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Peter and Gareth Marks having been supporting individuals and families with complex disabilities for decades. With a deep brain research foundation, they teach simple and profound approaches that can reduce violence and rebalance communications for many. An important contribution to the field.
https://centreforconsciouscare.ca/
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Long Term Care Resources Thinking about Employment
Read moreIn Sheffield, England, a committed group of colleagues are exploring deep policy issues about the future. An ‘dabate’ focus on a session early in May (2021) was on ‘disability’ – and links the various presentations are attached. Community Session on Disability One June 1, the focus was on long term care, (see video on previous […]
Read moreShort Term Thinking About Long Term Care – Challenges to Current Practice Essays on Aging In Place – free ebook Aging in Place – POSITIVE Possibilities – Collected Resources Why Ontario doesn’t need ‘more’ institutionalized supports for seniors and others living with disabilities Seniors for Social Action (Ontario) If you are worried about your future […]
Read moreAging in Place – Home Care First No seniors I know (me included) aspire to be ‘managed’ in a long-term care facility – which we tragically know can be dangerous, lonely and deadly. Rather the vast majority of us want to live out our days in our homes – with support as needed. This can […]
Read moreWe are in new and relatively uncharted territory where ‘taking care of each other’ is the most powerful strategy to limit the impact of this viral pandemic. Many of us are privileged and thus even if we become ill, our capacity to rest and recover is excellent. Our concern is that those at greatest risk […]
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When People Care Enough to Act: ABCD: these materials support a practical approach to creating community collaborations that work
Asset Based Community Development
abcd book.index plus McKnight foreword
Developed in response to the question “I love ABCD (Asset Based Community Development); “What do I do Monday Morning?”–and based on Mike Green & Henry Moore’s highly regarded work as ABCD organizers, consultants and trainers–-these materials support a practical approach to creating community collaborations that work. Enriching each other, the book and the DVD provide clear exposition of ABCD organizing principles and best practices, examples of ABCD organizing in action, learning exercises, worksheets, and reflections from experienced practitioners of ABCD organizing.
Main topics include: ABCD Principles & Practice • Discovering What People Care About • Mobilizing A Community’s Assets • People & Programs: We Need Both • Leading By Stepping Back: The Role Of Governments & Agencies • Inclusion: There Is No One We Do Not Need • John McKnight’s Reflections On ABCD organizing. Lessons from Ashville NC; Marquette, MI; Laconia, NH; Savannah, GA; Ames, IO.
Forward by John McKnight
Also available as: Printed Copy
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When People Care Enough to Act: ABCD (Asset Based Community Development)
Mike Green and Henry Moore worked with John McKnight for years. They were deeply committed to ABCD – Asset Based Community Development. The question they encountered most often was “What do I do Monday morning?” This book is their answer. It is a great collaborative effort.
View this productClicking on a title will take you to the descriptive page for that item. If you wish to order multiple copies of any item you may adjust the quantity when you arrive at the shopping cart page. Books; E-books; DVD’s; Posters; Audio Tracks… This page does not update automatically – yet – so if you […]
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Peter Marks, Founder and director of A Centre for Conscious Care Class trainer for more than 2000 graduates of CCS; University of Toronto, School of Social Work Con.Ed. Faculty member; Over 35 years of Human & Health Services’ organization & leadership development to facilitate effective, conscious and compassionate care and support; Co-founder and former chair […]
Read moreJohn McKnight passed on November 1, 2024. He is a great loss for his leadership, his wisdom and his friendship. He was a collaborator in our Summer Institutes for 34 years. His friendship endures. For 34 years, John’s wit, wisdom, guidance and friendship was at the core of our Summer Institutes where his mesmerizing stories […]
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Tim Vogt thrived as the Executive Director of a legacy organization called Starfire in Cincinnati. Their work was highly regarded -Then Tim began to wonder if their work was actually delivering a full life to all the people being supported. He decided to transform the organization. This is the remarkable story of that transition.
e-Book: https://inclusion.com/product/whos-in-your-life-e-book/
Print book: https://inclusion.com/product/whos-in-your-life/
https://inclusion.com/site/wp-admin/post.php?post=46945&action=edit
View this product$25.00
Tim Vogt thrived as the Executive Director of a legacy organization called Starfire in Cincinnati. Their work was highly regarded -Then Tim began to wonder if their work was actually delivering a full life to all the people being supported. He decided to transform the organization. This is the remarkable story of that transition.
e-Book: https://inclusion.com/product/whos-in-your-life-e-book/
Print book: https://inclusion.com/product/whos-in-your-life/
https://inclusion.com/site/wp-admin/post.php?post=46945&action=edit
View this productBuilding Inclusive Communities by Timothy Corey and friends The 12 videos that follow are inspired by the Guiding Values developed by the Washington State Developmental Disabilities Administration in 1988 and updated in 2016. It is our hope that each viewer will gain a better understanding of how these guiding values are practiced in Coast Salish […]
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Gillian Grable’s book about Jennie Raffield Williams is both troubling and moving. Troubling because it exposes the decades-long failure of the state, the public, and mental health professionals to provide appropriate care to Jennie and other patients with mental and intellectual disabilities. Moving because Jennie Williams’s resolve to be reunited with the family she loved, the steadfast support she received from her children, and the care she received from some individuals at the hospital allow her story to rise above its sadness. Gillian Grable’s book calls for all of us to do better by the most vulnerable in society. From Jim Martin, former Commissioner of Human Resources for the State of Georgia
To purchase a copy of the book: (book will be ordered and shipped from the Univ. of Georgia
https://estore.uga.edu/C27063_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=10263&SINGLESTORE=true
View this productWe have had the privilege of working with many remarkable colleagues who share life long passions to build a world that welcomes the talents and capacities of every person into participation in community life. We have created collections (libraries) of some of the key articles, videos and resources created individually and collaboratively. Most of these […]
Read moreWe have had the privilege of working with many remarkable colleagues who share life long passions to build a world that welcomes the talents and capacities of every person into participation in community life. We have created collections (libraries) of some of the key articles, videos and resources created individually and collaboratively. Most of these […]
Read moreSupporting Transformation: Learning Groups The call for transformation of the way people with disabilities and their families experience publicly funded support is clear. They resonate from the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities to the US Community Rule to the British House of Lords Gloriously ordinary lives report. Learning to work for […]
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Make A Difference
Developed in collaboration with people with developmental disabilities and families, direct support workers and managers.
Guides a Learning Journey that supports action-learning about relationship building, planning with people in a person-centered way, supporting choice, & building community inclusion. (Learning Journey workbooks are available to go with the book.)
Promotes discovery of meaning in the work of offering direct support
Encourages inquiry into the effects of beliefs & values on quality
Promotes reflection on day-to-day practice to guide improvement
Fosters the use of imagery, music & art as an aid to reflection & action planning
Honors the accomplishments of people with developmental disabilities and their direct support workers by presenting their stories & reflections
This is an extraordinary opportunity to support all your staff/ students with a book that will truly Make a Difference. Learning Journey Booklets are available in bulk. The Leader’s Resource Kit is available.
View this productYeiter spent 50 years learning from ‘magnificent human beings’ — especially those who challenged systems of care with ‘behaviour type labels’. They were his instructors — and his friends. “To find out, you gotta look in.” Yeiter invites us to look inward in our search for ways to help people who engage in “difficult” behaviors. […]
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This book is in part about how to support individuals with a disability who also have a reputation for being difficult, aggressive, violent, and often labeled as a “behavior problem”. Fourteen life lessons focused on listening— based on 50 years of face-to-face, hands-on experience providing supports to people with a spectrum of disability labels. Yeiter puts forth a relationship-based approach which requires listening, in the broadest and deepest sense of the word with both our heads and our hearts. He has the courage to state the obvious — that change begins with us, within our souls, not with the externals of another person’s behaviors. This first involves a deeper kind of listening — a listening to our spirit, muse, or conscience, and furthermore submitting to it by getting to know and be in a relationship of interdependence.
Forward by John O’Brien
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Making Friends where you live:
https://thearcofmass.org/toolkit-live/
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Building Friendships at Work covers several key topics:
https://thearcofmass.org/toolkit-work/
View this productDAY 2 | AM | Presentations at the Virtual Toronto Summer Institute Day 2 (AM), July 13, 2021, of the Virtual Toronto Summer Institute, featured four events. Leanne Pearman from Australia told remarkable stories of entrepreneurial employments creations. Carol Blessing & Trisan Fassel explored “blind spots” in support services. David Wetherow presented the network builder – Star […]
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A brilliant collection of short articles by leading advocates for ‘aging in place’ – as opposed to ‘institutional gulags’ – the term used by Catherine Frazee in her introduction!
View this productDAY 2 | PM | Presentations at the Virtual Toronto Summer Institute On the afternoon of July 13, we featured another marketplace of choices. Heather Simmons from Scotland led a session on The Gentle Art of Noticing, followed by Erwin Wieringa (The Netherlands), who challenged us to think – Culture and Art – Who Cares? […]
Read moreEmergent VTSI Agenda – constantly updating Frequently Asked Questions Ideas that Matter Video Collection VTSI Welcome Video How to Contribute an Event to the Learning Marketplace Your Photo/Phone/Email Directory – add information here TSI2021 Need Renewal? Need new connections? The Summer Institute is for people who choose to invest themselves in creating and being the […]
Read moreVIRTUAL TORONTO SUMMER INSTITUTE DAY TWO – July 13 – 9:00 AM EDT (early start) Welcome & Session Pitches 9:00 – 9:15 Meditation with Kirk Learning Marketplace Sessions – CHOOSE and Join One 10:30 – 12:00 Jonny Douglas & James Lock Building Networks for Change – UBI LAB (click) Lunch Break – with Music – […]
Read moreWelcome TSI2021 Need Renewal? Need new connections? The Summer Institute is for people who choose to invest themselves in creating and being the change they want to see in the world. People working actively on the complex issues of inclusion and diversity in communities, workplaces and schools will want to attend this event. This Institute […]
Read moreWhy Ontario doesn’t need ‘more’ institutionalized supports for seniors and others living with disabilities Note: IFCO is an amazing resource with cutting edge current comments – and deep history. Use it. For decades the Individualized Funding Coalition for Ontario (IFCO) along with many other provincial organizations, service agencies, people and families have supported the closure […]
Read moreAnother thread in the Long Term Care issuehttps://www.include-me.ca/canadian-disability-benefit-initiative/about-canadian-disability-benefit-initiative Disability Benefit could actually mean Basic Income: https://www.thespec.com/opinion/contributors/2020/11/13/heres-hoping-the-new-federal-disability-benefit-adds-up-to-basic-income.html Individualized Funding Coalition for Ontario Individualized Funding Coalition for Ontario:Its about Long Term Care for ALL of us…https://individualizedfunding.ca/
Read moreWe have heard about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and it’s 94 recommendations. Mostly, we have heard words – with very limited action. The Yellowhead Institute in Canmore Alberta assembled 20 leading indigenous scholars who collaborated for two years. CASH BACK is a deeply researched challenge to our current values and suggests alternative ways to […]
Read moreIndividualized Funding Coalition for Ontario: Its about Long Term Care for ALL of us… A Roadmap to Long-term Care Reform in Canada – IRPP Webinar. [Institute for Research on Public Policy] EXCELLENT discussion of Long Term Care crisis with (Andre Picard (Globe & Mail); Dr. Simir Sinha (Geriatric Sinai Health Care Toronto); Tamara Daly (Professor, […]
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This is a deck of deep wisdom – 26 beautifully crafted pieces of art – quits done by Beth Mount – carefully organized to be utilized as individual ‘exercises’ or a collection of tested processes that can be used by an individual – or a group. Each card has a brief reading – and a proposal for a reflection exercise.
View this product__________________________ Micah Fialka-Feldman In 2003, Micah and several other students with intellectual disabilities began sitting in on regular classes at Oakland University (OU) through a Transition Program sponsored by a local school district, in collaboration with the university. During the next few years, Micah took two buses to the campus each day, attended classes, actively […]
Read moreThis is a curated collection of resources, videos, and articles that might be helpful as you think about employment options for people who have been systemically excluded. There is hope. Start early. Start now! The LIVES WE LEAD. – Western Australia The following vdeos were originally crafted with WAIS – but due to funding issues, […]
Read more__________________________ Micah Fialka-Feldman In 2003, Micah and several other students with intellectual disabilities began sitting in on regular classes at Oakland University (OU) through a Transition Program sponsored by a local school district, in collaboration with the university. During the next few years, Micah took two buses to the campus each day, attended classes, actively […]
Read moreRichard Ruston – Life long advocate for the People First Movement and past President of People First of Ontario and People First of Canada. Richard passed on Feb. 22.2021 in hospital in Windsor, ON (this is a work in progress in tribute to our friend Richard) Tributes from friends follow…. Richard Ruston Life Celebration. April […]
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The Poetry of David Moreau
David Moreau is poet; a long term front line care worker; a remarkable human being. His poems explore the delight, humor, bureaucratic absurdity, and human frailty that humans face as we struggle to care for one another with dignity and sensitivity. These poems are truly about ‘human’ service, from the inside out. Provoking thoughts; deep insights; truth.
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Members of Each Other: This book is stories about working with people with developmental disabilities. But it is the same message for all of us. This book exposes the dangers of power, of isolation, of helplessness. It also challenges and gives hope for communities to take back control from the ‘professionals’, to themselves. It has tried and true tools to help to build the future. This is a ‘must read’ for any one working in this field. It’s also a great read for anyone who wants to be a fuller human.
O’Brien and O’Brien’s summary of the information contributed by several participants at brainstorming sessions provides an excellent synthesis of the many content areas covered. The ability to be heard is of special significance for participants with disabilities. O’Brien and O’Brien often present the dreams and capacities of these participants in large diagram-like features for all to follow.
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MADISON – Darwin Ness, age 90, of Madison, passed away peacefully at his home on Jan. 22, 2021. Darwin had an amazing life journey. His lifeis an inspiration to all of us. Read on. Darwin had an amazing life journey. He was born May 31, 1930, to Joseph and Ida Ness, on a farm near […]
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PATH & MAPS Handbook: Person-Centered Ways to Build Community
25 years ago Marsha and Jack Pearpoint and John O’Brien designed MAPS and PATH as supports to people who need to discover strategies that serve their vision of inclusion in school and community life. Decades have passed, so this handbook reflects what we have learned since the original Path Workbook in 1995. There is also a DVD that updates much of our learning.
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John O’Brien A great question refuses to be answered. So it keeps leading us into deeper connections with each other and into deeper thinking. Judith’s engagement with the great questions she investigates in this collection was existential. From her earliest self-awareness untilgoing to bed late on the night she died she never knew herself apart from the need for […]
Read moreSteve Coulson, Thistle Coach and co-creator of the Thistle Approach to working with people. Steve’s 40 year career is testament to his passion for inclusion and citizenship, challenging social injustice and inequality and recognising the potential of all. He has worked with looked-after young people in residential settings, as well as disabled people and their […]
Read moreThe Political Rascals in Actionin Georgia Many of us have worked with Citizen Advocacy in Georgia – and Tom Kohler in particular. From that, a collection of people have become part of the Toronto Summer Institute extended family – attending workshops in Savannah and Toronto. One of their efforts was an extensive series of events […]
Read more2020 Carol Blessing As we enter the second quarter of 2020 we find ourselves in extended quarantine because of the coronavirus 2019 or COVID-19. At the moment, there is no end in sight. This virus does not discriminate. Everyone is vulnerable to the risk of illness and even death. As a result, we all must […]
Read more2020 Carol Blessing Learning Partner Guide The fact that people became heroes and sheroes can be accredited to their ability to identify and empathize with the “other”. These men and women could continue to live quite comfortably with their slow temperament but they chose not to. They made the decision to be conscious of the […]
Read moreFacilitator’s Guide: A Framework for Planning© Facilitator’s GuideVersion 1, July 2006 Carol Blessing LMSW & Connie Ferrell LCSW ERSON-CENTERED PRACTICE and PERSON-CENTERED PLANNING ‘Person-centered planning’ has become an increasingly familiar term in the field of human services. Providers of services are always looking for better ways for helping the people to whom they are being […]
Read moreDISSENT FROM CONSENSUSA Response to the NQF Person-Centered Planning & Practice 2020 Carol Blessing The National Quality Form (NQF) has been funded by the Federal Administration on Community Living (ACL) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide a consensus based definition of person-centered planning, outline a core set of competencies for facilitators, and […]
Read moreJudith Snow & Marsha Forest 1993 This article is in two parts and written from the perspective of twos women – one is in a wheelchair, one stands erect; one has to have full attendant care for all her physical needs, one can care for herself. Both are dependent on others for spiritual, intellectual and […]
Read moreJudith Snow We often think of human life as residing in individual bod ies. We think about each other as if I were a Thing and you were a Thing and we two Things interact now and then, all the while remaining separate entities. This is not a very powerful model for describing how our lives are […]
Read moreJudith Snow 1999 What are some of the most effective ways of assisting people who have lived most of their lives in places such as government institutions, nursing care facilities, and group homes to express their needs and desires to have a home that is their own? Jay Klein, Institute on Disability, University of New […]
Read moreNotes from a Gathering of People Concerned with Supported Living John O’Brien March 1995 Despite much talk about individualization, most people with developmental disabilities either live with their families or live in a place that belongs to someone else: a state service system, a nursing home operator, a residential service agency, or a family care […]
Read moreFocus on Vermont’s Self-Determination Project John O’Brien Sept. 2015..British Members of Parliament Briefing Assisting people to live with dignity and meaning is the ultimate purpose of social care. To serve this purpose, the experiences of Camphill and l’Arche can make important contributions to a critical question for policy and practice: how to assist and safeguard […]
Read moreSelf-Directed Support: Re-Framing Inter-agency Partnership Working John O’Brien & Simon Duffy 2007 While interagency partnership is often explored from the perspective of the health and social care system, we approach this issue from the perspective of the citizen. In particular, we focus on those citizens who have significant impairments and need significant levels of sup- […]
Read moreIndividualized Supports for Georgians With Severe Disabilities Prepared for The Georgia Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities Connie Lyle O’Brien July 1992 SummaryThis study examines Georgia’s long term support services from the point of view of the achievements and aspirations of eleven people with severe disabilities and their families and friends. Their situation underlines the need […]
Read moreWhat More Is Possible for Joaquin? John O’Brien & Beth Gallagher 2017 Partnership with Joaquin* and his family offers an opportunity to learn how to better support people with developmental disabilities to live in ways that they and the people who love them have good reasons to value, lives that express the human right to live […]
Read morePromoting Self Directed Support Reflections on in Control John O’Brien & David Towell 2008 We write as critical friends, invited by in Control’s leadership to facili- tate reflection on the learning emerging from their work and to contrib- ute some of our observations to this report. In Control’s commitment to discovering effective ways to support people eligible for social […]
Read moreReflections on in Control – 2: Lessons for national implementation John O’Brien & David Towell Nov 2007 Our appreciation of the lessons for policy and in imple- mentation from in Control’s work may differ from those who are more directly involved. Our knowledge of in Con- trol’s work is limited, and the mirror we have constructed here reflects our own experience […]
Read moreReflections on in Control John O’Brien & David Towell Aug. 2007 In Control as social acupuncture What has worked for people What is right What is likely to transform social care Learning from historyMultiple strategies What form of organization will facilitate deep change? A distinctive structureWeaving into other’s websStrong metaphors for organizing We write as critical […]
Read moreImpro ving the Effectiveness of Residential Service Workers in Washington’s Developmental Services SystemPrepared forThe Residential Services Committee, Developmental Disabilities Planning council John O’Brien, Connie Lyle O’Brien & Charles Galloway Jan. 1981 The State of Washington is implementing a complex set of policies in an effort to establish necessary residential services for people with developmental special […]
Read moreSupporting a Journey From Chaos to Contribution John O’Brien Sept. 2016 This documents the organization of assistance for a person with a developmental disability, known here as E. It was constructed in September 2016 by John O’Brien based on a group interview with some of the people most involved in supporting E’s journey from chaos […]
Read moreDeliberate–Fire: An Account of Organizational Transformation in Onondaga Community Living Syracuse, New York John O’Brien April. 1995 This report’s title, Deliberate–Fire, came up as the visitors talked about the challenges arising from OCL’s succeeding more rapidly than its leaders had planned. OCL has created effective individualized supports for people by carefully considering opportunities to realize […]
Read morePromoting Self Directed Support Reflections on in Control John O’Brien & David Towell 2008 We write as critical friends, invited by in Control’s leadership to facili- tate reflection on the learning emerging from their work and to contrib- ute some of our observations to this report. In Control’s commitment to discovering effective ways to support people eligible for social […]
Read moreSelf-Directed Support: Re-Framing Inter-agency Partnership Working John O’Brien & Simon Duffy 2007 While interagency partnership is often explored from the perspective of the health and social care system, we approach this issue from the perspective of the citizen. In particular, we focus on those citizenswho have significant impairments and need significant levels of sup- port […]
Read moreReflections on in Control – 2: Lessons for national implementation John O’Brien & David Towell Nov 2007 Our appreciation of the lessons for policy and in imple- mentation from in Control’s work may differ from those who are more directly involved. Our knowledge of in Con- trol’s work is limited, and the mirror we have constructed here reflects our own experience […]
Read moreReflections on in Control John O’Brien & David Towell Aug. 2007 In Control as social acupuncture What has worked for people What is right What is likely to transform social care Learning from historyMultiple strategies What form of organization will facilitate deep change? A distinctive structureWeaving into other’s websStrong metaphors for organizing We write as critical […]
Read moreA Paradigm day of conversation about ensuring good support with and for people with learning disabilities 2 March 2012 • St Matthew’s Conference Centre • London John O’Brien March 2012 I don’t care as much about how payments are arranged as I do about the person who comes into our life to offer support. I want a support […]
Read moreThe Search for Capacity Among People with Severe Handicaps John O’Brien & Beth Mount 1989 Some stories enhance life; others degrade it. So we must be careful about the stories we tell, about the ways we define ourselves and other people. –Burton Blatt Consider these two stories: Mr. Davis has a mental age of 3 […]
Read moreTell Me I want the kind with the people and the pictures John O’Brien Jun. 2016 After a difficult start –institutionalized from age three to twenty-three in a place where “they treated us like animals”– Mike has composed a good life, taking many valued roles: husband, father, worker, home owner, friend, organizer, advocate, mentor, teacher, […]
Read moreBasic Tasks for Service Providers John O’Brien 2010 Service providers who want to make a positive difference in the lives of the people they assist will commit themselves to continual improvement in their capacity to perform five basic tasks. These tasks are basic because each may be needed to assist a person to avoid slipping into social […]
Read moreA Response to the NQF Person-Centered Planning & Practice Interim Report Carol Blessing, Marcie Brost, Beth Gallagher, Kirk Hinkleman, Peter Leidy, Beth Mount & John O’Brien Nov. 2019 The National Quality Form (NQF) has been funded by the Federal Administration on Community Living (ACL) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide a consensus […]
Read moreThe Contribution of Person-centered Planning to Care Management John O’Brien Feb. 1999 Discussions arranged by the King’s College Community Care Development Centre (CCDC) with groups interested in person-centered planning in Suffolk, Oxfordshire, and Somerset An increasing number of people look to person-centered planning as interest in improving the practice of care management grows. Some wonder […]
Read moreA Turning Point in the Struggle to Replace Institutions John O’Brien May 1998 Published in 1969 Changing Patterns in Residential Services for the Mentally Retarded, which reflected important contributions by Jack Tizard, marked a turning point in North American attitudes toward institutional reform from a simple call for more staff and new buildings to a much […]
Read moreTHINKING ABOUT HOME AND FAMILY SUPPORT A Guide to the Literature with Selected Readings. John O’Brien & Connie Lyle O’Brien Feb 1983 Prepared for the Governor’s Council for the Handicapped and Gifted: Fairbanks, Alaska INTRODUCTIONThis is a companion to Planning Together, which is a handbook for people who want to plan improvements in home and […]
Read moreHolding Our Dreams: A Position Statement on Organizing Support for Family Groups in the Durham Region1 John O’Brien Oct. 1998 Current realities………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2 Significant changes ……………………………………………………………………………………. 5 Internal developments………………………………………………………………………………… 5 Shifts in the system …………………………………………………………………………………….. 6 The need for a third kind of organizing …………………………………………………………. 8 Role…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8 Functions ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 8 Resources……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9 Limits …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. […]
Read moreA Position Statement on Organizing Support for Family Groups in the Durham Region John O’Brien Oct. 1998 A position statement defines a proposal for concerned people to build on. It is not a plan to be implemented but a possibility for involved people to develop through their reactions. This position statement arises from the work […]
Read moreBuilding the Capacity for Family-Centered Practice in Michiganʼs Changing Mental Health System John O’Brien Oct. 2002 Moving from margin to center by becoming sticky 2A challenging environment 3Leverage points 5Options for Action 7Network of Actions to Strengthen Family-Centered Practice 8Communities Come Together Around Family-Centered Practice 9Family-Centered Practice Is Embedded in the Whole System 10A Clear […]
Read morePerson-Centred Planning As A Support To Transformation John O’Brien March 2008 Valuing People Now (VPN) challenges everyone to raise their expectations of what is possible for people with learning disabilities. As more and more people, families and organizations learn to act on its priorities, the number of people who are in control of the supports they […]
Read moreJohn O’Brien & Marsha Forest 1991 We want to begin a dialogue on the expectations about personal behavior that go along with a commitment to inclusion. Unattainable expectations confuse good people and fragment efforts for change into factions organized around hurt feelings. We who care about inclusion can reduce this drain on the energy necessary […]
Read moreWhat Can We Count On To Make and Keep People Safe? Perspectives on Creating Effective Safeguards for People with Developmental Disabilities John O’Brien, Connie Lyle O’Brien & David B. Schwartz 2004 The question—What can we count on to make and keep people safe?— frames an important perspective on the continuing work of building communities that […]
Read moreIN THE MAINSTREAM OF LIFE?People with Learning Disabilities and the National Policy Agenda John O’Brien & David Towell 2005 On the 9th February 2005, a group of people with both local and national leadership roles got together at the King’s Fund to look over the horizon to identify positive opportunities for people with learning disabilities in […]
Read moreReflections on The Innovation Celebration John O’Brien Sept. 2015 These are commonplace pictures: people at work, people in a community garden, people making art, people volunteering for something they care about, people at home. The Dane County difference is that collectively citizens of Dane County have much better chances than average Americans with developmental disabilities of […]
Read moreAdapting to Scarcity: Searching for a Sustainable Service System John O’Brien 1999 Scarcity troubles the future of services for people with developmental disabilities. Growing U.S. waiting lists for services signal insufficient funds to meet the identified service needs of more than 100,000 people for more than 200,000 different services, though data collection and reporting problems […]
Read moreReflections on the Final Session Changing the World, One Person At a Time John O’Brien 2008 There are two ways to think about the positive examples we have been offered. We can focus on the differences between the setting that produced the example and our setting. This way of thinking lets us identify ways that we will […]
Read moreJohn O’Brien 2014 – England When they need publicly commissioned assistance, people with learning disabilities have to enact their freedom under more constraints than other citizens do. Many laws and policies have not caught up with the ideas that people should be able to lead an ordinary life with the support they need and that […]
Read moreJohn O’Brien John O’Brien – Dec. 2019 This paper explores the interlocking trends in managing our system of assistance for people with developmental disabilities that worry me deeply. The extent to which I am troubled shows in the argumentative tone of the paper, which is written as a position to initiate debate. I am arguing […]
Read moreJohn O’Brien 2010 Service providers who want to make a positive difference in the lives of the people they assist will commit themselves to continual improvement in their capacity to perform five basic tasks. These tasks are basic because each may be needed to assist a person to avoid slipping into social exclusion, to make the journey […]
Read moreJohn O’Brien 1995 Andrew Power, Chair of People First in the Australian Capitol Territory, explained the behavior of service managers who speak of choice and integration at the same time that they expand group homes and day activity centers –professionally controlled, segregated services. He said (personal communication, August 1993), Things have changed, but the managers and […]
Read moreJohn O’Brien 2018 The Passing of Dane County Supports for People With Developmental Disabilities Into Managed Care Accounts of organizational change are more often written from the perspective of those initiating change than from the point of view of those who are the objects being changed by those with greater power. This paper reflects the perceptions […]
Read moreDiscovering Community LivingLearning from Innovations in Services to People with Mental Retardation John O’Brien 1987 The past twenty years have seen many changes in the location, focus and sponsorship of services to people with mental retardation. Large and increasing government expenditures have resulted in substantial growth in the number and variety of available services and […]
Read moreA Turning Point in the Struggle to Replace Institutions John O’Brien May 1998 Published in 1969 Changing Patterns in Residential Services for the Mentally Retarded, which reflected important contributions by Jack Tizard, marked a turning point in North American attitudes toward institutional reform from a simple call for more staff and new buildings to a much […]
Read moreJohn O’Brien Louisiana Supported Living Network – Sept. 2007 Our strength is not in the political influence that money can buy. Our strength is in knowledge & numbers. Our knowledge comes from our relationships with people that society still tends to see as power- less & unable to contribute. We know better because we have […]
Read moreJohn O’Brien Feb. 2002 “It’s How You Look At Your Work That Makes the Difference” One aspect of the search for ways to build competence, commitment to positive values, and continuity in the developmental disabilities services workforce involves building a deeper understanding of the ways direct service workers make their jobs meaningful and satisfying. This […]
Read moreJohn O’Brien Our strength is not in the political influence that money can buy. Our strength is in knowledge & numbers. Our knowledge comes from our relationships with people that society still tends to see as power- less & unable to contribute. We know better because we have care-filled, thoughtful connections with people through everyday […]
Read moreJohn O’Brien & David Towell Conversations about building sustainable & inclusive communities: An invitation Jan. 2010 An Invitation We live in challenging times. On the largest canvass, writing in early 2010, it is not at all clear that we have yet come to terms with the real implications of the global economic collapse or started […]
Read moreChanging a System to Realize a Dream John O’Brien, Ray Browning & Connie Lyle O’Brien John O’Brien – 1995 Ray is one of the pioneers in our home state of Georgia who have worked with their allies to change the way services are delivered. They prove beyond doubt that people with severe disabilities can […]
Read moreJohn O’Brien The development of a citizen advocacy programme for people with mental handicaps John O’Brien – London, 1984 ‘Beware thinking of systems so perfect that nobody will have to be good.’ – GandhiHow does one measure social progress? If the increasing investment of public resources, the development of new services and methods of assistance, […]
Read moreJohn O’Brien John O’Brien – Dec. 2019 This paper explores the interlocking trends in managing our system of assistance for people with developmental disabilities that worry me deeply. The extent to which I am troubled shows in the argumentative tone of the paper, which is written as a position to initiate debate. I am arguing […]
Read moreVideo of the Virtual TSI Zoom Call – Sept. 17 What People Said about TVSI – Our Launch on Sept. 17 – a sample… Seeing everyone. Being welcomed back in. Digging deeper. It was truly comforting in a time of deep uncertainty. I walked away with a renewed sense of purpose and peace. Thank you […]
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