Families Planning Together: Starting Work on an Essential Lifestyle Plan

by M. Smull, M. Bourne, and W. Allen This workbook (4th edition, published 2004) was created to help families develop an essential lifestyle plan with a family member. You should have a copy of one or more example plans with the workbook and you should have someone trained in developing Essential Lifestyle Plans working with you. … Read more

Person Centered Planning and Communication of End-Of-Life Wishes With People Who Have Developmental Disabilities

by Leigh Ann Kingsbury, MPA, Gerontologist Person centered planning is a common practice in most developmental disability systems. As people with disabilities are living to old age and being supported in the community as they age and die, there is an ever increasing need for advance care planning for people who have developmental and intellectual disabilities; … Read more

Considerations for Regional Centers Implementing Person-Centered Organizational Change

For a variety of reasons, many of California’s regional centers are currently considering or have implemented a person-centered organizational initiative.  Moving towards a person-centered system requires considerable thought and planning to be effective. This brief article present some factors to consider in the early stages of planning, implementation, or efforts to sustain the initiative. There … Read more

Families planning together

by Michael W. Smull, Mary Lou Bourne, Amanda George, and Shelley Dumas Karrie is a young woman who is described by those who like and admire her as a helpful, hard worker, with great stamina. Not too long ago she was also seen (by the staff of the agency that supported her during the day) as … Read more

One Couple’s Person Centred Planning Story

by Helen Sanderson and Associates Back in 2002 Sally was the single parent of Alex, a boy with an Autism diagnosis who had just finished a successful inclusive primary school and was starting out at a ‘resourced’ secondary school. Sally had always been active in local parents groups and considered herself to be well informed … Read more

Becoming a Person Centered System

by Michael W. Smull, Mary Lou Bourne, & Helen Sanderson A variety of agencies in many different locations have engaged with us in a set of efforts that have evolved over time. At each location the goal has been consistent: to create person centered systems that support person directed services. The learning that has taken place … Read more