Is 3LPlace right for you?
We are building an intentionally diverse community at 3LPlace, and we welcome individuals with a range of abilities and challenges.
Diagnosis and age aren’t important, but attitude is!
Participants are likely to be:
- Both men and women of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds;
- Living with various developmental disabilities;
Done with their schooling through their IEP or on a transition referral from their school district;- Safe, without behavioral issues that would necessitate restraint or that could cause harm to themselves or other members of our community; and,
- Interested in figuring out what they are passionate about, and building on those interests toward the brightest possible future.
If that sounds good, we'd love to talk to you! You can call us at 617-764-3280, or email us, and somebody will get right back to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How does the 3LPlace team communicate with each other, whether in your space or in the community, to make sure members feel safe and anchored?
A. Planning and problem solving occur in weekly staff meetings. Additionally, each staff member has weekly supervision, with opportunities for further discussion and support. There are open group opportunities to reflect on dynamics, nuance, and more.
Q. What is your level of experience with co-regulation, limit-setting, and creating reassuring parameters?
A. Regulation is key for 3LPlace staff, members, and the group space. Each member who joins 3LPlace quickly learns our most powerful mantra-- BE YOUR BEST SELF. This mantra creates an open space to dialogue when struggle occurs. For instance, if someone responds in a way that others perceive as abrasive, we take the immediate opportunity to address that. Members come to us with all different backgrounds. Some enjoy behavioral structure. Others prefer relationship-based rewards. There are few rules at 3LPlace, but the most salient ones are:
- Safety first (safe bodies, safe words, safe volume)
- Be kind
- Apologize when you need to
Q. What does a typical day look like, and what is the balance between structure and hanging out in the space? How open-ended or structured is the day? Is there some predictability to help members feel reassured?
A. The morning is more academic and structured, with rotating themes/units (example: Get out the vote, Oceans 20, I speak for the trees, American history, etc.) The afternoons are historically more community-based and are semi-structured but constantly weave in member interests. A weekly schedule is provided to members for reassurance as well as a template for discussion (example: When’s lunch?).
Q. Does the staff have multiple people as part of the team who can respond confidently and flexibly to someone in distress?
A. All 3LPlace staff are Safety Care trained as well as trained in First Aid. Though crises are rare at 3LPlace, all staff are equipped to support a distressed member as needed, with backup support plans established as needed. In addition, members often co-regulate each other when they perceive someone is in distress. If a member harms someone, or threatens to, there is a protocol in place to support the individual and the group to best address the situation
Q. Are there broad guidelines around movement, noise, and language that are regularly maintained?
A. All guidelines are within reason. Members come to 3LPlace with various sensory, motor, and communication challenges. To support each individual, members have a personal orienting plan to set themselves up for success. 3LPlace encourages positive language usage with an awareness and recognition that life adjustments can be riddled with challenges and can create stress that can emerge verbally. Members can be redirect with a reminder from staff or peers to BE YOUR BEST SELF. If needs be, a private conversation can follow through.
Q. How do you keep 3LPlace centered around the interests and needs of your members rather than the needs of staff?
A. Thankfully at 3LPlace, members drive the bus! All topics are a combination of member interests, current events, neurodiversity celebration and best practices and more. Staying focused on our members is a critical focus of 3LPlace.
Q. What innovations are you considering in future? Where do you see 3LPlace going?
A. As 3LPlace grows to a size not to exceed 30 community members, we hope to offer individuals more choice of curriculum modules. We also hope to build out our social programming on weekends and evenings.
Follow us on Twitter