Once funding for support has been approved, the individual needs to decide how to use that funding. This can be decided upon with the help of a support network which usually includes family and friends and guardians. Once those important decisions have been made, the individual, his or her network and the chosen service provider(s) need to tell us about their plan.
We call this a proposal. In this proposal, five main questions need to be answered.
- What are the supports being offered and how will they promote, maintain and/or increase independence?
- What is being requested (home, work, community)? Provide a snapshot of this conversation.
- Independence: Awareness of a person's ability to act with less control or direction from others.
- Independence does not mean that PDD expects all people to work, live and participate in the community without paid supports.
- How will "full participation" reflect the creation of a meaningful role?
- How will the individual be made aware of community resources that will assist them or that they may want to participate in?
- What has the individual told you they are interested in and how will you explore this with them?
- What other services may they benefit from and how will you introduce this?
- i.e. clubs, organizations, events and professional services.
- How are individuals encouraged to express roles they may like to have within the community?
- How could roles be encouraged within their current activities, i.e. movement from attending to full participation?
- How will the individual be supported to choose resources and access them?
- How will staff support the person to get involved/participate in the areas that interest them?
- The key words being: involved and participating. Not just attending and observing.
- How will supports assist the individual to make meaningful and informed choices?
- How will staff support the person in the creation of a new role for themselves?
- How will supports build on the individual's abilities and interests?
- Person identifying his/her abilities
- Person discovering and acquiring new abilities.
- Building on abilities and interests by using encouragement etc.
- How do staff help use the person's abilities to create meaningful roles within the community.
- How will supports assist the individual in maintaining and building new relationships with family, friends and other community members?
- How will staff learn about the significant relationships in the person's life?
- What can staff do to support the person to maintain those relationships and the roles they have within the family?
- How will staff learn about the new friends and relationships that a person wishes to have? Ways to possibly achieve this.
- How are family's wishes/requests implemented?
At PDD South, we believe that creating partnerships between individuals, their families/guardians (support networks) and community service providers ensures that the best service is made available to adults with developmental disabilities. The proposal that evolves from the joint efforts of this partnership helps us to confirm that PDD South funding is being used to promote community inclusion, independence and relationships.
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