PURPOSE

To understand that community is essential. The adult with a disability, with help from the Support Broker, should not be isolated, but rather integrated into all aspects of a typical community life.

1. Utilize the readings and recommendations in this section to

    begin to identify ways to increase community supports and

    activities for the adults you serve.
2. Reflect upon your previous experiences and identify examples

    of community building.
3. Identify ways that you, as a Support Broker, can address the

    notion of interdependence through community building.

INTRODUCTION
A major part of your role as a Support Broker is to link your employer to his or her community. Communities provide opportunities for jobs, friendships, recreation, education, and connectedness. All too often, people with disabilities are isolated from their local communities. It is the job of the Support Broker to help create an integrated life for the people they serve.  All people need to feel that they have a meaningful role to play in society.

The My Voice, My Choice waiver program in Idaho will rely heavily on Support Brokers to help nurture community involvement. For many professionals working in the disability field, a keyword has been "Independence." Many service plans are written with the primary goal of Independent Living. In reality, very few of us are truly independent from one another. The keyword that successful Support Brokers should now use is "Interdependence" This term more accurately describes how we all live.

Individuals with disabilities, like everyone else, must find what they need from their local communities. They seek food from grocery stores and restaurants. They need to access medical services. They need to identify places to have fun with friends and family. They need to access meaningful work and educational opportunities.  The Support Broker will assist their employers to be part of what is already present. With this perspective, new and dynamic opportunities can be created.

In this section, we encourage you to pay close attention to the stories and experiences of self-advocates in Idaho as well as those described in the readings. The idea of community can be abstract, but by using the examples provided in this section, you can accomplish the tremendous and exciting task of building community for the adults you serve.

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