Person Centered Approach

Person Centered Approach Person centered planning is a facilitated process that allows an individual to achieved personalized goals and dreams. The approach does this in a way that is very different from traditional therapy. Instead of focusing on the individual's disability, it shifts focus to the persons strengths, talents, and gifts. The technique essentially takes the focus off of what the individual cannot do and instead focuses on what the individual is capable of in a way that he or she is comfortable with. The practice is whole person focused, with the belief that the individual possesses the skills to grow and develop the life they would find preferable. The goal is to add to the quality of life for an individual improving their

While clinical care may be very good in the sense of delivering prescriptions and making sure the patient's body is cared for, the PCA focusses on the person holistically with thought that with the physical becoming healthier, the emotional has to match as well for the best outcome for the patient. With people who have lost control of their lives, or risk loosing control, if these folks are to have the lives that they want, then they have to have something that says here is what is important to me, here is how I want to be supported and here is how I want to live. The PCA provides a description of all these components and then describes the actions that need to be taken to get the life that they

One example is called PATH, which stands for Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope. This is a very specific tool that develops a step by step process leading the individual from where he or she is in life in the present and where that person wants to be. There are two goals the person expresses for the end of the project; one goal is the overall dream of the person such as buying a home or playing on a sports team. The other, more immediate goal is one that can be obtained using specific steps that have been specifically planned over a year or two, with the support of a group that the individual has chosen. With the assistance of the group, the person identifies people that can help them reach certain steps that will eventually lead to their long term goal. When letting the person chose his or her dreams or goals, it is important to not put any constraints, boundaries, or limits on their ideal future. A second approach to PCP is called MAP, Making Action Plans, is very similar to PATH in that it uses visuals and graphics created by the individual to develop an action plan leading to the achievement of a dream or a