Planning for Vulnerabilities with Self Advocates

Why is there a photograph of Woodlands Institution in a posting about planning for vulnerabilities with self advocates?  Because, once upon a time, our society thought that the best way to keep people safe was to look them away.  Ken Scott, in his historical research article, The BC Public Hospital for the Insane, 1872-1902, writes of the earliest institution being built in 1878 and in 1894, only 16 years later, with a total of 117 patients there was already a royal commission into abuses: . . . to investigate questionable practices . . . when a male patient died after … Continue reading Planning for Vulnerabilities with Self Advocates

PATH and MAPs training

Co-facilitating MAPS and PATH as exemplary forms of person centred planning for individuals, friends and family, teams and organizations Facilitated by Aaron Johannes and Eilidh Nicholson What is MAP or PATH planning? PATH is a process in which a facilitator and a graphic facilitator work with a focal person (or organization or team) and their supporters to create a vision of the best possible future, out of which comes a plan that is always “positive” and “possible,” understood by all and no longer mysterious or scary. By the end of the PATH event the focal person or group has communicated where … Continue reading PATH and MAPs training

CLBC’s Community Safeguards Projects and 101 Friends

Under Jule Hopkins Community Living B.C. (C.L.B.C.) took on a brave agenda of creating documents related to how people can plan for vulnerability and stay safer in community, which had many different parts.  I continue to think this was really exemplary work that involved many self advocates and families, as well as brought together different groups. Jule was an early believer in our work and we used methods from what is now called CBPR (Community Based Participatory Research) and, together, learned a great deal about how inclusive groups and inclusive research works, and got to work with colleagues and agencies … Continue reading CLBC’s Community Safeguards Projects and 101 Friends