These warm-weather months can make it hard for any of us to stay inside, especially after a long New York winter!
Finding opportunities to be outdoors and participate in community events brings many benefits to those in care settings. It offers them a chance to practice social skills, gain greater independence, and feel a stronger sense of belonging to their community.
We want people receiving services to be included and to spend time enjoying the things they love with others. At the same time, we must ensure their safety.
This starts with educating those in our care about social expectations and what it means to be out in a community setting. Before heading out this summer, make sure to share information with those in your care about things like:
Rules or guidelines that the activity or setting has that they may not be familiar with
The types of talk, touch, and topics that are okay and not okay
Interactions that are acceptable with strangers (like waving hello or asking someone about their day) and unacceptable (hugging people we don’t know or sharing personal information)
Who to contact if they need assistance and how
And how to report any abuse or neglect to the Justice Center if they feel an incident has occurred
The more you prepare someone for an outing or activity, the better the outcome—and the more fun they will have!
To help, the Justice Center has put together a special Spotlight on Prevention Toolkit offering guidance on how best to support a person receiving services before, during, and after a community activity.
This guidance includes:
Considerations when preparing for an outing, during, and after the activity
