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While written over thirty years ago this piece, by Michael Smull and Susan Burke Harrison, is a classic and one of the first pieces written about person-centered planning and thinking in action. It deserves a read or reread. The handbook presents the tools needed to develop better community capacity to support people with “severe reputations.’ … Read more
by Michael Smull As we help people learn to do person centered planning with people with disabilities, repeatedly those who do the training are asked what to do when what the person appears to want conflicts with what a parent or guardian wants. As people learn to do plans they also ask what they should … Read more
A description and link to an article by Cara Liebowitz on identity first and people first language has been viewed on this site hundreds of times (find the link here). She recently wrote a follow-up article on the views of ableist views of some individuals with physical disabilities. Below is. a summary and link to … Read more
Download Listen to Me! here (Spanish version download here). LTM was developed at a time when Essential Lifestyle Planning (ELP) was one of the gold standards of person-centered planning. While it still sets a high standard, since that time, many other methods of planning with individuals for the lives they want to lead have been … Read more
Once the PCT trainers have gone, it’s time to do the hard work of implementing and sustaining person centered thinking and planning skills. The fillable form provides service coordinators the opportunity to record their suggestions for using each of the skills and to share that learning with others. Download for service coordinatiors Skills Application Log … Read more
In his book The Great Good Place, Oldenburg writes about what he refers to as “Third Places,” those places in every community where locals gather to visit, share news and be among others. Such places are a great spot to meet the neighborhood “connectors” (those people who know everyone else) and to assist someone to … Read more
Written by Michael W. Smull in 1995, this article outlines the importance of updating a person centered plan after it’s written. The original article can be downloaded here. A summary checklist based on the article can be downloaded here. Learning how people want to live and then doing nothing with the information is a form … Read more
A California Regional Center service coordinator helps people with developmental disabilities and their families get the services and supports they need. Service coordinators wear many hats! They meet with the person and family, write and update the person’s individual plan, find and arrange services and supports (like education and training, job supports, housing), check that … Read more
Summary: Service coordinators can be strong, practical advocates — inside the regional center and across systems — by using the IPP process, documenting needs, coordinating assessments and services, negotiating with vendors/schools/health plans, and connecting families with legal/advocacy resources when needed. Below are specific actions they can take, limits to their authority, a simple step-by-step checklist families can use, and sample … Read more
Researchers and people who provide services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are shifting from “fixing problems” to helping people live full lives. That means more focus on rights, participation, and supports that help people make their own choices. At the same time, there are big advances in genetics and technology, new ways to … Read more