21-Sustaining Person Centered Practices & Charting the LifeCourse
Project Description:
The Center for Disabilities will serve as fiscal agent, as well as perform data collection and evaluation for this project. The
Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD), the provider network and partner agencies have demonstrated a strong
commitment to Person Centered Thinking and providing person centered services and supports in South Dakota, focusing on
finding the balance between whats important to and important for the person accessing supports. PCT is a mindset that has the
potential to reframe how we interact not only with people who experience disability, but also our families, friends, and
colleagues. Budgets, workforce challenges, and greater demand for individualized supports require us to approach our work in a
more creative way and with The Department of Human Services has invested staff time and resources to learn and implement
person centered practices in the day to day work to assist people with disabilities in South Dakota live the lives they want. DDDs
participation in the national Supporting Families Community of Practice and the framework of Charting the LifeCourse has
offered new opportunities to consider the impact of family across the lifespan, not only in the lives of people with disabilities,
but ALL people. Families are the core unit in our society, serving as a source of support for all its members. For people with
disabilities, the role of family is unique and often central in the support and care provided across the lifespan. This evolution
does not take focus off the person accessing supports, but rather challenges us to consider the person in context with the story
of the entire family and the unique experiences, culture, attitudes, and day to day role in the persons life. We must challenge
our system to expand the vision of quality supports and consider how our current policies and practices either engage families
or exclude them. Through this partnership we will offer a variety of Person-Centered Thinking trainings and share the Charting
the LifeCourse framework to add a new set of tools to South Dakotas toolbox.
Core Function(s):
Continuing Education/Community Training
Area of Emphasis
Education & Early Intervention, Child Care-Related Activities, Health-Related Activities, Employment-Related Activities, Housing-Related Activities, Recreation-Related Activities
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Adults with Disabilities, Children/Adolescents with Disabilities/SHCN, General Public
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Geographic Areas, Reservation, Rural/Remote
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
State
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
