Orientation for ODP Service Providers...alwaysmeans including the person in the process of figuring that out. All people want the same things: a meaningful life that includes choice,

Orientation for ODP Service Providers Person-Centered Practices: Webcast #6

Music only.

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This webcast includes spoken narration.

To adjust the volume, use the controls at the bottom of the screen. While viewing this webcast, there is a pause and reverse button that can be used throughout the presentation.

The written version of the narration appears to the right of the screen.

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Certificates of Achievement will be available to all staff of Direct Care Provider Agencies and Supports Coordination Organizations after completing all course requirements.

Please view and then save or print your certificate in order to receive credit for this course.

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Hello, my name is Frank Schweigert from The Columbus Organization. This is the sixth and final webcast on the topic of Person‐Centered Practices for all newly hired service provider staff including managers, supervisors, Direct Support Professionals, Supports Coordinators, buildings and ground staff, and administrative support staff.

This training content is offered by the Office of Developmental Programs to meet the General Orientation training requirements specific to the topic areas identified in the 55 PA Code 6100 Regulations.

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Through this webcast series, we have shared with you some thoughts, ideas, and examples about what being person‐centered means, on understanding choice, and supporting how people communicate. We have also shared the importance of being included in the community, not just being present, and the value of creating and sustaining relationships.

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The practice of being person‐centered is not something we do at a specific time of day or just as part of a planning meeting. Being person‐centered is not any one thing done in isolation. Being person‐centered is a way of thinking and acting throughout each day. Each topic we have covered in this series is interconnected and dependent on each other, and that is the focus of this webcast.

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In this webcast we will focus on how combining the efforts and knowledge of all of these person‐centered practices can help to make a difference in people’s lives, to have their own personally defined good life, their Everyday Life.

At the conclusion of this webcast, you will be able to describe how each of the topics previously discussed in this series are connected and identify at least one way you can support person‐centered practices in your job, regardless of what that job is in your agency.

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When Person‐Centered Thinking values and approaches are understood and incorporated into the supports and services provided by you and your co‐workers, the individuals supported will have the opportunity to live their life in the way that supports their desire. Being able to live the life you want is the essence of Everyday Lives: Values in Action.

Even if your specific job responsibilities do not include providing direct support, you can still have an important role to help promote and ensure that people with developmental disabilities have the opportunities to live the Everyday Life they desire.

So let’s take a few minutes to highlight some of the key points provided in each of the preceding five webcasts and think about how these person‐centered practices can apply within your job.

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In the first webcast, I provided you with an overview of the concept of Person‐Centered Practices. The ultimate goal of being person‐centered is understanding what each individual person wants and needs to live their own, personally defined good life. This includes what things, people, and activities are important to the person and understanding what needs to exist to help ensure the person’s health, safety, and connection to the people and places they're interested in connecting with. Being person‐centered uses this understanding to find ways to help the person to achieve a balance between what is important to the person and important for their health and safety. Being person‐centered always means including the person in the process of figuring that out.

All people want the same things: a meaningful life that includes choice, self‐direction, loving and lasting relationships, and support that promotes value and inclusion in their communities.

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A person‐centered approach is not just about the big moments in life like finding a good job or living in your own place. It’s also about the everyday things in life: routine, daily pace, and simple traditions that can make all the difference.

It’s about valuing the person for their gifts, talents, and their personal characteristics that are appreciated by others. It’s about sharing ideas and seeking feedback to make sure our efforts support the person to achieve their personal goals and desires.

And it’s about the language we use when talking to and about the person. Being person‐centered is about recognizing and involving the people who make a difference in that person’s life – family, friends, staff, people in the neighborhood, and you.

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In the second webcast, Robin talked about supporting choice making. We make thousands of choices each day. Some choices we can make right away. We know what we want, we know what we like, and we know what we don’t like. At other times we may not fully understand our options. We may need more information or opportunities to try something out first in order to make an informed choice. And sometimes making a choice can be confusing. We may need some support from friends, family, or other people we trust to help us sort things out and to understand the choices, potential risks, and opportunities that can occur.

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In the second webcast, Derek was faced with what could seem like a rather simple choice. Did he want avocado on his burger or not? His choice could have a significant impact on whether he enjoyed his dinner. But Derek had never tasted an avocado before. He didn’t have the experience to know what to choose. Robin offered him the opportunity to taste an avocado first and with that new experience she supported him to make an informed choice and to enjoy his dinner.

But Derek doesn’t use words to communicate. Not only did Robin recognize that Derek needed more information before making a choice, she also needed to know and understand how Derek was able to communicate his choice.

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The Understanding Communication webcast focused on a variety of ways in which people communicate. While most of us think we communicate mostly using words, the vast majority of our communications are actually expressed through our facial expressions, tone of voice, gestures, pace of speech, and body language.

In addition to our words, our behaviors and actions are critically important to truly understanding communication.

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Sometimes what we say and what we do can communicate two different things. Our words don’t always match our behavior. When this happens, how we act in the situation is probably a more accurate indicator of our true thoughts and feelings.

Robin understood this as she watched Derek try the avocado. When he made that funny face, her initial guess was that he didn’t like it. But she checked this understanding with Derek and supported him to make his choice based on this new experience. In Derek’s story his unspoken words (shaking his head no when asked if he wanted the avocado on his burger) and his actions (the funny face he made when he tasted the avocado) seemed to match.

But what if Derek had said he wanted the avocado on his burger anyway? If this had happened, Robin could check her interpretation of the funny face he made, as well as his understanding of the question, to ensure that she supported Derek in making his best choice to enjoy his meal.

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In the fourth webcast on Being Part of the Community, you heard from Robin about the path from presence to contribution; moving from being IN the community to being a part OF the community. Each of us can have a role in supporting or identifying opportunities in the community to help people with developmental disabilities to move from just going to activities and being present IN their community to becoming a contributing and valued member OF their community.

Helping to support a person with developmental disabilities to become a valued member of their community includes understanding and applying the person‐centered practices of Choice and Understanding Communication. When we understand a person's communication, we can help that person to make an informed choice about how to be a part of their community.

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In the Understanding Communication webcast I shared Rhonda’s story. Rhonda loves going out to eat, particularly the special dinners at her church. You will recall that when Rhonda is done eating and ready for her dishes to be cleaned up she communicates this by pulling down her napkin. If you understand this and respond to her communication by assisting her to remove the dishes, all is good. But if you don’t listen to her, she will clear the table herself in one big sweeping motion.

The staff also supports Rhonda’s preferences and choices to become more of a part of her community by taking her to the dinners at her church and other places she likes in her community.

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In the fourth webcast, Robin identified six key factors that support inclusion. Imagine for a moment if the staff taking Rhonda to these dinners were not aware of how she communicates when she is done eating and didn’t respond to her when she pulls her napkin down. How likely is it that:

* Rhonda’s presence at these dinners would be valued by her church or community? * Rhonda would be invited by people at the church to attend other similar events? * Rhonda would be recognized and appreciated by her community for her unique skills, gifts, or talents? * Rhonda would be seen by others as a whole person, not just a person with a disability? * Rhonda would have the opportunity to create new relationships? * Rhonda would become a valued member of her church community? Would she be appreciated when she is there and missed when she is not?

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And then in the fifth webcast, Dave shared with you the importance of relationships in everyone’s lives. These are relationships that are formed through meeting new people and the discovery and appreciation of the things we have in common. They are relationships that offer opportunities for new experiences and provide an opportunity to demonstrate a commitment to each other.

The power of these relationships may be best summed up by Lori from the fourth webcast. “I have friends with and without disabilities. Now people don’t see my handicap, they see me as everyone else. At these places where I go all the time, people know my name and say hello.”

You will have opportunities to encourage and support people to make new connections and to stay connected in their current relationships. Through the knowledge and understanding you gain about the people you get to know and through positive and respectful interactions, no matter how brief they may be, you can help create relationships that may even last a lifetime.

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Think about your own life for a moment and the relationships you have with the people outside of your family.

How many of your relationships would exist if you didn’t have the opportunity to choose the activities you participate in or encouraged to explore new opportunities?

How many of your relationships would have lasted if the people around you, supporting you, didn’t understand (or respond) to how you communicate when you are happy, sad, sick or frustrated?

How many of your relationships would have been created if your unique value to those individuals or groups was not recognized, or if you didn’t have the opportunity to share your gifts and talents?

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But that’s probably not what happened for you. Over time you found people and developed relationships based on mutual interests and through exploring new opportunities. You found “your people” who understood you and supported you. You created relationships with others where you value the gifts and talents they have to offer and they value yours. The core person‐centered practices of understanding communication, supporting choice, and promoting a real life are all part of building relationships.

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I can’t help but to think back to the story about Mac, “the Mayor of 13th Street”. At the end of the story, Mac was alive because of his relationships in his community. His community valued his contributions and they missed him when he was not there. I don’t know much about Mac before then, but I expect that the outcome of his story would have been tragically different if he hadn’t had the opportunities to be supported in making his own choices; if the people around him didn’t understand and respond to the way he communicated; if he hadn’t been welcomed as a part of his community and been able to contribute his unique gifts and talents. If he hadn’t been able to develop those relationships with others, he would not be living the full and meaningful life that he wants to live.

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Regardless of your job title and agency responsibilities, as you meet and interact with the people your agency supports, you may have the opportunity to learn something that others may not be aware of. You may be able to support choice‐making. You may be able to understand something about the way the person communicates. You may be able to assist with helping someone become a part of a community. You may be able to support the development of new friendships or relationships. You may be able to help one person to get closer to having an Everyday Life.

I would like to share an example of how this has happened, and is happening for Maggie in a way that is helping her to live her good life.

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Maggie is a woman who is constantly on the move. She is interested in everything that is going on around her and loves to be complimented on her hair or the outfit she is wearing. Some of the staff who have supported her over the years have come and gone. But she has been fortunate to have several staff who have known her for many years.

The staff supporting Maggie have been having difficulty helping her to sit still even for just a couple minutes so that they can help to brush her hair. Every time they help her to sit down, something catches Maggie’s eye and she’s off to investigate. Even with their years of experience supporting Maggie, the staff were out of ideas on what they could do to help her to sit still, even for just a couple minutes.

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One morning April, who is a secretary in the main office, was helping one of Maggie's staff prepare some paperwork right before a staff meeting. In talking, April said, “The best thing happened yesterday when Maggie was here in the office visiting me before lunch.” When April had finished telling her story, the staff person was excited and asked her to come to the meeting and share her story with the other staff.

At the staff meeting April shared with the team that Maggie comes to visit her in the office every day. Most days she walks around the office, looks at a few things on her desk, looks out the window, checks out the radio on her filing cabinet and then leaves. But sometimes she would sit down in a chair and sit still and smile for three or four minutes. “At first, I didn’t think anything of it. And then it occurred to me what was different on the days Maggie would sit still in the chair.”

The staff were mesmerized by this and finally someone asked, “What was different?”

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“Polka music! I love polka music and so does Maggie. On the days I was listening to polkas on the radio when Maggie came in, she would sit down and listen to a song or two. So I tried it out yesterday. When Maggie came into the office she started to do her normal routine of checking things on my desk and looking out the window, but this time I turned on some polka music. Maggie went to the chair and sat down to listen. There was a big smile on her face. Once it went to a commercial, she got up and left. I bet that if you play some polka music when you want to help her brush her hair, Maggie would sit still.”

And wouldn’t you know, it worked. When Maggie’s hair needed brushing, the staff supporting her put on some polka music and Maggie willingly sat down and let them help her brush her hair. What April had learned and offered to the team was added to Maggie’s ISP. Not only did the staff learn a new way to help Maggie happily sit still for a few minutes to brush her hair, but Maggie was getting more compliments on her hair which put a huge smile on her face.

But Maggie’s story doesn’t end there.

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Because of their shared interest in polka music, a friendship has developed between Maggie and April. During their lunch breaks each day, Maggie will go to April’s office to listen to polka music with her. Staff have helped Maggie to purchase polka music and sometimes she will bring a CD of one of her favorite groups. April also makes sure Maggie and her staff are aware of any local events where a polka band is playing so Maggie can decide if she wants to go.

Sometimes April is there too and when she is, she and Maggie will sit together and listen to the band play. Maggie has also met a couple of the “regulars” who stop by Maggie’s table, say hi and try to encourage her to come dance with them. At this point, Maggie seems to prefer to watch and listen to the music, but the staff think it may be because Maggie doesn’t know how to dance to a polka. While April is not able to help with this, she is helping the staff to identify and explore some options where Maggie could learn how to dance and maybe make a few new friends.

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When we speak, think, and act in a person‐centered way that supports the values of Everyday Lives, we are looking for and promoting those opportunities where the circle of people surrounding the person are more than paid staff and are focused on understanding the person’s preferences, hopes, desires, and needs. We need to be willing to help in whatever way we can to build connections to the community and foster lasting relationships for people with developmental disabilities.

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Let's put this all together and reflect on what you can do next. Think about these three questions to begin to see how you can promote person‐centered practices and make a difference.

Where are the opportunities in your job to be person‐centered and support choice, understand communication, promote inclusion, and foster relationships?

What are you going to do today, tomorrow or next week to begin to make this happen for one person that you know now or that you may meet in your job or in the community?

How are you going to help support the values of Everyday Lives and the Mission and Vision of the Office of Developmental Programs so that people with a developmental disability are living their good life?

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This webcast series has focused on some of the core concepts that promote and support person‐centered practices included in the policies and practices of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Pennsylvania Office of Developmental Programs and your agency.

We have not focused on specific tools that are embedded in the Individual Support Plan or other documents used to develop and provide person‐centered supports. However, plans that are developed using person‐centered practices to support people to have the quality of life they desire will comply with state and federal requirements and will foster the values of Everyday Lives.

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If you are interested, the MyODP.org website offers basic training on the use of several person‐centered thinking tools. Depending on your job responsibilities, you may be asked to complete these or other trainings on person‐centered tools and concepts.

A link to the trainings is available where you accessed this webcast.

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http:MyODP.org


This concludes the sixth and final webcast on Orientation for ODP Service Providers: Person‐Centered Practices. Please be sure to watch all six webcasts and complete all the course requirements in order to obtain your Certificate of Achievement and training credit.

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This webcast has been developed and produced by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Developmental Programs in partnership with The Columbus Organization.

Thank you for participating in this lesson.

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Orientation for ODP Service Providers...alwaysmeans including the person in the process of figuring that out. All people want the same things: a meaningful life that includes choice,