Key Guiding Principles of Rapha Residential and Community Care

Compassion: We approach our work with empathy, recognizing and responding to the individual needs of each youth under our care.
 

Empowerment: We empower youth to discover their strengths, talents, and aspirations, fostering a sense of agency in their own lives.
 

Inclusivity: Our environment is inclusive and respectful of diversity, creating a space where everyone feels valued and accepted. We provide inspiration, encouragement and opportunity for each individual to achieve new milestones toward a meaningful life in the community. We empower individuals to experience inclusion through educational, vocational, social/leisure, supported living and employment opportunities.
 

Collaboration: We collaborate with families, communities, and other stakeholders to create a comprehensive support network for our youth.
 

Excellence: We are committed to excellence in all aspects of our services, continuously striving to improve and adapt to the evolving needs of the youth we serve.
 

Person-Directed: We believe that person-directed planning is foundational to individual success in community living. We listen in order to understand what each individual wants in his/her life. We focus on the development of relationships and help individuals build their future based on dreams, strengths and capabilities. We believe in self-determination, inclusion, citizenship, contribution and participation. We encourage each individual to use their gifts and talents to contribute to life in their community.
 

Innovation: We create innovative and effective programming, based on evidence and best practices. We are problem-solvers, coordinators, facilitators and navigators, and we have the courage to assist those in need, even in the most challenging situations. 
 

Respect: We are respectful in all of our interactions and treat all persons with dignity. We value the needs, aspirations and abilities of others, creating a supportive and courteous environment. 
 

Empowerment: We believe in full inclusion. We empower each individual to make informed choices for themselves in all aspects of their daily lives, and to live and work to their full potential. We enable individuals with developmental support needs to recognize and use the resources available to them, and to become stronger, more confident and independent.
 

Family-Centered: We encourage the involvement of the family in all aspects of the life of the individuals we support. We put what is best for the individuals who need developmental supports and their families as our top priority for decision-making. We use a personal touch, striving to create just the right programs and opportunities for each individual. 
 

Safety: Our culture is safety-focused, and our employees are meaningfully engaged in safety improvement. We provide a safe environment for learning, working, volunteering, and participating in recreation and leisure activities. 
 

Caring and Compassion: We are a highly responsive, caring and dedicated team of staff and volunteers. We are passionate about our work and we interact with empathy and understanding. We demonstrate steadfast commitment to create a better future for every individual needing developmental supports. We remind families touched by disability that they are not alone and that they are part of a vibrant and supportive community.
 

Quality: We measure our success and promote continuous improvement, ensuring quality in all aspects of our work. We have high standards for program delivery and focus on best practices in all we do.
 

Open Communication: We are committed to transparent communications with each other and with our partners in order to build trust, to create a positive, environment, and to be unified in achieving our Vision and Mission. We communicate effectively with the individuals we support, providing them with the ability and opportunity to make informed choices.
 

Integrity & Accountability: We uphold the trust we have built over our 60-year history, ensuring that we conduct ourselves with honesty, integrity and transparency. We are accountable to our funders and donors. We measure our success, and we operate with cost-effectiveness for all programming.
 

Partnership & Collaboration: We find strength in a multitude of ideas and perspectives and achieve our goals through effective collaboration. We are united as a group in our purpose and social cause and support each other to achieve collective outcomes. We develop and nurture collaborative, positive relationships with each other and with our partners, and work together to enhance the quality of life of the individuals we support and their families. 
 

Lifelong Learning: We believe that individuals should have continuous learning opportunities to fulfill their aspirations, to contribute to society and to create meaning at every stage of their life. 
 

Persistence: We patiently work with each individual and family to creatively solve issues. We allow time for setbacks and keep a positive attitude at all times. 
 

Responsibility: We believe in providing individuals with a variety of life experiences that teach the person to accept responsibility. 
 

Diversity & Accessibility: We promote a vision of society that is inclusive and that supports the rights of all persons. We are welcoming and inclusive, and a role model for diversity and accessibility. We demonstrate, through our partnerships and community involvement, that people with developmental support needs are citizens who have contributions to make