Valued Social Roles

by: Sara Clarke- Executive Director

At Branching Out, we are dedicated to supporting individuals to gain valued roles in which to thrive. Social Role Valorization (SRV) is a concept created by Dr. Wolf Wolfensberger (Wolfensberger, 2013). SRV evolved from the Principles of Normalization and applies to any person, group or class that has been devalued or is at risk of devaluation. SRV has become the beacon we use to have conversations, plan with individuals, educate our community, and passionately advocate for positive change. SRV provides guidance for how human services can elevate from activity-based planning with a short-term focus to role-based opportunities which will make an impact over the entire lifespan. When a person holds valued roles in society, they are more likely to have access to the good things in life and experience less wounding and devaluation. Gaining and maintaining valued roles reduces isolation and enriches an individual’s experience by promoting choice, freedom, authentic connections, and true belonging.

What is a Valued Role?

Valued roles happen in many domains of our lives. Think about the roles you or your loved ones hold. Here are a few examples:

Relationship- family member, spouse, friend
Education- student, mentor, teacher
Residential - tenant, homeowner, neighbour
Economic- worker, employer, entrepreneur, apprentice, job type (cashier), wage earner
Rec &Leisure- athlete, fan, club member, hobbyist, type (swimmer/ artist), gamer
Community and Civic Identity- citizen, volunteer, taxpayer, advocate, voter
Culture-lover of books, musician, dancer, library/museum/ theatre member, foodie

We strive to support individuals to enhance their image and competencies so they can gain the valued roles they wish to achieve. Want to know more? Connect with us or visit our website at www.branchingoutsupportservices.ca to learn more about our workshops and lunch and learn series.

Wolfensberger, W. (2013). A brief introduction to social role valorization: A high-order concept for addressing the plight of societally devalued people, and for Structuring Human Services (4th ed.). Valor Press.