Person Centered Planning
What is Person Centered Planning?
Four parts of the process
Who is involved in the process?
What is Person Centered Planning?
The 1996 revisions to the Mental Health Code require a person centered approach to the planning, selection, and delivery of the supports, services and/or treatment received from the public mental health system (community mental health programs, center for persons with developmental disabilities/psychiatric hospitals, and mental health service providers under contract to any of theses).
Person Centered Planning (PCP) is the fundamental legal right of person with mental illness, developmental disability, or emotional disturbance served by the public mental health system regardless of age or residential setting, to direct the planning for supports, services and/or treatment, and that planning be based upon what they want and need. It's more than having consumers "involved" in the planning process and being "present at meetings" led by professional staff.
The Person Centered Planning process is directed by consumers before and during the development of the individualized plan of service support and/or treatment. In partnership with the case manager or support coordinator, the individual decides who he/she wants to be involved in the pre-planning activities and the planning process. Network building by involving family, friends, significant others, and community members selected by the individual in the process is important to encourage ongoing development of support systems.
Identifying the future you desire
It is up to you to choose the individuals who will help your identify your future and help you plan for it. You will be a part of deciding what information is shared or not shared that the meeting. Your will be able to choose the times and place you want to have meetings to plan your treatment and to decide the content of the meetings, as well as how long they will be.
Planning the future you desire
Meetings which are help to plan for your future will attempt tot discover what is important to you, to share information about your abilities, strengths, and skills, to learns about your needs, and to decide which of your desired goals will be achieved in the short-term and which will need to be long-term. Then, you and the support team will determine the strategies for achieving these goals.
Finding the supports and services it will take to achieve your desired future
You will be able to use the resources in your network of family, friends, community and the public mental health system which might be available to assist you in achieving your desired outcomes. You will be able to choose, from available resources, the supports and services to be delivered.
Getting feedback on your treatment regularly to determine how to make the supports and services work better for you
It is important for you to receive feedback your progress. This should be done by informally, and regularly, discussing with your case manager (supports coordinator) how supports and services are being delivered, your satisfaction with their delivery, and progress toward your desire outcomes. The information you provide should be used to make any necessary changes in the supports and services you receive. You should also have the opportunity to formally express your opinion about supports and services you receive so that improvement in service delivery can be made.
Who is Involved in the Process?
In response to the frequently asked question, "Who needs to be a part of my person centered planning meeting?", the answer is you, and your legal representative (a parent if you are a minor, or guardian, if one has been appointed) and your support coordinator or case manager. You may also want to invite family members, co-workers, friends, a teacher, coach, staff, and other people who know you well and with whom you feel comfortable sharing personal information. Your support coordinator (case manager) may suggest inviting a nurse, physical therapist, or direct case staff, who has information to help in planning and decision making. It is up to you to approve such suggestions.
Most important is that the consumer's choices and preferences are always respected. This does not mean that the coordinating agency must fulfill all requests. However, dialogue to understand the reasons why an individual expresses a particular preference is central to the identification of supports, services and/or treatment which meet what the individual wants and needs.