Vita Community Living Services/Mens Sana Families for Mental Health – we commonly refer to both corporations collectively as VITA. Vita Community Living Services (Vita) provides services and supports to assist adults with developmental disabilities including these with dual diagnosis (where a developmental disability is accompanied by a psychiatric diagnosis) in living a high quality of life in their home communities. Mens Sana Families for Mental Health (Mens Sana) was founded by families desperate for services for their adult family members living with a serious mental illness. Mens Sana developed a tradition of individualized supports for both, individuals with a serious mental illness and for their families. Mens Sana is a non profit charitable organization and it is funded primarily through donations. VITA’s self-advocate group compiled from VITA’s service recipients has had a significant impact on the culture of the agency. Its first act was to address the terminology which was used within VITA regarding the people we serve. They objected to the word “client” and asked us to use the more welcoming and inclusive term “member”. As a result, VITA is comprised of Members, Staff Members and Board Members – we are all members of an organization united behind the same vision. We believe that all individuals, regardless of their personal challenges, should have a home and a place in the community. We are here to welcome and serve, to listen with our eyes and our hearts, and to honour the trust given to us by individuals with disabilities and by their families.