Ask An Advocate Q&A |

Ask An Advocate: Person-Centered Planning

Q: I worked with someone to create a person-centered plan. What part of my plan should I share with people on my team? Have you shared your plan with your team and if so what was the outcome?

 

A: “Good question. My person-centered plan has a lot in it that talks about what is important to me, how I like to spend my time, what I care about and what goals I want to work on in my life. For example, I would really like to take a trip to Europe, so I have that outlined as a goal. Another goal is that I want to get my driver’s license. These are important for people on my team to know, so that I get support with the things I want to work on, things that are meaningful to me.”

 

“My plan also has information that talks about who I am as a person and how I like to structure my life. For example, my plan talks about my passion for working with others to advocate for themselves. It also talks that I like to spend time with friends and family. It mentions I like to schedule my own appointments. This is information that is important to know in order to understand me and support me in a respectful way. I recommend that you share your plan at your next annual meeting. It can really shape the entire meeting. For me, I did find that it was a little hard to put it out there and insist on it. Once I did my team listened to me and the goals went from things someone else wanted me to work on to the things that I really wanted to focus on. You will feel better about yourself. Your team will most likely feel more confidence in you. Just make sure your voice is heard.” – Katie