PERSON-CENTERED PLANNING

Standards and Guidelines

Thomas C. Weiss

Person-Centered Planning

Historically, persons with disabilities have lived in institutions and nursing homes, and while this still happens, there is a change occuring. From the theory that persons with disabilities need hospitals, nursing homes or other facilities to live, a change is being made to the concept that persons with disabilities should have services provided to them. Happily, another approach is now available. This approach ensures persons with disabilities inclusion in society. Persons with disabilities, like their non-disabled peers, can live their lives with the greatest amount of freedom their society allows, and make their own choices.

There is a real difference between a personal life goal and goals that tie a person to a service provider. The most important life decisions or plans are made without services. After the decisions are made, any services that are needed are brought in to help persons with disabilities reach their goals. Being a part of the community, and getting to know other people, is an important part of living and reaching for a dream for anyone, with or without a disability. (Nisbet, Hagner, 2000)

One important tool to help people reach for their dream is called, "Person-Centered Planning", and can help anyone to work with their friends to better define their dream, and how to reach for it. Person-Centered Planning refers to a group of tools that may help a person or family to create meaningful change in their life. Like the name suggests, Person-Centered Planning makes the person the center of focus, and helps them to plan their life. Person-Centered Planning removes service providers and organizations from the center of attention, and re-focuses that center of attention on the individual. Reaching for your dream can be easier through Person-Centered Planning, and the process itself can be exciting, and teach the person with the developmental disability about themselves and the people around them.

There are no guarantees that Person-Centered Planning will work, but there is a lot of opportunity for something good to happen along the way. The person is the focus, and has to make it happen. During a Person-Centered Planning process there are people present to help, so the person being focused on has people there to guide them. These people include family members, friends, people you may know because of the work they do for you, and facilitators. The facilitators of the process often act as guides, and make graphic records of what is going on in the mind of the person being focused. (Forest & Pearpoint & O'Brien, 1997)

The facilitator works for both the person and the process, helping to fill in the ways to be used to reach the person's dream. A facilitator is someone who has gone through the Person-Centered Planning process themselves, and has a good idea of how to help the process move forward. With practice, facilitators can learn many ways of guiding the process, and can be very valuable. Ultimately, the Person-Centered Planning session does not belong to the facilitator, it belongs to the person who is the center of the plan. The facilitator comes to the session without any ideas of what can or can not be done, or even what is right or wrong.

The facilitator does not just sit there and observe, in fact – they aggressively guide the conversation so that the group stays on task, communicates clear information, and reaches agreements. The facilitator wants to make sure that there is clear direction, and that the methodology is vivid. The facilitator is not aggressive about the content of the process; it is up to the focus person and their friends to determine content. For the facilitator there is a balance between being aggressive about getting clear information and agreements, and not being aggressive about content. This balance takes practice. It is essential that the facilitator not become a judge. For the process itself, including the facilitator, the only limits about what the plan can include are the limits of commitment on the parts of those involved, as well as their imagination. For the planners, the limits involve only their ability to enroll others and find resources.

(Forest & Pearpoint & O'Brien, 1997)

Sometimes the question of what happens if someone makes a poor choice comes up when people think about Person-Centered Planning. Another question that may arise is what should be done if someone asks for something they plainly cannot have, like property on Mars. These questions come from the misunderstanding that the facilitator owns the process, which they don't. Person-Centered Planning gives people a way to clarify thought about the things they want, and to better define what they are willing to do to make things happen. People who care about the person being focused on, as well as people with resources, need to decide how much to help the person being focused on. The process gives people a chance to talk about things they don't agree on, about what is right and the things they are willing to do.

The facilitators bring their own sense of responsibility for their ethics to the process, and can always say, "No", before they start the process if the focus person wants to do something the facilitator feels is against their values. An experienced facilitator should listen to the focus person's ideas before rejecting the process. Maybe the focus person cannot clearly articulate their goals. We all have goals and dreams, and finding just the right way to express them can be challenging.

Person-Centered Planning can be used by anyone, including persons with and without disabilities. For facilitators, the more they use the tools in Person-Centered Planning themselves, the less negative risk they bring to the process. Facilitators who bring negativity to the process risk pushing their own images, words and interpretations on the person being focused on. A good facilitator is an excellent listener, one who sees their part in the process as creatively helping others to design lives that reflect the gifts they have. Helping people to be creative and design their lives around the gifts they have is what Person-Centered Planning is about. (Forest & Pearpoint & O'Brien, 1997)

Person-Centered Planning is a family of tools used to organize and guide community change, and brings together persons with disabilities, their friends, and family. The tools used in Person-Centered Planning include CIRCLES, Making Action Plans (MAPS), and Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope (PATH). People can choose to compare their present to a time in their past that was worse, instead of comparing their present to the future they want. People can throw out their picture of the future they want as being unreal, and say that they would like to help but they can not because outside forces will not let them. They can also keep busy with activities that do not give them any time to listen or learn from others. For those that believe the future is brighter than the present, a Person-Centered Plan may be a good tool to help that future be realized.

(O'Brien & Lovett, 2003)

Person-Centered Planning is a way to help someone learn from their actions over the months and years needed for development. If the process is successful, a person's understanding of their ideal future will grow. It is important to understand that Person-Centered Planning is not a few short meetings ending in a fixed plan. Believing this makes people think that the effort, anxiety, time, and uncertainty needed to clearly support people in the process is easy. Person-Centered Planning is not an easy or quick way to fix a person's problems. Even when things do work well the things learned from the process must be the focus. One person's dream could be another person's nightmare, so the process reflects a person's daily life.

Person-Centered Planning can align, invite and guide the shared efforts of people with the goal of making positive roles in the community for persons with disabilities. The process allows people to use their wisdom in order to work for inclusion and justice in their communities. In order to support their work, and reach for the improvement of Person-Centered Planning, people need to extend their network of relationships through different approaches to it, as well as service reform and community development. They must be both willing and able to improve on their process by reflecting on the effects their work has had on people with disabilities and their families. (O'Brien & Lovett, 2003)

It is very important to note that Person-Centered Planning is not for everyone, and that some people will not need it. The process is not a "one size fits all" one, and Person-Centered Planning should not be required for anyone. The process seems to be the most useful for certain people, including people who are new to an agency or people who have not worked before – including students transitioning from high school.

(Person-Centered Planning Study, 2003)

Person-Centered Planning is useful to people who might not have a great amount of experience making choices or decisions, or people who often experience problems or challenges in their employment. Person-Centered Planning might also be useful for people with disabilities such as communication disorders or challenging behaviors. Transition students might benefit the most from participating in the process because it gives them a chance to explore while being supported in searching for their goals and defining their interests. It focuses on what is good in their lives, as well as their skills and activities, and it has solid applications for both job searches and job trials after they are being served by a vocational service.

Person-Centered Planning can have a lot of different looks, styles, and ways of being documented. All of these should be designed by the focus person who owns the plan. Each plan is a private one that belongs to that person only, as well as the people they choose to share it with. The process of Person-Centered Planning is unique to every person, and is a record of their dreams and actions, and should be respected and given the privacy it deserves. (Person-Centered Planning Study, 2003)

The Person-Centered Planning process is changing how nondisabled people see persons with disabilities. Some people see it as a change from other paradigms, such as the facility or service based paradigms. Person-Centered Planning does much more than service-based programs such as individualized educational programs, transitional plans for people who are leaving school, or rehabilitation plans for adults. Services based programs have failed in their attempts to find spots in schools, rehabilitation agencies, and social services. Systems-based approaches have always had to fight for money to try to meet many different needs, and people have had to accept and be glad for what was there, even if it did not meet their needs or wishes. Parents were often forced to become partners with professionals to make plans for their children.

(Garner & Dietz, 1996)

By organizing individualized, creative and natural supports that achieve real and positive goals based on a person's strengths and wants, Person-Centered Planning relies less on the service system. Planning is no longer based on services available at the time. Lack of services has been an excuse that has restricted actions, thinking and planning. Now it is known that a person's goals are positive and real, and attempts are made to determine how to achieve them. Person-Centered Planning creates a team of people who know and care about a person, and who work together to make and share a dream for that person's future. The team also works together to organize and give the support needed to make that person's dream real.

A number of people involved in the Person-Centered Planning process will say that the gift they have is that they like to make other people happy. If we use their gift we will have a person who is going to make great relationships in the community. Whatever a person's gift may be it will give us the chance to sit together in a circle during other processes which are mentioned in this paper, and ask how we can use their gifts in the community.

(Falvey & Pearpoint & Rosenberg, 1997)

Every Person-Centered Planning process shares some common beliefs, including:

· The person at the focus of planning, and those who love the person, are primary authorities on the person's life direction. The essential questions are: "Who is this person?" and "What community opportunities will enable this person to pursue his or her interests in a positive way?" (O'Brien & Lovett, 2003)

· The purpose of person centered planning is learning through shared action.

· Person centered planning aims to change common patterns of community life. Person centered planning stimulates community hospitality and enlists community members in assisting focus people to define and work toward a desirable future.

· Person centered planning requires collaborative action and challenges practices that separate people and perpetuate controlling relationships.

· Honest person centered planning can only come from respect for the dignity and completeness of the focus person. (O'Brien & Lovett, 2003)

· Assisting people to define and pursue a desirable future.

Inclusion is

Not something we do a little of.

It either is or isn't.

It is not a fad.

Not a bandwagon.

It is a trend,

Similar to democracy.

"With liberty and justice for all."

All means all.

No but's about it!

Inclusion is a battle cry,

A parents cry,

A child's cry to be

Welcomed, embraced,

Cherished, prized,

Loved as a gift,

As a wonder,

A treasure.

Inclusion is not spending more money on

Building more prisons,

Mental hospitals,

Nursing homes,

Group homes,

But investing in real homes,

Real life,

Real people

All people.

(Forest, 1994, pp. 67)

Person-Centered Planning is about people, and their well being. It is about their right to be included in the society they find themselves in, and to be treated with the same respect that any other citizen receives. Person-Centered Planning is about the freedom and right to dream, and pursue that dream.

The center of Person-Centered Planning is a circle of friends and people who support the person being focused on, as well as friends, family, peers, teachers and service providers. The circle meets several times to create and strengthen relationships with the person being focused on, and to explore their strengths and interests. In a major planning session that may last two to four hours, the circle team makes a detailed plan for the person being focused on and their future. (Garner & Dietz, 1996)

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS

First Circle: Circle of INTIMACY

Second Circle: Circle of FRIENDSHIP

Third Circle: Circle of PARTICIPATION

Fourth Circle: Circle of EXCHANGE

Fill the circles from the outside in!

Friends are something we take for granted unless we do not have any. A Circle gives us a group of people who support us, but when we do not have a Circle of Friends a facilitator can be used to find people to get involved. A Circle of Friends process begins with a social scan that gives a quick picture of who is involved in the focus person's life. The scan can help to clarify who might be involved in certain activities, or which circles need to be filled. The scan is recommended for everyone as a needed preventative health check. Using the circles diagram above, imagine yourself in circle number one, and then fill in the remaining circles from the outside in to the center. The main question in this process is, "Who loves this person?" (Pearpoint & Forest & O'Brien, 1996)

The first circle belongs to the people who are the most intimate part of your life, people you cannot imagine living without. The second circle is the circle of friendship, and you should list your good friends there. In the third circle list people, networks, and organizations you are involved with, such as people you work with, a sports team you are a part of, or other people or groups. In the fourth circle you should list people you pay to give services to you, like your doctors, hairstylist, teachers, and so on. An important thing to understand about circles is that people in one circle can also belong in another circle. For example, a hairstylist might also be a very good friend.

It is possible to learn a lot about someone from the circle they create. One person may have a circle filled with close friends, other friends, people they participate with, and people they are involved with through exchange. Another person may not have very many people in their circle, maybe just intimate friends and people in the exchange circle. When asked how they would feel if they had no friends, some people might say they would be lonely, confused, upset, rejected, isolated, depressed, unwanted, horrible, and so on. These same people might say they might do risky things or even harm themselves if they had no friends. Judging from these responses the importance of inclusion and having friends is quite apparent. (Pearpoint & Forest & O'Brien, 1996)

A circle can consist of twenty people, or as few as two, and helping someone who does not have a large circle of friends is an important opportunity to build community while helping that person to reach their goals. There are people in the surrounding community who are willing to help; they are just waiting to be asked. One of the ways to contact people in the community, and ask them to be a part of your circle, is to make a flyer that tells people that this unique opportunity exists, and that it can make a great difference in someone's life. Another way to build a circle for someone who does not have many people in their life is to contact community members like youth groups, churches, the YWCA, or others, and ask for their help.

A facilitator can help a person who has a small number of friends in their circle by asking the friends they do have if some of them are willing to come up with ideas to get that person more involved. If the focus person has some specific likes, such as a sport or going to movies, maybe someone could invite that person to play on their team, or go to a movie with them and their friends. A Circle of Friends is a very powerful tool, and while results do not appear overnight, the end results are almost always highly productive.

Creating circles is community building, and is a serious commitment. A Circle of Friends is powerful, holistic, and is not something you just do once and then walk away. Circle building is a means for creating growth, development, and change. Circle building is a way for people to draw closer to each other over time, and to help people who are reaching for their dream. (Pearpoint & Forest & O'Brien, 1996)

Circles are meant to build community, not to manipulate friendships. A circle of friends is a process that may take years of hard work, and how things go in the circle is up to the people who are involved. For the person of focus, they have a role as host as well. A circle meeting is a social one, and making sure that people are comfortable and not hungry or thirsty, is a priority. Comfortable, happy people work well together.

(Forest & Pearpoint, 1992)

A circle of friends is not just a process; it is an outcome as well. A circle is a building process whose outcome takes creativity, energy, and the firm belief that diverse people can be friends. Building a circle takes meetings, strategies, planning, and plenty of honest discussion. Circles do not just appear and work wonderfully, they take time and effort. Circles of friends are not an unusual thing for people to need, and the energy that goes into the circle building process is well worthwhile.

To get support from others, people must show that they have a need, and ask people to become part of their life. American society places great value on personal freedom, as well as individuality and privacy, and this makes it hard for people to say that they have a need for friendship sometimes. We know that we need to be open with each other, but when it gets down to it, it can be hard to reach out to other people and tell them that you need their help. It is a rich and humbling experience to ask for help when you need it. For centuries, people living together in communities have asked each other for help, and it is only in recent times, after the breakdown of the family, that people have found it hard to ask for help. (Forest & Pearpoint, 1992)

Circles that work do so because strong ties have been built between the people in the circle over years of time. There are some themes that emerge in circles that do well, such as making the commitment to get to know each other, and that this means a long-term process with ongoing struggle. Working with people's problems takes hard work, planning, organizing and thought. The process of solving a person's problems is ongoing. People in the circle have to be open to the human condition and acknowledge pain and fear in order to open the way for a spirit of adventure. Keeping things on a positive note helps problems get solved. The glass on the table is half full, not half empty.

People in a circle have to be open to nontraditional solutions to large life crisis, and this includes listening to solutions from diverse people such as young or old people, people who are not professionals, or persons with disabilities. Strong circles learn to deal with failure, and learn from their history to build a better future. A successful circle keeps the dream alive through big-heartedness and keeping an open mind through reflection, dreaming, growing and listening. Living with quick changes means that whatever the circle thinks should keep on growing; people should enjoy the journey, and not fight it. Successful circles keep pursuing the ultimate prizes of love, friendship and community most of all. (Forest & Pearpoint, 1992)

MAPS

A MAPS Mandala

(Falvey & Forest & Pearpoint & Rosenberg, 1997, pp. 22)

There are more tools in the Person-Centered Planning toolbox other than CIRCLES, and MAPS is a tool that can be used to help someone creatively and effectively move into the future they desire. The MAPS process poses eight questions that, when answered by a Circle of Friends, helps people collect information about the focus person. Some people are tempted to judge others by their behavior, and the way that they look. It is not too often that people see through this judgmental view of others, and see the challenges a person faces. We need to understand that a lot of behavior and acting out is not all of what a person is made of, but is actually a response to a lack of love and acceptance. People only wear masks as long as they need them, and a sense of belonging and acceptance by others will bring a person out from behind the mask they are wearing. (Falvey & Forest & Pearpoint & Rosenberg, 1997)

MAPS is a tool that a facilitator who can really listen and hear someone's dream, as well as their pain, wields. A facilitator must first have a deep belief in the abilities of all people, that everyone can learn, and that through living we can find the dignity and truth in everyone. MAP sessions have been held everywhere from classrooms to small offices. MAP's are not a case conference or IEP, where the person is seen as a 'guest' and professionals are in control. Instead, the person of focus is the key person, along with the people they have chosen to be there. The person defines their own dreams, nightmares, and problems with a bit of help from their friends.

People are truly honored to be asked to come to a session concerning a person's life. It can often be better for the MAPS process to have a facilitator or two who are interested in the process, but do not know the people who will attend. The reason for this is that the facilitators can bring out information without any preconceived ideas. In order to draw people and facilitators to a MAPS session, the focus person or their friends might create a Letter of Invitation, asking people to participate. Here is an example of a Letter of Invitation, written by the parents of a person named Donna:

Dear Friends,

As you know Donna is just starting a process call MAPS. The purpose of this tool is to help her and us make that awesome transition from being a kid to being an adult who is a full-fledged member of the community.

The first meeting will be Nov. 14 and Donna chose you as guests of honor. We all put a list together of everybody Donna knows, including her peers and some adults. She went through the list and circled the names of those she wanted around her, helping her to start to think about her future. Yours are the names she circled. This means you are the people she trusts the most and with whom she feels most comfortable. You are the ones with whom she is willing to put herself in a vulnerable position to discuss her real wants and concerns. You are her circle of support, the people she can really talk to ( and you all know how tough that can be). Many of you are part of our circle of support too, but this is Donna's list, 100%.

So please join us on Sat., Nov. 14 at our home. We'll start at 10 AM and have lunch (yes, Taco salad!). Marsha Forest and Jack Pearpoint will be the facilitators. I think this will be an interesting morning.

Love

Mark and Christina

(Falvey & Forest & Pearpoint & Rosenberg, 1997, pp.16)

Before a facilitator starts working with others in a MAP session, there are some suggested activities to pursue:

Intoductory MAPS Learning Checklist

I have…

· Watched the Shafik's MAP video.

Read…

o All my life's a circle, pp. 1-28

o Action for inclusion

o What's really worth doing

o From behind the piano

· Answered the sequence of MAPS questions reflectively, for myself, with facilitation, and provided the facilitator/recorder with feedback.

· Facilitated another person in answering the MAPS questions, and received feedback on my facilitation

· Made a graphic record of another person answering the MAPS questions and received feedback on my recording

· Developed a set of notes for myself on "What I want to review before I facilitate a MAP"

· Made agreements with at least 2 other people who will support my practice with MAPS by encouraging me and debriefing me

· Identified a family I will approach to be my partners in taking the next step by allowing me to facilitate a MAP with them

(Falvey & Forest & Pearpoint & Rosenberg, 1997)

When a MAP session begins, everyone finds a comfortable place to sit. The Process Facilitator acts as a host, and welcomes everyone, explains the process, and guides the eight questions, keeping the session on track and paced. Another facilitator acts as the graphics guide, recording, listening and creating a colorful record of what goes on. The person of focus may choose to audio tape the session, for the benefit of those who access information better that way, or for people to review at a later date. It is important to have some form of public record; it helps people to work with the process. It is also important to have an atmosphere to the meeting that is comfortable, personal, and informal – people who are comfortable with each other work better together. The facilitator suggests that people be honest and trust each other, and not to use any slang or initials, or any other language that might be a problem for others present. The Process Facilitator starts by asking people to introduce themselves to each other, and to share their relationship to the focus person.

(Falvey & Forest & Pearpoint & Rosenberg, 1997)

There are eight questions that must all be asked while pursuing a MAP, although the order they are asked in is flexible due to the flow of the group, and various contribution.

The facilitator should make sure that everyone is comfortable, and that they have been given an idea of what is going to happen during the process. When everyone is ready, the facilitator needs to ask the first question, which is "What is a MAP?" The facilitator needs to answer any questions that come up, and then confirm that everyone is there to help the person of focus get from where they are now to where they are going, exactly what you use a MAP for.

The next question to ask during the MAP process is, "What is the focus person's history or story?" The question is asked so that the people involved in the MAP process can gain an idea of who is involved in the focus person's history. The facilitator sets a time limit for telling this history or story because the telling part could go on forever. The main points are the important part, especially as the family or school sees it. Despite the time limitation, this history or story may be very emotional or intense.

(Falvey & Forest & Pearpoint & Rosenberg, 1997)

A graphics facilitator will draw the person's story, and then summarize it for the MAP group. At the end of each question in the MAP process, the facilitator checks to make sure that the picture being drawn shows what was really said. The facilitator also checks to see if there is anything else that needs to be added. By checking to make sure that the information being saved is right, they are showing that it belongs to the people who are there, participating. The facilitators are drawing out information so they can start the process of reading for the focus person's dream.

Question number three of the MAP process is, "What are your dreams?" The question is highly important, it lets the person and the participants know which direction to take in creating a future plan of action. After the person's first response the facilitator might ask the focus person to expand on their dream, and ask the participants to just listen, and not add anything to what the person says. Also, the facilitator should tell the person to tell the graphics facilitator to draw exactly what they want.

(Falvey & Forest & Pearpoint & Rosenberg, 1997)

The dream question is the main point of the MAP process. It is important that the facilitator get the focus person's real dream out, and that they be completely non-judgmental. Facilitators absolutely must make sure their body language does not damage this process. A facilitator who demeans a person's dream could damage, if not destroy, the MAP process, or even bring it to an immediate halt. For the facilitator, listening is very much required. In the seed of every dream is the root of a person's true desires, and what may someday become reality. People's dreams are not cast in stone, they are beautiful and flowing messages and pictures of what can be. It is important that none of the participants become judgmental, and that they do listen.

For the facilitator, the fourth question in the MAP process is the scariest. The question is, "What are your nightmares?" The dream question and the nightmare question are equally important, but the nightmare question is the one we wish we could avoid. Most of our 'programs' and 'projects' fuel nightmares rather than dreams, for example; a number of parents of children with disabilities answer the nightmare question by saying something like, "I'm afraid that my child will end up in an institution, like a hospital or nursing home." Traditionally, special education services prepared people with disabilities for life in segregation, in an institution. Parents like these never express a nightmare of their child getting bad grades, or doing less than a perfect job.

(Falvey & Forest & Pearpoint & Rosenberg, 1997)

Nightmares expressed during the MAP process always seem to involve more fundamental stuff like poverty, loneliness, or even death. The dream gives people, families, and organizations the strength to dream again. The nightmare gives people the strength and pride to let their particular monsters out of the closet where people can hear it, record it, respect it, and make plans for avoiding it before they move on. The whole goal of the MAP process is to make the dream come true, and avoid the nightmare. There are no guarantees, the process does not promise anything, but it does build hope. The opposite of hope is the despair we already see too much of these days.

(Falvey & Forest & Pearpoint & Rosenberg, 1997)

Question number five in the MAP process is, "Who is the person?" The point of this question is to brainstorm, and everyone is asked for their thoughts. The facilitator records thoughts as they come up to create a picture of the person. The person being focused on is asked to listen this time. The facilitator might draw a large outline of a person, and then have participants write down their answer to the question on 'post-it' note paper, so that the facilitator can stick the notes on the outline of a person. The person of focus is then asked to identify their own words to describe who they are, and to choose three words from the descriptions others have given of them. The facilitator then shows the power of these words by asking the person what others have called them in the past, and comparing them to the words that others gave at that time. The positive support given to the person through this exercise can be immense.

Turning Lead into Gold

Thomas Armstrong

A child who is judged to be: Can also be considered:

Learning disabled Learning different

Hyperactive A kinesthetic learner

Dyslexic A spatial learner

Aggressive Assertive

Plodding Thorough

Lazy Relaxed

Immature Late blooming

Phobic Cautious

Scattered Divergent

Daydreaming Imaginative

Irritable Sensitive

Preservative Persistent

(Falvey & Forest & Pearpoint & Rosenberg, 1997, pp.25)

In the next question of the MAP process we ask, "What are the person's strengths, gifts, and talents?" The concept to be stressed at this stage is 'giftedness', not through academic ability, but as a fully rounded person. The graphic facilitator can draw a picture of a gift box, with gifts coming out of it. While the participants pick out descriptions that identify the focus person's gifts, talents and strengths they are written down and stated in a positive manner.

After question number six has been fully explored, the MAP process moves on to question number seven, "What does the person need?" A more complete version of the question is, "What does the person need to achieve the dream and avoid the nightmare?" Both the nightmare and the dream are 'anchor points' of the MAP process. Once they are fully understood, facilitators, participants and the focus person will have a base from which to make daily decisions. On a basic level, we say 'yes' to things that lead in the direction of the focus person's dream, and 'no' to choices that lead toward their nightmare. Participants, while answering the question, need to think about what it will take, through both people and resources, in order to make the dream come true. The information that comes forth can truly help to focus the opportunities that have to be created for the person, as well as define the informal and formal support they need.

(Falvey & Forest & Pearpoint & Rosenberg, 1997)

The eighth and final question in the MAP process is, "What is the plan of action?" The goal is to prevent nightmares and help dreams come true. The participants are asked to be very specific in their answers so that plans can be identified. The plans should include the specifics of who should do what and when. This process has been pursued with students and children, who no one thought would sit still for more than five minutes – but they do. The process might take around an hour and a half, and people will most likely not be either tired or bored.

One thing to avoid during the MAP process is the trap of having people just create a list of things that the person needs to do, we want to help this person reach their dream, avoid nightmares, explore their gifts, and be the best they can be. The spirit of the MAP session should be one of, "Together we are better." It is important for the focus person to put themselves on the agenda, and keep themselves there. At the end of the MAP process it is important to ask what happens next, what is our plan of action? If the MAP process went well, the answer should jump out and declare itself. At the end of the MAP session, the facilitator's job becomes one of making sure that everyone is committed to the plan of action. Everyone needs to agree upon someone who will be a coach, and remind them to do what they said they would.

(Falvey & Forest & Pearpoint & Rosenberg, 1997)

There is one golden rule to the MAP process – Do not do a MAP to other people unless you have experienced a MAP on yourself. Unless you are vulnerable, especially to the dreams and nightmares, you cannot ask someone else to do what you have not done. There are also three guidelines for the process. The first guideline is to ask all eight of the questions. Ask all of each question, not most of it. A facilitator might choose to ask the questions out of order, but all of the questions must be asked. Facilitators must also be sure that all of the content is present, so that a full MAP is present.

Guideline number two is, "Use a graphic." Use a graphic because it appeals to a whole other section of your brain. While the graphics facilitator makes pictures of the dream and nightmare, the story affects people differently. Participants can see the whole picture, and a new reality comes forth. A graphic is essential to the MAP, it is the essence of the MAP. A MAP without a graphic is not a MAP. The third guideline is to have co-facilitation. Co-facilitation shows a spirit of teamwork to the participants; besides – there is safety in numbers. The very last thing to do in the MAP process is to provide closure, and the easiest way to do this is to have some final words, some final images from everyone who participated. (Falvey & Forest & Pearpoint & Rosenberg, 1997)

Introductory PATH Learning Checklist

I have…

· Watched the Introductory PATH training video

Read…

· All my life's a circle, pp. 29 – 43

· PATH Workbook

· Been a PATHfinder on an issue that matters to me, and provided the facilitator and recorder with feedback i.e. have had my own PATH done

· Facilitated another person's PATH, and received feedback on my facilitation

· Acted as a graphic recorder for another person's PATH and received feedback on my recording

· Developed a set of notes for myself on "What I want to review before I facilitate or record a PATH"

· Made agreements with at least 2 other people who will support my practice with PATH by encouraging me and debriefing with me

· Identified a person or group I will approach to be my partners in taking the next step by allowing me to facilitate/record a PATH with them

Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope, or PATH, came out of the MAPS process, and was created by Jack Pearpoint, John O'Brien, and Marsha Forest starting in 1991. PATH is now a powerful tool in the Person-Centered Planning tool chest, giving an opportunity to continue MAP steps and enable a plan of action. PATH can be a self sustained process of planning. PATH, like MAPS and Circles, is a tool that can be used to address both short and long range planning. Like the MAP process, there are eight steps in the PATH process, except that PATH is an exercise in thinking backwards. PATH is a process where a facilitator and a graphic recorder are wanted.

(Falvey & Forest & Pearpoint & Rosenberg, 1997)

During a PATH process, participants, facilitators, and most definitely the focus person, work together to figure out the PATH, making it easier because no one person is expected to know everything. Everyone is a member of a team where the challenges become shared goals, and the diversity of talent and energy ready to perform are very impressive. The first step of the PATH process is pursuit of The North Star – the Dream. The goal of this step is to spend some time concentrating on the focus person's dreams, and finally their North Star. There are some questions that may help this step along, such as:

· What ideals do you most want to realize?

· What values do you want to guide you?

· What gives direction to your life?

· What drives you?

(Falvey & Forest & Pearpoint & Rosenberg, 1997, pp. 29)

The graphics facilitator records the Dream/North Star that the focus person expresses, using a PATH Graphic. At the end of this step, the facilitator concludes it by giving a summary of the Dream and asking the focus person to give their view of the accuracy of the information that is shown on the PATH graphic.

The second step of the PATH process is to choose a future time, maybe six months, a year, or maybe two years, and spend a few minutes there. It is important for the facilitator to help those participating with this visualization and planning activity. The facilitator might suggest that people get into a time capsule. Once everyone is in the time capsule, the facilitator could state that it is now the future, and that everyone is going to share what has happened. The facilitator coaches people to remember things that happen from a Positive and Possible future. It is important to make this distinction, because some good things might not be possible in the time frame.

(Falvey & Forest & Pearpoint & Rosenberg, 1997)

Facilitators should coach participants to remember events that are positive that have happened, remembering that they really have not occurred. Next, the facilitator/s will ask the focus person to give their understanding of what has happened; this is the start of Goal development for the person. The facilitator asks the person to describe what it felt like, or what it tastes like, feels, or smells like, or any other feelings they experienced in the past. The graphics recorder puts these things down in the Goal portion of the PATH graphic.

Step number three along the PATH is to get everyone back in the present. The facilitator asks the person what life is like right now, at this moment. "Not good words or bad words, just a snap shot of what life looks like now." The PATH now becomes a picture of the differences between Now on the left of the PATH graphic, and the positive Future, with the North Star Dream on the right. The facilitator helps those participating to see that this is the difference that is often needed, and that it is good to move forward. The facilitator states that the goal of the PATH is to move from the Now to the Goal within the time span the person of focus provided at the start of the PATH. The facilitator then concludes step number three by summarizing the person's sense of the now, and asking them for confirmation that the summary is accurate.

(Falvey & Forest & Pearpoint & Rosenberg, 1997)

The goal for step number four of the PATH is to think about who should be enrolled. The facilitator tells the participants that there is a condition to deciding. The condition is that no one can decide on their own, and so the question, "Who do you need to enroll to achieve your goal?" is presented. The question supports the idea that we are all working to be interdependent, and not independent, of each other. We are all working as teams, and we depend on each other. Participants might suggest that certain funding sources, the government, a specific agency or more and so on, be enrolled. The facilitator; however, needs to look for specific people or contacts with any suggested agencies. The participants in the PATH process need to be encouraged to enroll themselves in order to assist the focus person.

Enrolling others along the PATH is much more than just getting permission to participate, it shows that a person is sharing, and becoming committed to working with a person and their life. This step of the PATH recognizes the people that the focus person wants to create a shared commitment with. When the facilitator is very sure that the list is complete, they should remind everyone that anyone can add to, delete from, or change the list as long as the participant agrees. The same is true for any other step along the PATH. After making this statement, the facilitator needs to review the PATH and add any resources or names needed. When this is done, the facilitator needs to have the group share some feeling words that they associate with the people on the list they created, and the things they are enrolled to do.

(Falvey & Forest & Pearpoint & Rosenberg, 1997)

The fifth step on the PATH is about growing stronger. The facilitator moves participants and the focus person through the fact that if they are to enroll people and get from Now to the Future there will be a large amount of work to be done. Everyone is already living a busy life, and their enrollment in the PATH process will add to their busy day. The facilitator asks, "What do we need to do as a group, team, and/or family, in order to be strong enough to reach the goal and keep this team moving forward. Similarly, what does each person have to do to be strong enough to be able to make their contribution at the personal level", in order to enable participants to focus.

During step number six of the PATH, the facilitator takes the group into a much closer future, for example, three months from the current date. The facilitator asks everyone in the group to think positively, and assume that everything has gone well up to this point. The direction of the progress is right and people are feeling some momentum. To explore this step, the facilitator asks, "What has happened already?" The simplest way to figure this out is to pick a clear element in the Goal portion of the PATH graphic, and consider what has happened already. The facilitator might choose to explore some of these different goals, and the progress that has (will be) been made. It is important that the facilitator be very time conscious during this step. The facilitator should point out that it is not likely that each and every detail of the PATH will be completed at this time. When people have an understanding of the process, they can fill in their details later. (Falvey & Forest & Pearpoint & Rosenberg, 1997)

Step number seven of the PATH process is to repeat step number six, only at this point the time frame is even closer to today, such as one month. In this step it is important for the facilitator to push everyone for exact and specific steps; some questions they might ask include:

· Who will do what?