WHAT IS PERSON CENTERED PLANNING?
Person-centered planning is a process to empowering people who receive supports in community settings. It focuses on the people and their needs by putting them in charge of defining the direction for their lives, not on the systems that may or may not be available to serve them. This ultimately leads to greater inclusion as valued members of their community.
Person-centered planning involves the development of methods and resources that enable people with disability labels to choose their own pathways to success; the planners simply help them to figure out where they want to go and how best to get there.
The person-centered approach relies not on the service system but by organizing truly individualized, natural, and creative supports to achieve meaningful goals based on the individual's strengths and preferences. The person-centered approach creates a team of people who know and care about the individual with a disability, who come together to develop and share a dream for the person's future, and who work together to organize and provide the supports necessary to make that dream a reality.
The dream is for five to ten years in the future and is based on the person's strengths, interests, values, aspirations, and choices. The team works with the person to develop a clear description of a great life that is both positive and possible. To do this, the team asks the person where they would like to live and with whom, where they would like to work, and how they would like to be involved in the community, including friendships, recreation, and transportation. The individual's preferences and choices then become the basis for a series of steps to make that dream come true.
For example,
What kind of job would the person like to have? How can the person gain experience now that could lead to a job in the future? Who on the team will take responsibility for making arrangements for the person to gain this experience? This process results in a strong commitment on the part of the team members to take specific actions to help the individual progress along their path to the future.
For additional information see: http://www.ilr.cornell.edu |
