The essence of the community by Father Hank

"Each community attempts to provide a transformative development experience for its members. There are certain basic principles or values guiding this experience. The first is 'democratisation', that is all members share equally in the exercice of power and decision making >
Another is 'permissiveness', a certain tolerance by one another as regards behaviour and ideas. A third is "communalism", which describes the close tightknit relationships within the community. And, a last, very important value is "reality confrontation"that is , regular and continuous confrontation of negative behaviour. Essentiality each community is stadily striving to provide a living, learning experience for its members.
Some basic values commom to the community living experience are stressed in the process of community living > The main wuld be attacment.For the sense of belonging to a community becomes essential to each member.The member must also experience a sense of safety , that is the member can feel at ease always and protected from any disturbance or harm coming from another member who may having specific problems. A third basic value in the community must be openness , that is the willingness to talk about any matter and also the duty to communicate what is seen as hindering to any members in therapy . Tjhe fourth value is inclusion A member must experience that he or she is accepted in the community with full membership, that he or she has a place among the others, is appreciated by the other members . Lastly the value, we call agency. In order to be personaly effective within the community , that the individual can have his or her say and has the right to function like any other > here in exists a humanistichttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif, individuation process, a sort of flattened hierarchy that brings about the exercise of natural power. All of these values taken together will aid in bringing about an individual's emotional development whatever may have been the personal disturbances in the past. The overall sense of belonging and demand for growth that is often re-enacted through transference can lead to firm renewed emotional development"

Of course in this AVS community all those values are more than applied. Respectful confrontations , compassion, empowerment , love and strokes are offered without any restrictions . If you add the beautiful space those kids live in , the most wonderful food, varied and abondant, the music, the yoga , the physical exercices, the one to one or the group daily therapies you will have an idea how holistic the treatment is The dedication of the staff is quite incredible. What a joy to see those people who would be locked up for years in hospital and under heavy drugs, win their right to think differently in order to change their destiny . You see me here with Daisy , one of the pillar of the Society and 2of the kids in their garden