Person Centered Planning
Family Voices wants to ensure families have information to advocate on behalf of themselves and/or their children. This bulletin explains the new person centered process that should be part of the DD, Autism, and Support Services waivers.
On January 1, 2009, the Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS) launched a unique and progressive person-centered planning process to better support individuals participating in Indiana’s Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Medicaid Waiver program. The purpose of the following information is to provide stakeholders with an update on how far along we are toward bringing individuals into the new process, as well as to provide the latest information available about the system.
PURPOSE AND PARTNERSHIP The person-centered planning process began as a partnership between DDRS, Indiana Professional Management Group (IPMG), and members of the provider community. The process was developed to ensure services are measurable and support the expressed needs, dreams, and life goals of each waiver recipient. Recently, the partnership expanded to include stakeholders such as The Arc of Indiana, INARF, and Indiana ABC. Together, this group will work to ensure the person-centered process is a success for all consumers in Indiana.
STATUS UPDATE The best way to manage a system is to put measurable goals in place. At the core of the person- centered process is a system that was created with advanced, flexible technology that will change and grow as necessary to ensure ongoing support for all consumers. More than 6,400 individuals have begun the process. Our plan is to continue moving forward until all Indiana waiver participants, currently 12,500 individuals, are included. To date, more than 8,000 discussions with consumers, to talk about the things important to and important for the individual, have taken place. To ensure our success, we teamed up with nationally-known person-centered planning expert Michael Smull. Known for his work in the area of person-centered thinking, a key part of person-centered planning, Smull worked closely with the development team during the development of Indiana’s process. Michael Smull recently met with our group to discuss the progress of the person-centered process and how we can better improve our service delivery and consumer support. As a result of this meeting, our plans now include properly introducing critical features of the process to all stakeholders (such as this bulletin), producing communication and training agendas, and establishing additional measurements that ensure each individual achieves stated goals and accomplishes personal missions.
INDIVIDUAL AND SUPPORT TEAM INVOLVEMENT Our hope is that this new person-centered planning process will empower those receiving a Developmental Disabilities (DD), Autism (AU), or Support Services (SSW) Waiver. This includes educating Support Teams so that they understand to focus on not only what is important for the waiver recipient, such health and safety, but also what is important to them, such as their life goals, hopes, and dreams. The individual’s input on these issues is captured within the Person-Centered Document (PCD), a critical component of each waiver recipient’s person-centered plan. The PCD is used by the Support Team to guide the individual’s waiver services.
MEASUREMENT AND MANAGEMENT Through the use of advanced technology, we can now measure the level of support provided to each individual along with their milestones, goals, and objectives. DDRS will have access to a variety of information that is important to help us better manage our system and support consumers and their families, providers, and others who support individuals with disabilities. This technology will enable us to provide continuous feedback, to improve the process and systems, and to provide the most benefit to waiver recipients. Together, we are committed to partnering with IPMG and stakeholders to refine the person- centered planning process to meet the needs of those we serve today and in the future. This long-term plan, to be shared by all who support individuals with disabilities in Indiana, is vital to the future success of the process, and requires the commitment and cooperation of all stakeholders to accomplish.
We are in the process of creating materials for the DDRS website and plan to release additional bulletins to keep you updated on changes and future developments related to the person- centered planning process. In the meantime, see below for a list of resources to assist you with your questions or concerns.
DDRS RESOURCES Email: AskDDRS@fssa.IN.gov or BDDSHelp@fssa.IN.gov DDRS Help Line (Toll free Indiana): 1-800-545-7763 DDRS Website: http://www.ddrs.IN.gov Register to receive DDRS bulletins by Email: http://www.in.gov/fssa/ddrs/3894.htm Bulletin Archive: http://www.in.gov/fssa/ddrs/3350.htm
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