Person Centered Planning

Find seven practical,person-centered planning tools for transition planning for youths with disabilities. This toolkit is for youths with disabilities ages 12-18+, with the ultimate goal of easing the transition from junior high school into high school, then on to college and/or employment. Included is information on developing Individualized Education Programs, 504 plans, Individual Transition Plans and more.

The mission of this network is to promote and foster culture change "to improve the quality of life for older Georgians and those closest to them in all settings where aging services are delivered”. The Network was founded in 2008 and includes a clearinghouse for organizations and providers working on person-centered, long-term care in multiple care settings. Numerous resources can be found on their site, along with information on special projects, supporting organizations and more.

States play among the most critical roles in responding to and ameliorating disability unemployment. Find examples of state policy related to disabilities, a selection of state programs and initiatives, descriptions of select federal policy, and primary source documents. Topics covered include housing, employment, community integration, long-term care, health, disability awareness and benefits counseling.

Are you looking to develop an online person centered planning tool? Check out this one created to help people with disabilities think about their strengths, needs, wants and dreams, and put them in a plan to use to make decisions about their life. The plan is separated into four categories (Home, Community, Health & Work) and is created completely online. It also includes information on looking for services on TheDesk.info (Medicaid Reference Desk).

Check out this guide geared toward the participant/consumer on how to hire and manage personal assistants. Written with the goal of promoting self-determination, this user-friendly guide helps the consumer understand their role as employer and covers topics such as determining the supports they need, finding workers and the role of the Fiscal Intermediary. It includes sample forms, worksheets, checklists, job descriptions, as well as a glossary and tips for helping to keep organized.

Ten grants were awarded to states to develop a profile of the publicly funded LTC system and to assist CMS to develop national benchmarks that will be used to measure the degree and success of states' efforts to offer community based LTC services. Review Michigan’s report which focuses on the priority population of the elderly and adults with physical disabilities, but also includes systems that serve adults with developmental disabilities, adults with mental illness and children.

Find case studies and articles related to organizational change from traditional facility and group-based services to individualized supports. Reports present learned lessons and challenges based on site visits to organizations which offer supports for community living, employment and are engaged in change initiatives. New reports from 2011 include "Organizational Change: Approaches & Strategies" and "Stepping out of the Organizational Comfort Zone."

Under a Cooperative Agreement with AoA, the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging convened a panel of experts on strengthening the LTC workforce. The experts were organized to address five areas of concern: supply of DCWs and family caregivers; retention of these helpers; readiness or capacity of these helpers to provide care; quality of care they provide in terms of outcomes for those in their care; and the impact of the ACA, including the CLASS Act, on family caregivers.

Review this series of handouts that discuss key considerations for program planners and managers and staff involved in options counseling. Core competencies identified and detailed are: determining the need for options counseling; assessing needs, values and preferences; understanding and educating about public and private sector resources; facilitating self-direction/self-determination; encouraging future orientation; and following-up. Additional resources are offered for each core competency.

Looking for sample e-newsletters funded by the MIG grant and geared towards employing people with disabilities? The state of Maine created 'Working Together e-News' as a way of providing timely, relevant, business-oriented information and updates for employers that are interested in diversifying Maine's workforce. An archive of these newsletters are provided on their website and could serve as an example to other states considering a newsletter sponsorship model.