Are You Thinking About Making Some Kind of Change in Your Life?
If you don’t know where to start or what to do next, a Planning Facilitator can help you make a plan.
Some examples:
- Leaving school (ex. high school or adult education) and wondering what you’ll be doing after graduation
- Moving
- Looking for work, professional experience or educational opportunities
- Wanting more meaningful activities and involvement
- To look at ways to have more friends or meaningful relationships
- A plan for housing and supports
- Maybe you’re just thinking about the future and would like someone to help you think about what’s really important to you
There are no age limits as it is never too early or too late to start thinking about and putting things in place for the future.
Person-Directed Planning and Facilitation has also been proven to be effective for every person inclusive of any disability, communication style, independence or decision-making capacity.
Are You A Family Member Or Caregiver Of Someone With A Disability And Are Concerned About A Transition Or Future Change For Your Loved One?
Some examples:
- Life after school
- Networks or circles of support
- Meaningful relationships
- Future planning: who will make sure my loved one will have a good life when I am no longer able to do so?
- Meaningful activities and involvement in community
Safe and Secure Book Club might be for you! We also have copies of the Safe and Secure Book for sale ($20). Contact the Manager: Planning and Funding Brokerage to get your copy.
Call or email our Manager: Planning and Funding Brokerage to find out if PDPF is the right fit for you or see below for more information.
Planning For Yourself, Not By Yourself!
PERSON-DIRECTED PLANNING AND FACILITATION AT ABLE2
At the start of your relationship with us you’ll be speaking with the Manager: Planning & Funding Brokerage who will discuss with you what you are looking for, such as: what region, preferred language, male or female facilitator and the overall desired outcome of planning and facilitation.
Based on this information, the Manager will propose a Planning Facilitator that is a possible match for you, and confirm their availability to start planning.
You are encouraged to arrange a phone interview directly with the Planning Facilitator to decide whether the match will work for you both. Once this is agreed, the Manager is contacted, an agreement is signed, and payment arrangements confirmed.
You and your Planning Facilitator arrange your first planning meeting and decide on the visit schedule. These are typically once or twice per month.
If you are calling on behalf of someone else, you will also be discussing how the Planning Facilitator can develop a relationship with your loved one, so they may get to know them better, and the person can be as involved as can be in any planning process, have a voice and be heard.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the cost of PDPF?
PDPF is based on a fee of $55 per hour plus mileage.
Our experience has shown that a person-centred plan can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $2,500, depending on different factors, such as the person’s level of involvement, their current support circle involvement, readiness to plan, planning support requested, and distance travelled.
Passport Funding
PDPF can be paid with Passport funding available through the Ministry of Children, community and Social Services. Apply at a Development Services Ontario office.
Planning Facilitators
Planning Facilitators work for the person living with a disability and are accountable to them. They take time to understand the wishes, dreams, interests and abilities of the person so they can develop a personal plan that meets their unique situation.
A Planning Facilitator will help the focus person identify their:
- strengths
- interests
- capabilities
- dreams
- goals
and can include developing:
- strategies to achieve goals
- an outline of tasks and schedules to accomplish the goals
- a circle of support and to maintain it
- knowledge of services both community-based and government-funded.
Each Planning Facilitator is a self-employed contractor who has signed an agreement to offer Person-Directed Planning and Facilitation on behalf of ABLE2 Ottawa across the Greater Eastern Region.
Some Questions to ask a Planning Facilitator
- What is your experience as a facilitator?
- What’s your availability? How often do you think we could meet?
- What do you think it might cost help me create the plan (I’m thinking of)?
- What are your ideas about this plan? What do you know about this?
- Where would we meet?
- Can you help me get places, or do we meet there?
- What will be the cost of your travel?
- If calling on behalf of someone else, you may also want to know how will the planning facilitator make sure that the person will be as involved as possible in the process?
What Is Person-Directed Planning And Facilitation?
A plan can take a variety of shapes and styles and these are individualized
Working with a person, a Planning Facilitator discovers what is most important to the person, what opportunities they want to pursue and how to achieve them. This is an ongoing process and it does not end once a written plan is developed, the process can carry on through someone’s life. The intensity of the planning will vary depending on the wishes and desires of the person.
Person-directed Planning and Facilitation are distinct, complementary aspects of person-directed planning. They both aim to expand a person’s community engagement and social inclusion.
PERSON-DIRECTED PLANNING or person-centred planning is a process of continual listening and learning. It is focused on what is important to someone now and for the future and acting upon this with the individual’s family and friends. There are five key features of person-centred planning:
- A person is at the centre.
- Family members and friends are partners in planning.
- The plan reflects what is important to the person, their capacities and what support they require.
- The plan results in actions that are about life, not just services and reflect what is possible, not just what is available.
- The plan results in ongoing listening, learning and further action.
FACILITATION is a process where the Planning Facilitator helps a person with a disability to make decisions about long term possibilities and the next steps to get there. Facilitation brings action and relationship support to the planning process. Facilitation aims to strengthen the person’s ability to have his/her wishes understood and broaden his/her self-determination, choice and control. Decision making always rests in the hands of the person. The purpose of the facilitation process is to listen to and nurture the gifts and capacities of a person to create a full life as a participating, contributing citizen in the community. The process may or may not involve a personal support network depending on the person’s wishes.
PDPF is guided by the following Values and Principles:
Values
- Belonging through a variety of relationships and memberships.
- Contributing by discovering, developing and sharing gifts and investing energy in meaningful activities.
- Sharing ordinary places and activities with other citizens, neighbours, friends, classmates and co-workers.
- Being respected as a whole person whose history, capacities and future are worthy of attention and whose gifts lead to valued social roles.
- Choosing what one wants in everyday situations and especially to dedicate oneself to contribute to one’s own community in ways that matter.
Principles
- Visioning – the person and those important to him or her describe his or her vision for the future in a plan. The goals are to anticipate life transitions and create a meaningful life in the community.
- Strengths-based – builds on the strengths, gifts, abilities and interests of the person.
- Person-driven – the person drives the planning process.
- Sustainability – the planning process considers avenues that can be pursued over the long term, and enables the person and his or her family, through knowledge transfer, to continue to keep the plan alive/updated.
- Accountability – there is ongoing review, evaluation, monitoring and modification of the person’s plan to support personal goal attainment.
What Does A Plan Look Like
A plan can take a variety of shapes and styles and these are individualized with you for your preference: it is your plan, after all!
Planning Facilitators have received training in a variety of planning styles and venues.
These are some examples of plans and tools some a facilitator might use:
MAP & PATH
Guide on person-directed planning
Plain language guide on person-directed planning
Circle of friends / support circle meetings
Useful Links and Resources
FUNDED IN PART BY:
ABLE2 OTTAWA IS PART OF THE ONTARIO INDEPENDENT FACILITATION NETWORK
“Holly and I got to know one another, enjoyed some meals out, did some art and listened to music together. Together we created a one page profile that identified what people appreciated about Holly, what is important to her and how to support her well. Through this process she named many things she was interested to do. In February, Holly received word that she would have her Passport funding increased. Because of the planning, Holly had some solid ideas about things she wanted to do and where she wanted to do them. Today she makes jewellery or pottery one day each week, does fitness another day, works at the cafe at Y’s Owl Maclure for a day and works at Tim Horton’s on Edgewater each Thursday. On Friday mornings she is enjoying Zumba and pool exercises at the Kanata Wave Pool. Holly and her mom are very happy to have participated in the planning process. It helped Holly realize some of her dreams.”
Independent Facilitator
CONTACT INFORMATION
For more information please contact
Manager: Planning and Funding Brokerage
613-761-9522 ext. 229