have minimum 1year relevant post secondary university or college education.
- Have had a meaningful life experiences with individuals with disabilities.
- Have the desire to build relationships and to support the personal needs, interests and goals individuals who have intellectual disabilities.
- Have empathy and compassion.