Gateway Homes was established by the relatives and friends of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. O ... ur purpose is to provide good stable homes in the community and to make supports available which will enable them to live full lives in their community. What do employees value most about Gateway? They value the relationships they develop with the homeowners, the knowledge they are contributing to their independence and quality of life. They value teamwork and their relationships with co-workers. They like that Gateway is a small organization and that "Gateway employees become their family and they become ours". Mention is made of "the attitude of respect and dignity that is shown towards our homeowners" What are we looking for in an employee? Our positions all require a high degree of understanding and commitment to the individual homeowners and to the philosophy of Gateway. It calls for competence in a wide range of areas, including home making and household and individual planning; sensitivity to all aspects of the lives of the householders is essential. Support workers must have the ability to support people in situations of potentially high stress with the maturity to absorb tension and to work through occasional conflict, assuming responsibility for themselves and their own feelings. They should have the desire and the capacity to enhance the development of personal relationships and community supports. Most of all, they should recognize that the most important aspect of the being-with attitude, as opposed to the doing-for, is that of building relationships and that this challenges and enriches all staff in their personal growth just as it does the members of the household. Employees should genuinely enjoy being with and working people who have developmental disabilities, believing that they have an important contribution to make to society and that they can enrich the lives of others. read more