Create the Life You Want
With a Peer-Based, Person-Centered Plan
At Diverse Ability Incorporated, a person-centered plan is a helpful document created by a youth or young adult, with assistance from their supporters, to outline their vision for the future. This document is all about them, and it’s flexible and can be adjusted as their dreams and goals grow!
We are dedicated to helping youth and young adults who have disabilities create their own person-centered plans. With the assistance of their chosen supports and one of our trained Arizona Young Adult Leaders, we aim to help them:
- Express Their Wishes: Encourage them to share their dreams and goals.
- Build on Their Strengths: Focus on what they do well to promote independence.
- Set Clear Goals: Help them identify what is important to them and how to achieve it.
Thanks to our diverse funding and collaborative partnerships, including with the Arizona Department of Education/Exceptional Student Services and the Rehabilitation Services Administration/Vocational Rehabilitation Services, we can provide Person-Centered Planning Services at no cost to most students, youth, and young adults. However, we look at each Peer-Based, Person-Centered Planning Service Request individually. Feel free to connect with us if you have any questions about the qualifications for this opportunity.
A person-centered plan is more than a document; it's a powerful tool that empowers youth and young adults to:
- Discover and outline their unique needs, wants, and goals.
- Take the lead in decision-making, ensuring their voice is heard and valued.
- Share important information with teachers, IEP teams, case managers, and others who play a role in their lives.
- Navigate their journey through high school, post-secondary education and training, work, and beyond by providing a clear roadmap for success.
Diverse Ability Incorporated offers youth and young adults who have disabilities the opportunity to create a person-centered plan through:
- Arizona Youth Leadership Forum (AZYLF)
- School Partnerships
- Diverse Ability Incorporated Community Training and Events
- Individual Requests (including public, private, charter, homeschool, and students utilizing Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) funds; Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) members; Vocational Rehabilitation clients; students in postsecondary programs, etc.)
Who is Involved in the Person-Centered Planning Process?
Person-centered planning uses a team approach. The youth or young adult chooses supporters, such as family, friends, and other important people, to help create their plan. At Diverse Ability Incorporated, we believe in the power of peer support. We connect each youth and young adult with one of our trained Arizona Young Adult Leaders. These leaders, aged 18 to 29, are young adults who have disabilities. Their unique perspectives, along with our training, help them guide the person-centered planning process and support each youth or young adult in creating their plans.
Accommodations and support are available to anyone involved to ensure success.
How Are Person-Centered Plans Developed?
Developing a person-centered plan consists of two steps: Discovery and Goal Setting.
The Discovery process helps you explore who you are. With support from your team, it examines your strengths, skills, likes, and dislikes, as well as your dreams and concerns. Discovery helps you and your team understand who you are and what you want in life. This understanding will help you clarify your priorities and plan for your future.
In the Goal Setting phase, we work with you and your support team to review the important information collected during the Discovery phase. Together, we will set your goals and create an action plan. Your action plan will include:
- Clear goals and steps you agree on.
- A list of resources and supports you can use to achieve your goals.
- A timeline for your plan.
- Assignments that outline who is responsible for each task.
Our trained Arizona Young Adult Leader will assist you in completing these steps with the support of your team. They can use virtual, phone, and in-person meetings and online questionnaires to help you complete these steps. Typically, developing a plan takes 10-15 hours from start to finish. However, since each plan is unique, the timeline may vary.