Andrzej Walz-Chojnacki

Macey Chovaz

Laura Owens

Person Centered Planning

Person-centered planning is a process that uses creative facilitation tools to assist a young adult in developing a plan on how they want to live in the future.

What is Person-Centered Planning?

Person-Centered Planning is a way for diverse people, who share a common need to align their…. Vision, purposes, and goals. Understanding of their situation and its

possibilities for hopeful action. Actions for change, mutual support, personal

and team development and learning.

John O’Brien and Connie Lyle, 2000

What Person-Centered Planning is NOT…

A one-shot meeting A form to complete A quick fix solution to all problems A guarantee for success A mandate

Planning

Traditional Planning Formal assessments Deficiencies & needs Professional Teams

Person-Centered Planning Discovering the person Uncovering capacities and gifts Identifying supports and current

relationships

Who makes the decision?Beth Mount, 2000

Systems centered approach Spends lots of time planning with little time to take action.

Person-Centered Spends lots of time taking action, with regular times to reflect.

Values that guide personal futures planning Beth Mount, 2000

Moving away from: Isolation, separation,

activities and schedules. Rejection, loneliness,

ignored. Negative reputations,

negative self-fulfilling prophecies.

Lack of representation, no power.

Underproductive, ignored, no resources, low expectations

Toward daily experiences which lead to: Community

presence Community

participation Encouraging

valued social roles. Promoting choice Supporting

contribution

John O’Brien on Person Centered planning

“Person-centered planning did not ignore disability, it simply shifted the emphasis to a search for capacity in the person, among the person’s friends and family, in the person’s community, and among service workers.”

“Planning alone does not change people's lives.” John O’Brien & Connie Lyle O’Brien

Person-centered planning offers people a forum for: Discovering a desirable future Negotiating conflicts Creative problem solving Defining and redefining direction Mutual support.

A little book about Person Centered Planning, 2000

Benefits of Person Centered planning

Driven by the individual Empowers the focus person Creates opportunities for the focus person

to become more involved in their communities

Focuses on the persons needs and wants and not what systems can provide

~ Mount, 1994.

Limitations of Person Centered Planning

Systems limit teams & time Should not be used for everyone Will not automatically create inclusion

into the community If done incorrectly can lead to false

hopes

How does the process work?

The young adult and facilitator invite people who are involved in his/her life or who want to be involved in their life to their future’s planning meeting.

People attending the meeting should come with the understanding that they are committing to assist the young adult in long term planning of their life.

Creating the team

Teams should be created with input from the focus person

Committed to the process- don’t do it to fulfill a requirement

Know the young adult Be willing to step outside their current

role

Person-Centered Planning Team

Make a commitment and take action to ensure that changes will be accomplished for the focus person.

Coordinate support around the life of the individual rather than around the needs of staff and existing services.

Strength based…..

Person centered planning looks at a person’s strengths and gifts.

The “dream” should be used as the guide for the team and focus person to establish goals.

Goals should be “positive and possible”. Using futures planning allows individuals to create

ways to meet their needs- one size does not fit all. Person centered planning gives the focus person a

voice. How do you make the system meet the focus person’s needs instead of how do we make the person fit into the system.

Learning to listen…

Listen to the person. Accommodations need to be made

according to the person’s style of communication.

Asking for details gives a better understanding of a persons desires.

Listen with care not pity.

How Do You Feel When…

You have no control over your life

You have no voice

You feel powerless

You have no choices

Accommodations for Communication

Know the young adult’s form of communication P.E.C.S Pictures Close friend/staff Yes and No questions Non-verbal communication Behavior that demonstrates preferences and

choices

Look at things differently…

“There is a story of a man who left seventeen camels to his three sons. He left half the camels to his eldest son, a third to his middle son, and a ninth to his youngest. The three started dividing up their inheritance but soon despaired of their ability to find a solution-because seventeen could not be divided by two or three or nine. The sons approached a wise old women. After pondering the problem the old woman said, “See what happens if you take my camel.” So then the sons had eighteen camels. The eldest son took his half-that was nine. The middle son took his third-that was six. And the youngest son took his ninth- that was two. Nine and six and two made seventeen. They had one camel left over. They gave it back to the wise old woman.” William Ury

“Like the seventeen camels, problems, like the ones we are facing now, often seem impossible to solve. Like the wise old woman you will often need to step back, look at the situation from a fresh angle, and find an eighteenth camel.”

Adapted from: Getting to Yes, William Ury

Everyone has the right to dream…

It is important to ask questions to fully understand a person’s dream. How can we develop a plan that will

support the focus person in reaching a portion of their dream? Listen to the dream. What does the dream mean to the focus

person?

Getting to know the young individual…

“I like to spend time with… Teams should include members who

want to be there and members who the focus person feels are important in their lives.

Person is more likely to achieve their goals when supported by those that care about them.

“What I did last year..” Sometimes we get too involved in looking at

what did not work to see what was accomplished.

Sometimes little things that are important to the focus person go unnoticed to the team members.

Getting to know the individual…

Getting to know the individual…

During my spare time I like to… Figuring out what a person likes to do

can be key to developing new skills. Everyone needs leisure time…how we

spend the time is a matter of choice.

Things that I am good at… Everyone has a gift. Sometimes we need to explore what the

person’s gift is. Designing services around the person’s

strengths allows the person to find success in the things they choose to do.

Getting to know the individual…

Getting to know the young adult…

“Things that are extremely important to me…” Ask what is important, this gives the

focus person a voice in the planning process.

Sometimes teams focus on what is “billable” as opposed to what is important to the individual.

Getting to know the young adult…

“Things I never want in my life…” Asking people what they never want in

their lives is like asking them what their nightmare is…

By avoiding a persons nightmare we can get closer to meeting their needs.

Getting to know the young adult…

My long-term goals for the future are: Setting long term goals helps the focus person

look towards the future. Establishing goals assists the focus person in

reaching their dreams. The focus person’s long term goal should be

carried over into the IPP. IPP can assist in monitoring the focus person’s

progress towards achieving their dreams.

Getting to know the young adult… “People who support me…”

Creating and sustaining relationships allows for a person to have real inclusion into their communities.

Person needs to create relationships with those who want to be involved in their lives.

Paid personnel tend not to stay in a person with disabilities life for the long term

Getting to know the young adult…

“What I want to do in the next year and who I would like to help me.” By breaking down a person’s dreams into short

term goals allows the focus person to develop clear plans for them to touch their dreams and avoid their nightmares.

Person centered planning allows the focus person to guide the planning process.

Do assume everyone desires to help. Be sure to ask who is willing to help.

Getting to know the young adult…

“If I could change things in my life, what would I change?” Persons with disabilities have a right to make

choices about their lives. Listening to what the focus person desires to

change about their lives will allow for supports to be developed that may improve the focus persons quality of life.

Getting to know the young adult…

“What community activities will enable me to pursue interest in a positive way? Information should be used to assist the focus

person in becoming part of their communities. Everyone has different interests and planning

must be individualized. Person will exhibit less challenging behaviors

when they are participating in activities that they find pleasurable.

Choice…

“ Preferences reflect what people want, while opportunities reflect what is available.”

“Control is the authority to make use of an opportunity to satisfy a preference.”

Michael W. Small Revisiting Choice, A little book about Person Centered Planning, Inclusion Press, 2000

Exercise: How do you make choices about your life?

Take a few minutes to think about a choice you have made in your life?

How did you make a major decision in your life?

Did you make a good choice? Did you hear bad advice? Who helped you make your decision?

Teams need to recognize the need for balancing safety issues and allowing the focus person to make a choice. Teams have an ethical responsibility to

assure the focus person does not harm themselves or others.

Good support teams assist the focus person in touching their dreams.

Facilitating Person Centered Planning

The Facilitator believes the planning process belongs to the focus person

“The process and content belongs to the person and those who are committed to accompany the person along the journey the plan outlines”

~ Marsha Forest, Jack Pearpoint and John o’Brien, 2003

Facilitating the Person Center Process

Must be willing to not pass judgment Must not be pushy or fall into the role

of “therapist” or “social worker” Must listen to the focus person Must believe in the process Must be willing to commit to working

together to make changes

Essential Lifestyle Planning

What are your “non negotiables”? What are your “strong preferences”? What are your “highly desireables”? People who know & care about me say… To be successful in supporting me, we

must… My reputation says… If this is going to happen, we must…

Adapted from Michael Smull, 1991

Components of PCP/PFP

Personal profile Personal futures statement Strategies to achieve vision Menu of specific activities, services,

and personal commitments Current and needed supports/services Statement of LR and HQ environments Develop action plan

10 conditions that increase the likelihood of implementation.

1. When the person wants life to be different somehow.2. When the person and team keep focused on capacities.3. When the person has a specific personal vision.4. When people are willing to meet on a regular basis to solve

problems and are willing to do so over time.5. When a skilled facilitator is available to support the group over

time.6. When the team includes someone who as a strong commitment

to act on behalf of the person.7. When someone works at building connections to the community.8. When the person is connected to another person facing similar

obstacles.9. When one human service agency is willing to change.10. When the person or team has access to people who make

decisions about resources.

Beth Mount, 2000

Five Essential Outcomes of Person-Centered Planning

1. Being present and participating in community life

2. Gaining and maintaining satisfying relationships

3. Expressing preferences and making choices in everyday life

4. Having opportunities to fulfill respected roles and to live with dignity

5. Continuing to develop personal competencies

~ Kincaid, 1996