THE PEOPLE USA APPROACH
The 4 Pillars
At People USA, we are unbreakably committed to being welcoming, respectful, giving proper orientation, and delivering on promises. By actively listening, validating, and responding to people’s needs, we can meet and exceed their expectations for quality and satisfaction. We aim always to put the people we serve first, guiding them to find their own solutions and accomplish their own goals by building on their strengths.
Service is quality when:
- People feel welcomed.
- Communication is person-centered.
- We value people’s stories and validate their experiences.
- People receive proper orientation.
- Expectations are clear.
- Expectations are met with follow-through.
- We value our relationships with people.
- People feel respected.
Because of the universal reach of trauma and its lasting adverse effects, People USA aims to be an agency that is fully trauma-informed and responsive to all people’s needs. We accomplish this by creating spaces and acting in ways to ensure that all parties feel fully safe – psychologically, emotionally, physically – and comfortable as we work together. In this way, we expect People USA to be a sanctuary-style environment for all to share in a vision of hope, empowerment, and wellness.
Service is quality when:
- People can express their thoughts and feelings freely without being judged or rushed.
- People’s personal boundaries are recognized and respected.
- The environment is comfortable, allowing for mindfulness.
- The environment is healthy and hygienic.
- People have privacy when they need it.
- We embody openness and inclusion whenever privacy is not needed.
- People can find help anywhere – there are no wrong doors.
- We reach beyond our immediate boundaries, breaking down unnecessary silos.
- People feel a sense of ownership of the environment and our operations.
People USA is founded, led, and staffed by people who have themselves overcome behavioral health challenges. Because we have those shared lived experiences with the people we serve, we can form stronger connections based on trust, first-hand knowledge, empathy, insight, and the motivating power of example. Our peer staff are here to say always: You’re not alone, we’ve been there, and there is hope.
Service is quality when:
- People can express their thoughts and feelings freely without being judged or rushed.
- People feel understood when they communicate.
- People feel a strong connection based on the common elements of our stories as peers.
- We meet people where they’re at culturally, in the context of their values, beliefs, and practices.
- We trust others as the experts on themselves.
- We all share in a vision and culture of hope, recovery, and wellness.
At People USA we set the bar high. For us, recovery is the expectation. Our staff themselves are the living proof that people can overcome even the most significant behavioral health challenges. And we recognize that recovery is not a simple straight line from illness to wellness. It’s more circular than that, with overlaps and cycles and times that can seem like setbacks. Recovery can be complicated. Instead of looking at those times as failures, we take a larger view, recognizing that people learn from their lived experiences, the good and the bad. Meaningful personal growth comes from a lot of trial and error. But once we truly commit to moving towards wellness, forward motion is inevitable no matter where the journey leads.
Service is quality when:
- We have positive expectations for people’s recovery.
- We show people that recovery is real and can happen for them if they’re committed to the process and have the right supports.
- Recovery is self-defined, with people determining their own goals and plans for themselves.
- We recognize that people’s recovery journeys are more circular than linear, with overlaps and cycles that are useful as learning opportunities.
- Recovery encompasses whole health or all the dimensions of a person’s wellness.
- People have access to the education and information they need to make intelligent choices about their recovery & wellness.
- People are self-determined and make decisions based on their own wants ands needs.
- People become their own best advocates.
