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HOW TO BE PERSON-CENTERED?

Being person-centered helps you to learn about and understand the uniqueness of each person that you support. With the aid of both Beth Mount and Simon Duffy, your staff will have a better understanding of how being person-centered helps the people we support to take control of their lives and make their own choices.This new 80 minute module focuses on the very essence of what it means to be person-centered. By using practical approaches, explanations, strategies, and tools this module will help you to be person-centered.

Beth Mount uses her expertise, having been working in this field of study for over 35 years.  The ideal that every person with a disability can be a value member of community life. She  values the importance of person-centered plans and helps support it via art programs.

Simon Duffy is best know for defining key concepts such as individual budgets, self-directed support, the citizenship model and many others.

Upon successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

– Understand the meaning of person-centered practice and describe the key principles.

– Explain person-centered approaches, thinking and planning.

– Describe and apply a range of person-centered thinking tools to support your work.

Learn more about all of our modules here.

 

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Difficult Families?

What can we learn from the families we support and work with?

This video is a celebration of families and what we can learn from them. The moving and thoughtful words of the families who made this video will help you to learn from the experience and understand the perspectives of the families that you work with.

New module here!

 

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Five Things You Can Do

“Five Things You Can Do,” is a list of things you can think about and do when you are supporting a person whose behavior is troubling you.

This is not a list of “quick fix” strategies for stopping unwanted behavior. It is a list of ideas for uncovering the real things that a person might need so that you can be more supportive.

This module includes video presentations from David Pitonyak and Peter Leidy.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to

– Explain the importance of getting to know the person.

– Understand that all behavior is meaningful.

– Describe the need for people to have a support plan.

– Consider your own support needs.

– Explain why we should always assume competence.

Learn more about all of our modules here.

The largest part of David Pitonyak’s work involves meeting people who are said to exhibit “difficult behaviors.”  Most of these people exhibit difficult behaviors because they are misunderstood and/or because they are living lives that don’t make sense.  Of they are lonely, powerless, or without joy.  Often they feel devalued by others or lack the kinds of educational experiences that most of us take for granted.  Too often their troubling behaviors are the result of an illness, or even a delayed response to traumatic events.  You might say their behaviors are “messages” which can tell us important things about their lives.  Learning to listen to the person’s difficult behaviors is the first step in helping the person to find a new (and healthier) story.

Peter Leidy has been learning from people with disabilities since 1983.  Leidy is a consultant, facilitator, listener, learner, improviser, and speaker who focuses on personalized supports and community membership for people with disabilities.  Leidy promotes positive support, inclusion, building healthy relationships and thinking differently about people who are called “challenging.”