C.A.R.S. will provide residential and residential support services to meet the changing needs in our community in a way that optimizes operating efficiencies while giving priority to the quality of life enjoyed by the individuals we serve.
MISSIONC.A.R.S. exists to provide daily living support and services to individuals with disabilities. As an organization of caregivers, we will assist each person to have a full, meaningful life in safe and nurturing environments.
VALUES STATEMENTSCentral Alberta Residence Society operates services based on a Vision Statement a Mission Statement and five value statements. They are as follows:
1. We believe that all persons should be valued for themselves.
2. We believe that all persons should be treated with respect and accepted without bias or prejudice.
3. We believe that relationships should be based on personal qualities that incorporate moral principles of truth, sincerity and openness and which foster mutual trust and respect.
4. We believe in responsible caring and have a commitment to the well being of all individuals associated with our organization.
5. We believe we have a responsibility to society to ensure our activities are a benefit to society and the community we live in.
about Us
Historically, the Alberta Government had assumed a great deal of the responsibility for services to people with developmental disabilities. Institutional services were the primary care-providers and they were almost exclusively within the domain of Alberta Family and Social Services. In the 1970s more and more individuals with developmental disabilities chose to live in the community and sought appropriate support services. It was during this time that a number of concerned citizens in Red Deer got together to form an organization to provide community based services to these individuals. This organization was incorporated in 1977 as Central Alberta Residence Society or C.A.R.S. for short. C.A.R.S. took over the direct operation of two group homes that were being operated by Alberta Family and Social Services as well as purchased two additional homes. C.A.R.S. started with a client base of 20 and a staffing component of 17.
There was also little available support for families to keep their children with developmental disabilities at home. In many instances children were separated from their families in order to attend school and receive other specialized training. In listening to families they told us that the largest unmet need was relief services. As a result of this, and with input from families, and government representatives, C.A.R.S. developed the Host Family Program in the 1980s.
Today the organization provides supports and services to over 120 adults and children and employ 160 staff members. These services include residential, respite, community options, behaviour, self advocacy and outreach.
As an agency our mission statement is to work with a variety of partners in a joint effort and to ensure that every interaction addresses or considers the following four principles:
1. Respect for the dignity of the person
2. Integrity in relationships
3. Responsible caring
4. Responsibility to society
carf
CARS is very proud to be CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) accredited. What this means is that CARS has been through a very intense process of ensuring the agency meets Standards outlined by the accrediting body (CARF). Prior to CARF, the agency completed CET (Creating Excellence Together) which is a PDD required survey to ensure agencies are following certain standards when providing care to individuals with disabilities. However, CARS decided to go above and beyond and attempted to become accredited which essentially means providing services that meet a higher level of standards. Achieving accreditation is a far more complex process than CET and CARS was proud to achieve a three year accreditation which is the longest period an agency can be accredited for. Our next review will be in the fall of 2013.
All our homes are operating under the Standards outlined by CARF. In order to ensure the agency continues to meet these standards, a CARF Committee has been established and completes ongoing reviews of each section in the CARF Standards Manual.
training (certification)
CARS believes that providing quality training will enable our agency to stand above in service delivery and provide the best quality of services to the individuals served. We require the following training from our staff:
- First aide / CPR
- Non-Violent Crisis Intervention
- Abuse Protocol
- Medication Administration
- Food Handling
We also provide other training / information sessions as required/requested. These have included training on
- Alzheimer’s /Dementia
- Schizophrenia
- Lifting / rolling
- Specific Supervision related training
committees
There are several committees within CARS. All supervisors and staff are expected to participate in at least one committee. It is often the work of these committees that brings innovative ideas to life. Committee members work hard to ensure that CARS continues to provide a high quality of service. Below is a current list of active committees:
- CARF Committee & Sub-committees
- Social Club Committee
- Social Planners
- Health and Safety Committee
- Workshop Committee
- Management Team Committee
- Policy and Procedure Committee