Vivim Junts Project.Working and living in the community.
Vivim Junts (Living Together) is an independent living project for adults with autism, level III dependency, and high support needs. The project is a pioneer in our region and was created with a clear objective: to enable people with autism and high support needs to live in the community with dignity and as much autonomy as possible, avoiding institutionalisation and isolation.
Vivim Junts takes place in the Stella Maris building, refurbished by the foundation, which includes two independent flats and a garden, a true home. This house is not just a physical space; it is their home: a place of life and inclusion, incorporating facilities, methodologies, and resources designed to promote autonomy and ensure a meaningful life.
A natural continuation of the organisation’s global project
Vivim Junts is the natural continuation of the Independent Living Space (EVI) project and, before that, of the Specialised Psychoeducational Intervention Project on Autism.
In both programmes, and over many years, the beneficiaries we support prepare for and work on all the necessary aspects to achieve a full and autonomous life, first facilitating the transition to adolescence and then to adulthood. In this way, we accompany them throughout their entire life cycle, adapting resources to their needs and creating real opportunities for participation in society.
Where?
In Arenys de Mar, the Fundació Junts Autisme (Junts Autisme Foundation) has made a dream come true: transforming the Palauet Stella Maris, a neoclassical building granted to the organisation by the local council for 60 years, into a true home and place of life.
Person-Centred care model
The Vivim Junts project offers a person-centred care model, providing individualised support that promotes autonomy, self-determination, and a life as independent as possible, enabling participants to be the protagonists of their own lives.
People with autism and high support needs receive specialised support, tailored to their pace, interests, and preferences. To deliver the project, we work with personal assistants specifically trained in autism, ensuring high-quality care adapted to each participant.
Participation at the heart of the project
At our foundation, participation is a cross-cutting principle: it is present in every project, every service and every decision.
At Junts Autisme, we believe that no social project can truly have meaning without the active involvement of the people and families concerned. This principle is not only essential for ensuring the quality and ustainability of the project, but is also reflected in international guidelines on development, cooperation and ocial action.
Listening to Families
The origin of our housing project comes from a clear need, expressed directly by families: the uncertainty about the independent future of their children with autism and their care once the parents are no longer able to provide it. From listening to these concerns arose the conviction to create our own model of support for adults with autism.
With the principle of not disrupting the participants existing support pathways, Vivim Junts was born, a project that guarantees three fundamental pillars for the foundation:
- Maintaining and naturally consolidating the skills acquired in earlier stages of life.
- Expanding their social network of relationships and supports within their community environment.
- Strengthening their sense of security, protection and recognition as full citizens with equal rights.
The voice of the beneficiaries
Although they may not always be able to express a direct opinion on technical aspects of the project, their daily preferences and needs have been at the heart of its design. That is why priority has been given to features such as spacious outdoor areas, individual rooms, and the opportunity to take part in decorating and personalising their own rooms and communal spaces.
The participants are the protagonists in day-to-day decision-making
The Team: A Key Element
The foundation’s professional team is a key element in the design, planning, and operation of the project. Most have been working with the participants for years, so they know them well and have built a long-standing relationship of support alongside them.
All professionals involved in the project receive specific training in autism (through the foundation’s internal Training Plan). Through bi-monthly meetings, regular surveys, and open dialogue sessions, we ensure that educators, therapists, activity leaders, and personal assistants can contribute, improve, and grow together with the project.
The community and the local environment
Inclusion is also built through everyday life. Project participants interact weekly with the social and commercial fabric of Arenys de Mar and other towns in the Maresme region. They also carry out occupational tasks in local businesses. Coordination with the managers of these establishments is essential to ensure a positive, adapted, and learning experience for everyone involved.
The community network of relationships sustained over time normalises the presence of people with autism and high support needs in their reference social environment and highlights diversity and interaction as a great value.
Inspired by a global movement
Vivim Junts is inspired by the philosophy of the Independent Living Movement, which emerged in Berkeley (USA) in the 1960s and advocates that “there are no disabled people, only disabled societies.” This perspective defends the right to live in the community with the necessary support, without being separated from the social environment. It is from this vision of autonomy, dignity, and full participation in everyday life that we have developed our model of personalised and specialised support for people with autism.
Our model understands that independence is not about doing everything alone, but about being able to make decisions and live with the appropriate support within real community spaces. For us, this approach is the only way to achieve a genuine and sustainable transformation towards a better quality of life, as it consolidates learning that translates into greater autonomy and independence. At the same time, we support families by offering an alternative to institutionalisation and ensuring personalised, human-centred care, guiding the future of their children with knowledge and trust.
Having housing of this nature is also a key tool for social transformation. That is why we have committed to a street-level housing model, located in the heart of the community, with the aim of changing perceptions of people with autism and preventing exclusion.
International commitment
This project responds directly to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD-UN), particularly Article 19, which recognizes the right to live independently and be included in the community, with the necessary supports and on an equal basis.
It is also aligned with the global commitment of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially its guiding principle: “Leave no one behind.”
Services
These are the services we offer Fundació Junts Autisme to
accompany and support people with autism and their families.
