Hope Haven Launches New Pearl Model

By 7017444915 June 26, 2026
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others…” 1 Peter 4:10 At Hope Haven, we believe every person has God-given gifts to share. That belief is at the heart of the Hope Haven Ambassadors, a group of individuals served through Hope Haven’s My Day program who are learning to use their voices, share their stories, and advocate for themselves and others. The Ambassadors were formed in January 2025 after a community experience sparked a bigger conversation about inclusion, dignity, and the way individuals with disabilities are perceived. Since then, the group has been working to help change that narrative. The Ambassadors have presented to community groups, attended advocacy trainings, traveled to the Capitol, and spoken about issues that matter. Along the way, they are building confidence, developing leadership skills, and helping others understand that every person deserves to be included and respected. For Maggie, being an Ambassador is about helping her community see people with disabilities as equals. “I want individuals with disabilities to be treated as equal to everybody else,” she shared. “I want my community to know it’s okay to be different.” For Lori, the message is simple but powerful. “We are regular people who have different challenges,” she said. “I want to help my community understand that people with disabilities are not less of a person because of their disabilities.” For Octavio, advocacy means using his voice not only for himself, but also for others who may struggle to speak up for what they need. Through his experience with the Ambassadors, he has learned something important: “Our voice matters.” Programs like My Day are about so much more than daily activities. They are about friendship, confidence, purpose, community, and belonging. They create opportunities for people to discover their strengths, build relationships, serve others, and take part in the world around them. Your support helps us continue creating opportunities like the Hope Haven Ambassadors, where individuals can build confidence, share their stories, and discover the power of their voice. Your gift allows us to keep growing alongside those we serve, making an impact that lasts. If you wish to contribute, plea se CLICK HERE to donate today. Thank you for your continued support, prayers, and partnership in Hope Haven’s mission .
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Hope Haven has officially launched the PEARL Model   a model to enhance our ability to communicate effectively and respectfully with people we serve and work with in and out of Hope Haven.  What is Pearl?  Pearl is a model for communication that uses proactive treatment interaction which is defined as social exchange between individuals that is intended to result in greater independence autonomy or inclusion for one of the individuals in the exchange.  See more about the PEARL below:

PEARL…

We promised more!

P = Positive

A positive interaction is inviting.  A person who is interacting in an inviting manner has a kind facial expression uses a welcoming voice tone and has a relaxed posture.  The person looks interested in interacting. The person is upbeat makes requests (rather than commands) and actively prompts or encourages more interaction.

Interacting positively often requires that we get ourselves ready to engage in social exchange with another human being.  In many human service situations this means leaning our personal struggles behind and reminding ourselves that in general persons will have more interest in being around someone who looks and sounds positive rather than someone who is simply no fun to be with.

 

E = Early

To interact early means to have a social exchange before an individual experiences an emotional or behavioral upset that results from being in a difficult situation.  It means providing help or problem solving assistance when it is needed and not waiting around until a risky situation develops.

Interacting early requires us to become very alert or sensitive to signs of an impending upset by those we attempt to assist.  We know what these signs are in our own lives and if we plan to help we need to be alert for them in other peoples’ lives as well.  If we stay alert we can use these signs as indications that our help is needed before a behavioral sequence escalates.  

A = All

            All means that we will use all components of PEARL with all people with whom we interact in all settings where interactions take place and all the time.

            The all component of PEARL serves as a fairly constant reminder that we are interested in developing more powerful mutually reinforcing relationships in our lives and that this sort of relationship is also possible (and potentially very rewarding) with any person who is considered to be disabled.

R = Reinforce

            Reinforce means interacting in a way that acknowledges more independent or autonomous behavior is intended to result in increased future use of this behavior.

            In order to start a mutually reinforcing reciprocal relationship someone has to get the interaction going.  In human service using the PEARL dictates that this responsibility falls to the person who is providing assistance.

L = Look

            To look means that we will identify opportunities to teach as they arise and encourage actions that decrease dependence increase independence or autonomy and permit greater participation in the social community.

            The look component suggests that although we may structure some times for some learning activities we interact in a way that takes advantage of various real life situations as they arise in order to encourage more autonomous behavior whenever and wherever it is needed.

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