Trust, Respect, and Partnership Activity

by Michael Smull The Learning Community for Person Centered Practices In working with a wide variety of organizations, it has become clear that the real implementation of person centered practices requires that the people being supported are respected, that there is trust between them and those who do the support, and that there is partnership. … Read more

Thinking About Risks

by Michael Smull July 2013 Managing any risk begins with learning what is “important to” the person as well as what is “important for”, and helping to find a good balance between them. Often risk is significantly diminished when our understanding of what the person wants deepens and we find reasonably safe ways for the … Read more

Revisiting Choice

Another deep dive into the archives, but still very relevant. Part 1 by Michael W. Smull AAMR’s News and NotesChoice is the most powerful word and the most abused word in the current lexicon of the disabilities services system. For some people choice means that how they want to live has been discovered and carefully … Read more

Risks and Opportunities

Excerpted from Patterns ofSupported Living: A Resource Catalogue Developed for: California Department of Developmental Services 1600 9th Street Sacramento, CA 95814 D.D.S. Contract No. Hd290099by: Allen, Shea & Associates Napa, CA 94559 and Claudia Bolton 6/93 This is another article from way back in the ASA archives that is amazingly current! Introduction There are many dimensions which shape … Read more

Things Are Changing

This excerpt is from Patterns of Supported Living: A Resource Catalogue. Along with our colleague Claudia Bolton, we wrote this piece in 1993. The predictions have held up, but it took about 20 years longer than we thought. In about the mid-1980’s civil rights movement and consumer self-advocacy really started to affect the service system for … Read more

The Principles of Supported Living

  by Jay Kleinexcerpted from Not Just Another “Rung” on the Continuum, TASH Newsletter, 1994. Individualization Webster’s dictionary defines “individual” as a particular being or thing as distinguished from a class, species or collection, as single human being as contrasted with a social group or institution, as a single organism, as distinguished from a group, … Read more

Why is the NCI Important?

A group of advocates from the Statewide DDS California Consumer Advisory Committee talking about the importance of the National Core Indicators.

What I’d Say by Michael Steinbruck

Listen to the words, ‘What I’d Say‘ is a powerful song about our work. It is written and performed by Michael Steinbruck and Andrew Maroko, and stars Roger Crown.

It’s Great to Have Friends

This video can be used as an introduction to the content of the Friends curriculum package titled Supporting Healthy Friendships on the SafetyNet. In that package, you will find a newsletter for supporters and tip sheets titled: Friendship – 10 Things to Know; Making New Friends; and, What Do I Like to Do? a worksheet about community … Read more