What is Innovative Community Participation?

Connected Self’s Innovative Community Participation Program is designed to support NDIS participants to build skills to actively participate in their community.  Through side-by-side practice, the program involves highly skilled Community Engagement Practitioners who assist participants to expand their opportunities for community participation and employment.  Community Engagement Practitioners adopt a capacity-building, community-based approach by working with participants in their local community to increase the likelihood of uptake and successful transition away from the service to informal supports and/or employment.

Community Engagement Practitioners maintain a focus on resilience, wellbeing and personal growth to successfully connect to the community, however each service is tailored to best suit the participant, and their goals, to allow them to get the most out of the service.  As appropriate, participants who access this program can expect support working on:

• The importance of community engagement, social contribution and relationships in maintaining personal wellbeing
• Self-awareness and self-care
• Gaining awareness of personal interests, skillsets and passions and linking these to employment pathways
• Emotional awareness and self-regulation
• Adaptive social competency including increased awareness of social norms and expectations
• Their relationship with their disability, independence, confidence and self-worth
• Navigating systems and programs to successfully participate in their community and employment pathwayPreparation and support to access training and employment opportunities
• Capacity building for seeking assistance in the community context without ongoing formalised supports