The training listed below meets the informational needs of agency personnel, people who use disability services, and family members.

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• One-Page Description

• One-Hour Overview

• Three-Hour Deep Dive

• Person Centered Thinking Training

• Parent (Family) Developed Person Centered Plans

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One Page Description (2.5 hours)

Learn the core concepts of person centered approaches and create a one-page description to inform supporters about what is important to the person, how to support that person by knowing what and how, and what to avoid doing to provide better experiences for the person being supported.

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Learn and practice:

→ The importance of person centered approaches – Core values of being person centered

→ How our language impacts our thinking and actions – using respectful and plain language

→ Describing a person's well-being, identified needs, barriers, and opportunities by building a person centered description that reflects who the person is and how they want to be supported.

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Being Person Centered - A One-Hour Overview

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Person-centered thinking and practice is a focused approach to delivering services focusing on the individual and their needs. In this hour, participants will learn to think about the person first and their needs and wishes for their lives. This can be a conceptual change for service providers and individuals needing support.

 

Person-centered thinking can be a conceptual change away from a system and service focus that often constrains our actions. Person-centered thinking is about the person being at the center of thinking, actions, and planning, and the support they need to achieve a life where services are focused on their vision and dreams of what should be in their lives. Being person-centered includes understanding the person's gifts, talents, abilities, preferences, resources, and priorities. The workshop informs you on various aspects of person-centered thinking and approaches.

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Being Person Centered – A Three-Hour Deep Dive

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This session is a comprehensive introduction to person centered practices. Learn about the fundamentals of person centeredness and what we can do to support people in more meaningful ways. We will also examine how we shift our thinking about person-centered support and why the Federal Agency, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, requires it. The event will offer a deeply intuitive understanding of what it means to be person centered, why it's being directed by policy and funding, and how this shift can dramatically improve outcomes for the people we serve.

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Agency personnel: HCBS compliance is approaching quickly! March 17, 2023. Don't panic. Learn!

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Person Centered Thinking Training 12 Hours of Content 

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This four-session course is the bedrock of person centered approaches and is consistent with HCBS requirements. 

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Person Centered Thinking is the first and fundamental training providing participants with the basic knowledge on how to facilitate the use of the skills and tools to support others. Changing your thinking is the first step to person centered planning. Participants will develop their own descriptions using the skills and tools.

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This training offers 16 hours of learning and practicing how to use various skills to discover information to support someone to have a better life. This course is designed to enhance existing service provider knowledge and skills using person centered planning with adults who experience intellectual disabilities, brain injuries, autism spectrum disorder, and other developmental disabilities.

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Michael Smull and the Learning Community developed discovery tools to support people to get better lives…not just better plans. The skills offer specific methods to discover information that identifies what is important to a person and what is important for a person. This discovery process leads to finding the balance between important to and for, which serves as the basis for creating a person's description that leads to action planning.

 

Who is this training for? Service providers, family members, service coordinators, and people who experience a condition requiring support from others. Anyone, regardless of their role in supporting people who use services due to the presence of a disability, long-term health impact, and more. 

 

​As noted, this process is about supporting people to get better lives. A core principle of PCT is to understand and practice the tools on yourself before attempting to facilitate using the tools with someone else. 

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Parent (Family) Developed Person Centered Plans - A Five Week Course

March 2024 Course Scheduled!

Let's work together to create a document that can enhance the quality of life for your loved ones.

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A person-centered plan (PCP) is a personalized document that considers an individual's preferences, personality, daily routines, and support requirements instead of solely focusing on their disability.

The PCP leads to developing services and supports based on the person’s priorities and strengths rather than problem areas. It should also offer approaches that decrease challenges in the person's life.

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The Need

Disability services (assistive technologies, direct services, support staff, and the environment) are built around the traditional service system without considering if it works for the person. A person with a disability is an individual, not a service recipient. Services should help that person reach their full potential while honoring their preferences and desires and creating a fulfilled life.

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During this Course, You Will

• Reflect upon what matters to your son, daughter, or sibling.

• Benefit from step-by-step guidance.

• Learn skills that explore a deeper perspective.

• Understand and develop outcomes that matter, then create goals for achievement.

What You'll Be Offered

• Skills to intentionally develop a Person Centered Description and Plan for someone who cannot use words to communicate their wants and needs.

• A focus on a deeper understanding of the individual and the life experiences they hold dear. That person should be highly involved in confirming what you are learning and recording.

• A well-developed PCP template to create an organized and meaningful plan.

• A vehicle for discovering insight from multiple perspectives.

Benefits

• Information about how to create an effective plan that meets the communication and other supportive needs of your child or adult loved one.

• When skillfully developed, it also becomes a life-changing process for everyone involved.

Features

• Highly interactive and experiential.

• Peer review - connection to others in the course.

• Conveniently offered live online.

Outcomes

• Clearly defined and prioritized wishes and needs to ensure the person receives support and services that are meaningful to them.

• Definition of quality of life, as defined by the person and those who know and care about him, her, or they/them.

• Visions for the future.

What You Bring

• An open mind.

• The deeply held conviction that your child deserves a good life.

• The information and detail that you hold in your heart and mind.

What You Need to Participate

• Passion for the person for whom you are planning.

• Access to Zoom and a stable internet connection.

• Microsoft Word is encouraged, but Google Docs may be used.

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People who use regional center services are welcome and encouraged to participate in developing their plans; please bring a support person to enable you to participate fully.

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Each class will build upon the previous one. For the best result, plan to attend all in order.

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What past attendees said about this course:

• "It is as important as life insurance."

• "I have used the framework; having something as a plan to begin gave (me) a big relief."

• "Take it, and it will benefit your life and the life of your loved ones."

• "Thank you for the Person Center Planning training. The training ended but not the lesson."

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P.S. Spelling does not count in this course!