Developing Community Connections that Lead to Full Community Participation

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Developing Community Connections that Lead to
Full Community Participation

• Presented by Connie Ferrell
• Integrated Services
• 5995 S. Bearwallow Road
• Morgantown, IN, 46160
• 765-342-8437

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Some Basic Assumptions

• Everyone has gifts and capacities
• Everyone has contributions to make
• Everyone needs friends/relationships
• Everyone needs supports

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Themes of Person-Centered Work

• Discovering Capacity
• Creating Vision
• Sharing Resources
• Developing Supports
• Building Community

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Steps of Community Inclusion

• ID interests, gifts, contributions through Person
  Centered Planning.
• Assure discovery meetings with families are kept
  positive and focused on the individual.
• Spend unstructured, individual time with the
  person.

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Person-Centered Planning Meetings

• Purpose is to discover more about the person
• Person identifies and invites people who really
  know them
• Brainstorming on strengths, interests, important
  to/for
• Systematic action-planning process driven by the
  persons goals
• Moves the entire group toward a realization of
  the persons desired lifestyle

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Blessing and Ferrell
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C.Blessing C.Ferrell 2003
Framework for Planning
NAME PURPOSE
Interests Preferences
Attributes
Priorities
Values Ideals
Community Connectedness
Supports
Networks/Resources
Contributors
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Putting It All Together

• Interests
• Desires
• Skills
• Resources
• Preferences
• Priorities
• Characteristic of support

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Using Information to Build Connections
Gift/talent/interest Potential role(s)
Community places that appreciate
gift
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Group Activity

• Divide into groups as assigned
• Move to each service station as requested
• Answer questions as directed by service station
  attendants
• Be prepared to report on the process to large
  when requested

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Steps of Community Inclusion (cont.)

• ID possible community connections
• Where are the places this interest can be
  expressed?
• Where are opportunities for community
  relationships?
• Seeing the same people regularly is important
• Some basis of commonality/exchange is needed.
• What are other community members doing?
• Who are the LEADERS and active members in the
  community?
• Do additional generic resources/activities need
  to be developed for all community members?

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Exercise Using Gifts to Connect to Community

• With your group, identify possible contributions
  that the individual described could make to
  different community areas.
• You may add more community areas.

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Exercise Using Gifts to Connect to Community
church
parks
library
Strengths and Interests as Viable Community Assets
civic orgs
school
day care
restaurant
bakery
cultural center
pet care
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Person-centered practices

• give equal priority to what is important to and
  what is important for the individual

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Important to

• What is important to a person includes only what
  people are saying
• with their words
• with their behavior

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Important for

• What is important for a person includes only
  those things that need to be kept in mind for
  people regarding
• Issues of health or safety
• What is needed to be a valued member of the
  persons communities of choice

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How Do We Build Connections?

• Focus on a neighborhood
• Establish trust networks
• Join different groups
• Find other like-minded groups
• Find resource manuals/listings of community
  events
• Establish work groups to help think about ideas
• Talk through stories
• Follow-up contacts with personal thank-you notes
• Find ways for people to contribute

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Where can I find out about adult learning?

• newspapers community events calendar
• local schools, community colleges,
  universities
• parks and recreational departments
• churches
• senior centers
• specialty stores that offer how to classes
• Where else?

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Steps of Community Inclusion (cont.)

• Make Introductions
• To groups
• Remember, regular, consistent contact
• Find a bridgebuilder or ally
• Fade slowly
• To individuals
• Support participation and building of
  relationships

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Community participation can lead to a paid job!

• Many people entering (or re-entering) the job
  market have found it very satisfying to first
  locate something they like doing. Through
  participation in this activity, they gain insight
  into how things operate and meet valuable
  insiders. Through networking, they often hear
  about an opening before it is even advertised.
  They also have the added advantage of knowing
  people who work there, possibly.

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A life-long process..Not a one-time plan
ELP Learning Community
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