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Here are some writings from early in the creation of Essential Lifestyle Planning (early to mid 1990s). Person centered planning, should we do it with everyone?, A Plan is Not an Outcome, Standing with Jon, Full inclusion and the value of students with severe disabilities, Moving from supported living to a supported life, Thinking About … Read more
Michael W. Smull From my travels (and from the materials that get sent to me) I have learned that many of the alleged person centered plans and person centered services are not person centered at all. Plans are being written where what is important to those who provide services is written as if it were … Read more
by Michael W Smull As service systems increasingly embrace the principles and practices of self-determination and individual funding, people are looking at the roles of those who have been traditionally known as case managers or service coordinators. The expectations that many had of service coordinators in the late ’70s and early ’80s have been buried … Read more
Michael Smull One of the central questions in implementing CSLA was whether or not supported living could successfully move beyond the pioneers. A small group of pioneering agencies had shown that people with disabilities could have lives of their own choosing regardless of severity of their disability. These agencies are committed to supporting people in … Read more
Michael W. Smull How are these core values to be taught? Simply adding them to a curriculum will not work. These are values that are learned by being practiced. While occasional excursions to segregated settings may acquaint you with elders, or others who benefit from your gifts, the real lessons are learned from everyday experience. … Read more
by Michael W. Smull Person centered planning is our label for learning how people want to live, to learn what is important to them in everyday life and to discover how they might want to live in the future. However, a plan is not an outcome. The only reason to do the planning is to … Read more
Getting Unstuck A Creative Problem Solving Tool. This is a short and powerful tool that takes no more than a half hour. It is effective in getting “unstuck” from a problem in life or work. Solution Circles are tools of “community capacity”. It assumes and demonstrates that nearby people – in any community or work … Read more