Your Voice. Your Choice.

Our Approach to Direct Services

Our Own Lives believes you are the expert in your life. You know best what you need to be happy, what you want to accomplish, and good ways to support you to get there.

For our services, we want you to be in control. You tell us where you want your life to go, and we will help you build a plan to get there. We will respect your rights and decisions.

Lots of us have challenging things happening in our lives. Sometimes we need help to manage anger, to help us stay safe, to help with addictions and impulses. We will help you in all of these things, but on your terms, in ways you agree you want to be helped.

We will help you be heard, within our organization and elsewhere.

You Belong

Our Own Lives is not staff. We are not our buildings. We are not our logo, our social media, or this website. The heart and soul of Our Own Lives is people like you. We are a community of people that want you to feel welcome and accepted for who you are.

Recently the Client Leadership Council decided to rename one of our buildings Siegele Safe Haven, named after Richard Siegele, a dearly missed friend and advocate. The council chose the name “Safe Haven” because they wanted a space where everyone felt free to be themselves. No matter what disability, race, sex or gender identity, they want people to feel safe, welcomed, and accepted. This is what Richard would have wanted, and what we want for you.

At Our Own Lives, we seek to help each other, to build each other up. We want to help everyone feel accepted and welcomed both. inside our doors and walking down the streets of our towns.


You Are In Control

To the best of our ability, we pledge to:

  • Respect your autonomy and decisions regardless of disability

  • Provide you with the information you need to make the decisions you want

  • Include you in all decisions that affect you

  • “Back your play” and help you run your plan for a good life

  • Provide help how you want it, where you want it, when you want it, from who you want it- and not provide “help” you do not want

  • Respect your identity, your beliefs, and your values

  • Accept you for who you are

  • Support you to advocate for the world you want to see for yourself and others

  • Work with you to solve problems, not view YOU as the problem

  • Respect your boundaries and respect and maintain your privacy

  • Continue learning how to support you better

  • Help you drive positive change!