Project Description:
The Institute on Person Centered Practices is a collaborative partnership between the Center on Disability Studies at The University of Texas at Austin and the Center on Disability and Development at Texas A&M University. The Institute provides training and technical assistance on person centered practices for a broad range of audiences and organizations including: people with disabilities, family members, providers of HCBS services, managed care organizations, educators, adult protective services and the Texas workforce commission.
Federal regulations require the development of a person centered plan for people receiving Home and Community Based Services (HCBS). These services must be provided to all people regardless if they are provided through a State Medicaid Plan or through Waiver Services. This requirement has greatly escalated the need for training on person-centered practices for managed care organizations, regional and private providers of HCBS services throughout Texas as well as other States. Requests for training on person centered thinking and planning greatly increased to meet the demands generated by the federal rule requirements. In addition, people who receive services and their families need training on person-centered practices to ensure they are equal partners in the planning process. It is important to note that other organizations that provide services and supports for people that are not under the Federal Rule requirement also request training on person centered practices from the Institute.
Overall Goals:
The purpose of the Institute is to provide training on person centered practices including plan development for people receiving services, family members and the organizations that provide those services. The Institutes fundamental founding principle is to support people to get better lives as they define them.
Now in its eleventh year, the Institute works intentionally to revise and develop curriculum to ensure person centered practices are relevant and apply to numerous groups of people receiving services in their communities. These groups include people with Intellectual Disabilities (ID), older people, people with mental illness, people who are abused or neglected, children and students receiving special education services.
The Institute has developed new partnerships to ensure revisions to the training curriculum are applicable to that specific population of people receiving those services. To ensure sustainability, Institute Mentors work to certify trainers within the partner organizations.
Unusual Features:
The Institute has a long-standing relationship with the Learning Community on Person Centered Practices. The curriculum and materials on person centered thinking and planning originate with the Learning Communitys work. Some of the curriculum materials are reflected in recommendations from Federal and State agencies as standard best practices.
The Institute has a Mentor Trainer certified by the Learning Community that support initiatives to promote person-centered practices within their scope of work. Mentor Trainers have the authority to certify Person Centered Thinking Trainers. The Institute has the only Mentor Trainers in Texas allowing opportunities to embed certified trainers within numerous organizations to impact long-term sustainability.
Expected Benefits:
The Institute strategically works to develop materials that influence the lives of a broad range of people receiving services and supports to live in their communities. Further, the Institute is intentionally planning with new partners to embed person-centered practices within the fabric of these organizations to ensure the people receiving services get the lives they desire.
The Institute also serves as the lead organization to plan an annual Gathering of certified trainers and other interested people from Oklahoma and Kansas to learn about national trends, partnerships and creative training methods to present person centered skills. In addition, the Institute founded a Community of Practice represented by 60 Person Centered Thinking trainers all certified by Institute Mentors. The purpose of the Community of Practice is to bring together certified trainers representing agencies, provider, family members and people with IDD to develop a network of trainers with a unified purpose and support.
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IPCP - Person-Centered Thinking Training and presentations
*** SURVEYS ***
103 Surveys received
13 Family members
4 others (professionals)
86 IWD
Satisfaction
67 Strongly agreed
36 Agreed
0 Disagreed
0 Strongly Disagreed
Presentations
50 Strongly Agree
14 Agree
Target Audience:
Students/Trainees (long or intermediate trainees), Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Adults with Disabilities, Children/Adolescents with Disabilities/SHCN, General Public
