The Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council (RIDDC) has partnered with local organizations, LAZO Rhode Island and IN2U Relationships, to effectively reach and inform Spanish-speaking communities about person-centered planning and related services. This effort plans to support about 160 Spanish-speaking families across the state.
Person-centered planning is a practice in which individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities make decisions about their own lives based on their specific needs and goals. The council said its efforts currently focus on building communities that will fully empower and support these residents, starting at a young age.
“Person-centered planning focuses on the gifts and the capacities of the individual,” explained IN2U Relationships Founder Ken Renaud. “We really draw those out and build upon those and figure out creative ways to connect people to places in their communities to grow those gifts.”
A more bureaucratic definition of person-centered planning affirms that individuals with developmental disabilities are in control of their annual Individual Support Plan (ISP), which should reflect their personal goals and needs. RIDDC and its partners also support families on this issue so they may empower and support the decisions of their relative(s) with developmental disabilities.
While these community organizations look to assist residents with their annual plans and explore different types of services available to them, as the state requires, they view person-centered planning as more than a formal process.
“Our focus is not on the formal steps…but into helping people make that journey through that [person-centered planning] process,” said RIDDC Executive Director Kevin Nerney.
These inclusive outreach efforts are the first step in RIDDC’s goal of increasing participation and leadership among non-English speaking communities within the organization, as outlined in its five year plan.
Partnering With LAZO Rhode Island: An Emphasis on Cultural Resonant Services
About a year ago, RIDDC began its partnership with LAZO Rhode Island to effectively reach and assist Hispanic residents as the council has struggled with reaching non-English speaking residents in its past, said Nerney.
The Johnston-based organization offers brokerage services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Its focus is on providing person-directed and culturally competent assistance.
With a multilingual and multicultural staff, LAZO has formed meaningful connections with surrounding Spanish-speaking communities. As the organization works directly with residents, its staff also shared about RIDDC’s training on topics like person-centered planning and advocating at the legislative level to further engage families.
LAZO serves about 350 people across the states, with about 90% of its clients being members of a racial/ethnic minority community. The organization has a strong presence in all four core cities and extends into Jamestown and surrounding areas.
While LAZO has helped the council translate its informational materials into Spanish, its collective effort to reach diverse communities goes beyond that.
“There’s more [to do] than just translation,” said Nerney. “It’s how you approach somebody: there’s the method that you give information, so [LAZO’s] helping me understand that as well. They have been a great connection between the council and multiple communities because…the Spanish-speaking community isn’t a single community.”
While there are still not enough resources available in Spanish and other languages, LAZO Executive Director Iraida Williams also shared that agencies often don’t think culturally when they create resources or training.
“My biggest concern is that when they put trainings or resources together, they don’t look at it from a cultural perspective and [think] ‘how will this affect the folks that we’re working with? It’s either you fit in this box, or you don’t.’” said Williams. “They haven’t even looked at the cultural acceptance from the other side. So, that can be kind of sticky because some people don’t like to share. Some people feel that ‘I have a relative with a disability, I will deal with that—I don’t need your resources.”
Williams added that many resources are online, which overlooks residents in low-income neighborhoods with limited internet access. “Yes, they have cell phones—that doesn’t mean that they know how to maneuver that.”
Bringing In IN2U: Advocates in person-centered planning
Renaud and Williams have gathered a few families to brainstorm inclusive strategies for assisting other residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities in becoming more involved with their communities.
“Every time we host an event, gather people…and have these conversations—it’s lightning,” said Renaud. “You can see the connections that are happening for people. The work in person-centered planning is a true act of advocacy. You’re helping people…in whatever communication means they have…to be able to speak up for themselves.”
Williams said that for so long, families, providers, and others have often assumed the capabilities of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities because they expect the person’s abilities to emerge in traditional ways. Person-centered planning is all about uncovering the unique ways people can communicate and express themselves.
“When you do the person-centered planning and the mapping, the conversations kind of shift,” explained Williams. “Because it’s all about that person and allows that person to express themselves, however, or how much they want to. For us, the feedback has been, ‘Wow, I didn’t know that my son or daughter liked this or could do that or can express themselves [in that way]…’”
Renaud elaborated that person-centered planning also actively involves individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in accepting spaces within their communities for their emotional/social well-being and physical safety.
“One of the things that is really clear is that the more connected individuals are to other people and spaces, the safer they ultimately are. Because there’s more eyes on them, paying attention to ‘why is somebody not here today?’” he said.
“What’s really crucially important is [identifying]…welcoming places that people can be and contribute to. We don’t want to be going to places that are unwelcoming because this takes a lot of energy, effort, and investment.”
Editor’s Note: Our coverage will follow these local efforts relating to person-centered planning and supporting historically underserved communities to evaluate their effectiveness through quantitative and/or qualitative data.