October '03' Additions:

First 5 Napa County Community Plan 2003.  We have the opportunity to work with the local Commission on planning and evaluation activities.

Assembly Bill 649: Selected Human Resource and Financial Implications.  If you don't mind, we'll take a break from those kinds of projects for at least the near future.

Supported Living Project: A Final Report.  The Idaho Governor's Council asked us to look at Medicaid funded supported living services in that state. 

The Napa County Early Learning Initiative.  We were asked to develop a school readiness proposal for the Napa Children and Families Commission. This document is provided in pdf format.

Recommendations for IHSS Mode of Service.  We were asked to facilitate and support the process of selecting a mode-of-service and employer-of-record for In-Home Supportive Services in Napa County. This document is provided in pdf format.

September '02' Additions:


Special needs family friendly fun - enhancing the quality and fun of family life with special needs.

July '02' Additions:


Supported Living: A Good Life It's here, it's way cool. This guide was developed by Partners in Advocacy Consulting for CIRCL. It's colorful, it's informative, it's great!

November '01' Additions:

The new brochure for the North Bay Housing Coalition will give you an idea of what we're up to these days. In addition, this NBHC Information Brief regarding In-Home Supportive Services will provide you with a nice overview of those services.

August '01' Additions:


John Shea was asked to develop an economic blueprint for implementing the budget unification plan (regional and developmental centers) presented in Assembly Bill 896. In addition, he has developed a brief version in the style of an executive summary. These documents are formatted in .pdf files.

March '01' Additions:


Thoughts About My Life can be downloaded in Word format. This is a great piece developed by Karen Manning, Robin Reale, Michael Smull and Liz Obermeyer. It's a workbook that gives people a way to write stories about their lives. Those stories can be used to help facilitate planning meetings. They can also help family, friends and service agencies pay attention to what people say is important to them. Give it a try, you'll like what you see!

Learn the Basics, Learn the Process, Apply What You Learn: Service Coordination Orientation and Training Curriculum. We think this is one of the most information-packed, 800+ page pieces of work we've ever put together. Here's a sample for your downloading pleasure.

Listen to Me! is a way to get started in helping someone move towards the life that he or she wants to lead. It can be used by individuals and/or family members as a way to get ready for an ELP or individual service planning session. The workbook gives people a chance to think about the kinds of things that are important in their lives. It's in Adobe.pdf format. For information about companion pieces (e.g., Starting a Conversation, How to Complete a Planning Session, From LTM to Service Plan, etc.), please contact Steve Sweet at (707) 448-2283 or e-mail at stevenmsweet@netscape.net.

December '00' Additions:


Through the Roof This is a piece we did for Napa County Health and Human Services on affordable housing and homelessness. Our good friend and associate Mony Flores-Bauer helped us facilitate a community conversation with community leaders. We also used a graphic recorder which was a great addition. We hope to use this brochure to expand the conversation.

October '00' Additions:

A Guide to Training in Decision-Making for People with Developmental Disabilities This guide is a simple script used to teach individuals with developmental disabilities to learn and practice a basic problem solving model called S.T.O.G. (See, Think, O.K.?, Go). It was field tested with 75 people with a range of developmental disabilities and is easily adaptable to the needs of any audience.

August '00' Additions:

Figuring Out Future Living Arrangements, Housing and Support This flyer describes a six week course taught by John Shea (at Napa Valley College) that will assist parents and guardians (and their children with significant disabilities) to answer a number of important questions.

  • Individuals with developmental disabilities: When I move away from home, how will my basic needs (e.g., food, clothing, shelter) be met? What do I need? What do I want? What do my parents want for me? How will my service and support needs be met?

  • Parents and family members: What kinds of living arrangements are possible for my adult son or daughter with a disability? Would it make sense to leave the family home for my son or daughter? Help him or her buy a condo or mobile home? How would we go about it? What about wills, trusts, and estate planning?

  • Both individuals and their families: What public benefits (e.g., SSI, SSDI, Section 8, IHSS, Medi-Cal) are available to help? How are these benefits accessed? What should I look for in an alternative living arrangement? How can we develop a family game plan to move toward our desired futures? How will I recognize a good 'fit' between what I need and want and what the living arrangement offers?

    • The course was developed in part through the North Bay Housing Coalition and a grant from the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities. If you would like more information on the course and how it could be taught in your community, please e-mail John at allenshea@sbcglobal.net.

    DSP Resource Guides! At last, the Direct Support Professional, Year 1 Resource Guides have been posted on the Department of Developmental Services website.

    February '00' Additions:

    See What I'm Saying is about Katherine Dumas who is an activist with a mission. The trouble is, up until recently most people haven't gotten the message. .

    Thinking About Support Broker Roles is an article from the Winter 2000 issue of Impact Magazine.

    January '00' Additions:

    Here is a Staff Survey that we're trying out with several agencies. It's based a work from Buckingham & Coffman titled First, break all the rules (1999). The questions are based on factors which are known to facilitate employee retention. Michael Smull has developed some great follow-up activities which help managers and staff look at their work cultures. This file is in Abode PDF format.

    November '99' Additions:

    Here is the draft Self Assessment component of the Supported Living Service Quality Review Process that we're working on with North Los Angeles County Regional Center and Vickie Vining. The review process is built around some core outcome indicators. If those indicators are evident across a sample of individuals served, the evaluation team completes the review. If not, the team focuses on areas of concern with additional probes and a look at quality indicators. If you look at or use the Self Assessment, please let us know what you think. This file is in Abode PDF format.

    October '99' Additions:

    Here is a piece we did about five years ago titled California Lifestyles. Very few people ever had a chance to see it. It was our first attempt at finding an easy way to have a conversation about life quality that could be quantified if needed. We even had plans to send it out to lots of people with and without disabilities. While people liked the idea (except for the name), it seemed too easy. It even included Michael Smull's thoughts about non-negotiables. Anyway, we always liked it and thought we would share it. If you decide to do something with it, please let us know what you find out. This file is in Abode PDF format and can be downloaded with the Acrobat Reader Plug-In program which is available free from Adobe Systems.)

    August '99' Additions:

    Redwood Coast Regional Center represents a beautiful area of California with a great looking site!

    Here is the latest edition of the CIRCL (Connections for Information and Resources on Community Living) newsletter. This file is in Abode PDF format and can be downloaded with the Acrobat Reader Plug-In program which is available free from Adobe Systems.)

    June '99' Additions:

    Year 1 Training Curriculum for Direct Support Professionals in California's licensed, community residential services.

    Standing with Jon was written by Claudia Bolton and Michael Smull about the challenges and the pleasure of working with John Hall.

    May '99' Additions:

    Here are the table of contents and a resource chapter from a piece we did over a year ago titledExpressions of Wellness. It seems we were never able to live up to the expectations of our funding source and so (as far as we know) this health resource guide has taken a different course. Anyway, please check it out and if you are interested in seeing more of it on this website, drop us an e-mail. If we get enough interest, we'll try to talk the funding agency into releasing a website version. (This file is in Abode PDF format and can be downloaded with the Acrobat Reader Plug-In program which is available free from Adobe Systems.)

    April '99' Additions:

    California's Tools and Strategies for Family Partnerships.This web site is for sharing information about successful tools and strategies that demonstrate and/or encourage partnerships between and among families, family organizations, educators and policy makers.

    January '99' Additions:

    Supported Life Institute are those great folks who bring you the Supported Life Conference in Sacramento every Fall.

    Interdependent Living: A Healthy and Healing Lifestyle , an article reprinted here with the permssion of author Bill Rush. After you're read this great piece, you'll find a link to his website.

    November '98' Additions:

    Building respect, trust, and partnership is a great teambuilding activity. It comes complete with directions and scoring sheets. If you've ever used it, you know how well it works!

    A Plan is Not An Outcome , a new article from Michael Smull first printed in Impact Feature Issue on Person-Centered Planning with Youth and Adults (1998).

    Here is an adapted (large scale) version of More Than A Meeting. It's something we developed about four years ago for the California Department of Developmental Services. (This file is in Abode PDF format and can be downloaded with the Acrobat Reader Plug-In program which is available free from Adobe Systems.)

    If you would like to get in on the discussions around the world about customer directed Individual Funding, here is a listserv for you. Brian Salsbury of Kwantlen University College in Canada is the listserv moderator. Just drop him a note and let him know you want to subsribe.

    October '98' Additions:

    While we have several links to and reprints from John O'Brien and Connie Lyle O'Brien (Responsive Systems Associates), here's a way to see more of them. Through the Center on Human Policy, they write and distribute a wide range of wonderful informational material on person-centered planning, community building, and innovative services. Those publications are available on the Center's web site (in Abode PDF format - available free from Adobe Systems).

    August '98' Additions:

    Community Associates International (Brian Lensink, Barbara Brent and a core of associates) are independent consultants and advocates for community inclusion and the development of services and supports that can enable people to realize their dreams and live a full life in the community. Check out their great website!

    A timeless classic from Michael Smull titled Positive Rituals and Quality of Life.

    May '98' Additions:

    Emilee Curtis and New Hats continue to produce a fine array of easy to access materials on personal planning.

    Learning Services Corporation provides long-term, supported living services for persons with acquired brain injury on the East Coast.

    Training Resources Network is a well-respected publisher of resources to support people with disabilities working and living in their communities.

    Michael Smull reminds us that thinking about a few issues before you start the planning process can help you achieve a better outcome.

    April '98' Additions:

    Eileen Laird is in the kitchen with Cooking Made Easy.

    February '98' Additions:

    California Developmental Disabilities Netlink provides information about services and programs for children and adults with developmental disabilities in California.

    From time to time, we all work on problems with groups of people. Here is an outline of several ways that we have found helpful in that work.

    January '98' Additions:

    A pilot proposal alone or as part of a larger initiative to test various cost-effective, more flexible service and support options.

     A competency-based inservice module on reporting abuse. We developed this piece in 1992 for California, so look at it carefully in terms cutting, pasting and updating.

     A brief recap of articles on group homes and property values. While the information is getting old, we still get requests for it.

    Our old friend and associate, Claudia Bolton, has created a supported living service in the Gold country of Northern California.

    December '97' Additions:

    Please sign our guest book to receive our new email update service which has been designed to bring you late breaking stories about new items on this website.

    The abstract of a new article on mental retardation and criminal justice by Dr. Joan Petersilia.

    The most recent summary of life quality assessments by regional center by living arrangement.We're also trying to add chapters of the final report as quickly as we can convert them. Here's a chapter on the 'visit' from the perspective of the visitor and persons who were visited.

    An excerpted summary of the SB 1038 input provided by North Bay Regional Center and Area Board IV to Senator Thompson. We had the honor of working with these two agencies as well as Tri Counties Regional Center and Area Board IX on their report to the Legislature.

    The one year report on the implementation of Looking at Life Quality.

    September '97' Additions:



    CIRCL-- It's working again!!!



    August '97' Additions:

    An Online Resource for Students Seeking Disability Information and Opportunities designed especially for students studying in the field of disability!

    The National Clearinghouse on Managed Care and Long-Term Services and Supports for Adults with Developmental Disabilities and Their Families.


    July '97' Additions:

    Disability Solutions: A resource for families and others interested in Down syndrome and related disabilities.

    The ASA Search Engine: Please take it for a spin because it works (thanks to Ken and the gang at NapaNet).


    June '97' Additions:

    A quarterly newsletter (6th edition) dedicated to supporting and enhancing quality lives and services for Californians with developmental disabilities.

    The People First of California Bylaws in both legal and understandable language. We finally got around to posting it!


    April '97' Additions:

    CIRCL has moved it's website. The one year funding for CIRCL is winding down, but the network, energy and activity will continue.

    The Executive summary of an evaluation of the in-home support registry and provider referral service for Sacramento county.

    A Blueprint for Essential Lifestyle Planning was first created to assist in developing plans for people leaving Fairview, in Oregon.

    People First of the United Kingdom.

    Reviewing Essential Lifestyle Plans: Criteria for Best Plans.

    An overview on the important elements of a successful conversation.


    March '97' Additions:

    An interim report on the implementation of Looking at Life Quality at Six Selected Regional Centers.

    An information brief on living arrangements, with information on rates and what it takes to create such arrangements.


    Previous Additions (1/95-2/97):

    An individual planning workbook based on the process and values of Essential Lifestyle Planning.

    A position paper on Managed Care and Long-Term Supports in Developmental Disabilities.

    Planning and the Golden Rule is an article that says a lot about everyone's neighborhood and was written by Art Bolton.

    A listing of all twenty-one regional centers in California.

    See Look Ok? Go A brief report on the literature about decision-making.

    Moving toward a system of support by Michael Smull.

    After the plan by Michael Smull.

    A workbook about voting in understandable language by the Area IV Board.

    A brief glossary of managed care concepts (of which we are searching for an author.

    A quarterly newsletter dedicated to supporting and enhancing quality lives and services for Californians with developmental disabilities.

    It's Finished! Building Partnerships, Supporting Choices: Developing Supportive Relationships through Positive Communication and Teamwork.

    Getting from here . . .is a transition planning preparation guide for families.

    CIRCL is a new resource for information on supported living.

    Kern Regional Center is one of the 21 regional centers serving Californians with developmental disabilities and the Central Valley.



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