Embracing the Grey Zone: Navigating flexible boundaries at Welcome Inn Community Centre

This thesis is an exploration of relationships and issues of professional boundaries at Welcome Inn Community Centre, a faith-based community centre offering programs and services to address issues of poverty in Hamilton, Ontario. Data was gathered through semi-structured qualitative interviews with fifteen staff members, volunteers, and participants at Welcome Inn. A strengths-based perspective combined with mutual relationships and flexible boundaries were found to foster inclusion, acceptance, community building, and personal transformation at Welcome Inn Community Centre; Welcome Inn staff, volunteers, and program participants described these qualities positively. Mixed positive and negative comments were used to describe decision-making and boundaries at Welcome Inn. The need for increased intentionality and clarity around professional boundaries was identified. Using grounded theory methodology, a model, “Embracing the Grey Zone,’ and associated reflexive tools for navigating flexible boundaries were developed. The model and tools are presented here for use in social work community practice and education