Individual Pursuits

We envision a community of inclusion, where all persons can communicate and achieve their hopes and dreams and are recognized as valued members of our community.

Programs

Individual Pursuits currently operates three programs to support adults with a developmental disability.

1. Individual Pursuits Day Program:  Facility-based
2. Individual Pursuits Day Program:  Home-based
3. Specialized Residential Care

Individual Pursuits Day Program:  Facility-based

The day program is a recreation-based program run largely from our facility in Vic-West.  The facility serves as a meeting place and starting point for many great activities in the Vic-West area and the Victoria area as well.  We are fortunate to be situated close to parks, a community-recreation centre (YMCA), many walking trails including the Galloping Goose and the Selkirk Trestle and can visit many local shops and eateries.  We are within a five minute drive to downtown Victoria which gives us quick and easy access to the Inner Harbour, museums, shops and a multitude of tourist attractions.

A key component of our service is to plan a set of activities that is unique for each individual served.  We accomplish this by working with the person served and their stakeholders (such as family members, friends and caregivers) to understand what things they like to do.  Keeping in mind that each person served will have a set of activities planned that is individualized to their desires and needs, here's an example of some of the activities that we participate in:

In the community:

• Swimming
• Hiking
• Picnics
• Beach and lake outings
• Restaurants (there's a great coffee shop just a few doors down that's a favorite of many of the individuals we serve)
• Bowling
• Namaste music program
• Visiting many of Victoria's tourist attractions and events like the folk festival
• Utilizing community based facilities like the recreation centre and the library
• Utilizing public transit

Within the facility:

• The morning circle meet and greet
• Individualized exercise programs
• Group discussions and activities
• Serenity space and time if required
• Personal development activities
• Language development activities
• Communication and social skills development
• Arts and crafts
• Music programs
• Cooking

In many cases, individuals who come to our day program are not ready to participate in many of these activities, due to the nature of their challenges.  A comprehensive program designed to get to know an individual served through communication and familiarization is often required before they feel comfortable enough to try to experience new things.  At Individual Pursuits, we recognize this and never force the persons we serve to participate in activities or situations which they are not comfortable with.  This is all addressed in each participant's Individual Program Plan (IPP) which is designed not just by our staff, but with input from all of the stakeholders for the person served.

In short, persons served are not fit into a pre-defined program rather, a unique, individualized program is designed by them with our help and the help of their stakeholders.

For more information about our Individualized Service Delivery Model and it's core process, the Individual Program Plan, see our Consumer Handbook or contact us for more information.

Individual Pursuits Day Program:  Home-based

An extension of our facility-based day program, Individual Pursuits also provides day program services to individuals who, for a variety of reasons, do not wish to participate at our facility.  Often this will involve staff from Individual Pursuits to go to a person's home and participate in activities there or in their community.

Our approach to this model of service delivery is largely based on extending the success of our facility based day program through the use of Individualized Program Planning.

This service delivery model is starting to be utilized more often as Community Living British Columbia is beginning to adopt a more person-centered approach to service delivery and funding.  While historically funding has come directly from contracts with CLBC or the Ministry of Children and Family Development, it is becoming increasingly common for service provision to be sought and funded by families, care-givers, micro boards or other groups.

Our home-based day services are designed in response to the changing landscape of community supports and represent Individual Pursuit's commitment to adapt to the guidelines and operational requirements of our funding bodies.

For more information about our home-based day services, please contact us.

Specialized Residential Care

Individual Pursuits currently operates a specialized, highly individualized residential care facility called Rosco Group Home.  At the home we provide support for two individuals with very specialized needs by providing a comprehensive, personalized support plan for each individual served.  Operating for more than ten years, the group home is a testament to the success of our individualized service delivery model and has greatly improved the quality of life for the persons served.

Some of the key aspects of our success are:

• highly individualized program planning
• a small, consistent group of excellent staff
• a team-based approach which involves the individuals served, their families, friends and advocates in the program planning process
• a comprehensive support plan which is focused on improving the quality of life for the persons served

For more information about our Residential Care Program, please contact us.