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Business View Magazine
zation and its culture and policies. The community of
wisdom and knowledge that has grown from the Eden
Alternative is supported by much research, including
evidence-based practice, and it fits with the organiza-
tion’s corporate mission and culture. “We’ve informally
incorporated many of the principles and philosophies
of that program in our home and community. For ex-
ample, we use a self-scheduling model, so staff is able
to change shifts in their schedules – even last minute.
“We believe a culture of flexibility and choice between
management and staff will result in a culture of flex-
ibility and choice between tenants and staff. We honor
staff’s work/life balance and have seen this translate,
over and over again, into staff honoring the tenants’
life balance, preferences, and choices. So, for exam-
ple, if a tenant doesn’t want a bath, or to wake up for
breakfast, or doesn’t like what we are having for lunch,
we honor that. We also keep staff working in the same
areas; we don’t move them around, so that we do not
sever ties and the comfort that comes from close and
continuous relationships. In practical terms, there-
fore, the tenant rarely experiences the discomfort of
new people bathing them and greatly reduces the
need for tenants to have to introduce or explain their
preferences, needs or values.”
In terms of future expansion, Devlin realizes that the
future of non-profit housing will require economic di-
versification. “We know that there will be less public
funding and this will require a greater reliance on di-
Lions International President Yamada with District Governor Gerald Fontaine- International
Convention in Honolulu Hawaii- July 1st 2015
