Circles

One or two hours.  One Page Profiles, PATH and MAPs, and other person centred planning tools invite appreciative, inclusive discussion of the student’s goals and dreams with their networks. The Circles tool can show who is currently in the network, and also who might be involved. In this interactive workshop, participants will diagramming circles and generating plans to address gaps, gifts and aspirations.

This interactive workshop will include everyone, of all abilities. The Circles Diagramming tool is elegant and deceptively simple in its importance, given the growing body of research about the importance of belonging. We will work with participants to create two circles diagrams and generate some ideas together about what we notice and what we can do; Participants will better understand how they might use this tool in their lives, families, and in person centred planning and IEPs that include social learning strategies.

Leadership: what is it, how does it work and how can we share it?

While leadership studies have advanced hugely in the last few decades, often those who are in leadership positions have not had the opportunity to learn about how leadership has operated through history, how it is studied and reflected on, and how it might work better for leaders and organizations.  Organizations that support people with disabilities but do not incorporate them as authentic, working leaders are particularly problematic, if they lack the knowledge and a good plan to build capacity for inclusion at every level.

PATH, MAPs and person centred planning strategies workshop

Over the last few years we have come to increasingly focus on PATH as one exemplary form of Person Centred Planning, which can take many forms, so we try to include at least a small range of planning methods and use PATH to demonstrate the kinds of things we look for in our work supporting person centred planning.  We believe the ideas in PATH are foundational and can lead to an ability to use other planning formats in a way that allows for good, inclusive planning.  What we hope for is that the folks we plan with have an increasing ability to be self-determining in their planning.  Vickie, above, requested a PATH, decided who to invite, organized the event with her family, and used various kinds of communication to tell her team what she wanted next in her life.

We are happy to respond to requests to do training for other groups, in other places.  We have travelled as far south as Nashville, as far north as Fort St. John, east to New York State and west to Victoria.  Click on the link above to see a typical PATH training offering from one of our last sessions!

Welcoming Diversity and Difference in our Networks

This interactive day begins by looking at the history of supporting people with disabilities as one of many linked emancipatory movements.  Why are we distracted by being encouraged to think of hours of service and contracts and formal relationships with governing bodies, when what we begin with is the radicalising concept that someone has been born into our families who is different, and we find ourselves in a world of “othering” that assumes lacks and gaps and problems, rather than sees our family member for the brilliant, world changing and wonderful being that they are.  For many of us the surprise of a family member with a disability is transformational.   We find that what we are told about people with disabilities, which we might have believed before, is not true.  It is the creation of systems of vested interests that has, for the most part, little respect for the voices of families and people with disabilities.  When we begin to question these systems we are led to question everything else.   If X is not true, what about Y? J?  B?  C?  D?  Let’s get in touch with that passion that was part of our discovery of a new focus and a new understanding of life and our culture!  Let’s use that to create a world of belonging for everyone.

101 Friends: how to support belonging by helping people make friends

Teaching, Learning and Communication Strategies to support Adults with Disabilities

Drawing BIG Dreams on BIG Paper

Liz’s workshop for self advocates, although anyone would love this!

Helping Helpers: thinking about our roles in supporting people

an introduction to ethics of care

a dialogue about “helping” and what it means

Critical Disability Studies: what does it mean to our community practices?

Critical Disability Studies is the fastest growing academic field in the world, and offers those working in research and education new ways to approach our work that are inclusive, reflective and emancipatory.  What does that mean for those of us working in schools and community as direct support staff?

Community Engagement

Strategic and Operational Planning