Choosing Meaningful Days
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| Nick Roach (right) and an MDC volunteer plant crops as part of the Meaningful Days community programs. |
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by Dianna Nauman, Community Relations Manager,
Northern Indiana
The
beginnings of Mosaic nearly a century ago can be traced to the desire
to find a better way to provide the assistance people with
intellectual disabilities need in their lives. That same desire
motivates Mosaic today. The Meaningful Day program at Mosaic in
Northern Indiana is one way lives are being changed for the better
Begun
in 2009, the model for Meaningful Day was simple: choice. Each of the
15 participants makes choices on what he or she would like to do
throughout the day and the six staff members help make it happen. In
the morning, participants meet at a centralized hub where they choose
activities for that day. One may want to go to the farm for
therapeutic horse riding, and another may choose to take a
woodworking class. For the afternoon, they can choose something else
and, between the activities, experience other new adventures.
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| Lee Shaw prepares to get his hands dirty while helping to pick vegetables at a garden. |
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Prior
to Meaningful Day, people who received residential services from
Mosaic participated in day programs offered by other service
providers. Mosaic's local Executive Director, Bill Cochrane, saw
the need for something different.
"As
a provider and advocate, I had to look at the numbers and the quality
of services being provided to those we serve," Cochrane said. "I
knew we could do better. That is how Meaningful Days began.
In
just over a year, there are many success stories to share. Prior to
participating in the Meaningful Day program, Marilyn would become
upset and agitated knowing she was going to a centralized day program
where she was visibly bored. Her behavior quickly changed after
beginning Meaningful Days. She comes home in the evenings exhausted
from a day of meaningful activities, and in the morning, she can be
found at the front door, waiting for the van and ready to go. She
also became good friends with
her volunteer pottery teacher who now spends time with Marilyn
outside of class and even participates in her goals planning session.
Arthur
has been another early success story from the Meaningful Day program.
When he was participating in a traditional day program, he could only
attend for a half-day because his behaviors would cause him to be
sent home. Staff members felt he was not being engaged at the
program. He now spends a full day in Mosaic's program and looks
forward to his next day of activities.
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| Mary Otto views a goat ath the Elkhart County Fair. |
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Partnering
with and finding community resources has been a priority for
Meaningful Days. Currently the program partners in activities with a
community garden, a therapeutic horseback riding association, an art
studio, a bowling alley, a movie theater, a wood shop, a pottery
guild, and others. People also have the opportunity to participate in
Luvability, a program that communicates the love of God through
hands-on activities, storytelling, visual arts and theater.
"Being
bored is not an option", said Josh Hensley, Program Coordinator for
Meaningful Days. "I find it my mission to make sure each individual
we serve is enthusiastic about the activities they participate in.
Making dreams come true daily is the best part of my job."
Cochrane
said overcoming the challenges to get the program started are worth
the price because the people Mosaic serves deserve the best possible
lives.
"I
would tell any provider that if you see individuals going to a
program each day and know that they are not being offered a good
quality of service, ask yourself if you could do better, " he said.
"It is a bold move to take on the responsibility of creating a
program from scratch, but you owe it to those you serve and the
families who put their faith in your organization."
