This is the first article in a series on the My Plan to Flourish Mobile App where we’ll look at each aspect of this new model of person-centered planning based on the science of well-being.
What’s different about My Plan to Flourish is that it is designed specifically to be useful to the person who owns the plan. It is truly person-centered when the owner values and refers to it. The plan will also be in the person’s possession.
Even more exciting is that the My Plan to Flourish app allows the owner to use the plan through time as a living, changing guide to achieving personally important goals. If the person cannot read, the app will read each plan statement with the touch of a finger. Images can be added to each app panel to aid understanding or simply to remind the person of what’s most important to them.
The Content of the
Person-Centered Plan
My Plan to Flourish is a contemporary model of person-centered planning based on positive psychology, that incorporates six well-researched elements of human well-being:
Positive emotions
Engagement
Relationships
Meaning
Accomplishment
Health & vitality
In addition, it is also grounded on the 10 Principles of Person-Centered Planning.
We have also improved the plan’s focus by separating the person-centered plan from the person-centered record (i.e., assessments, legal information, health records, history, behavior plans, etc.). This enables the owner to have a truly person-centered plan that reflects their needs and wants and plans for the future that is unencumbered by regulatory or funding requirements.
The Structure of the Person-Centered Plan
My Plan to Flourish has two parts: the personal profile and personal goals. The personal profile consists of eight panels that present the person in a positive light, both to himself and to anyone with whom they wish to share any part of their plan. It also serves as a reminder of their life priorities.
The personal goals section reflects what the person would like to have happen in their life—the practical near-term, achievable goals that bring a sense of accomplishment when completed and are designed to increase the quality and enjoyment of day-to-day life. In addition, this section includes goals that will take a year or two to complete as well as longer-term dreams and wishes for the more distant future. The plan also identifies goals recommended by others—for example, health-related issues—that the person has reflected upon and decided to add to their goals for the coming year.
This article series will describe each part of My Plan to Flourish. We’ll explore each of the eight Personal Profile panels and the personal goals section through the series.
The Personal Profile
One of the ways a person might use the Personal Profile section of the app is to introduce themselves to others—friends (and people not yet friends), family members, even employers or pastors. It can also be helpful for those who work with the person, such as staff members and anyone in the person’s circle of support.
The Personal Profile panels:
- I Am Grateful
- What people like and admire about me
- My interests
- I am proud of
- What makes me uncomfortable
- My priorities
- Keys to coaching me
- Health & vitality
- My To-Do List/my goal tasks/my reminders
My Plan to Flourish, Personal Profile Part One:
In this article, we’ll talk about the first three panels in the Personal Profile: “I Am Grateful,” “What people like and admire about me,” and “My interests.”
When you introduce yourself to someone new and you want them to know more about you than just your name or what you do for a living, what might you find yourself saying? You likely start with what’s positive in your life: perhaps you mention what sorts of things interest you, what you enjoy doing, or what you appreciate.
We’ve found that those items are good conversation starters and good introductions for people of all types, including those who have intellectual disabilities.
Starting with gratitude
The first panel in My Plan to Flourish is “I Am Grateful.”
Gratitude as an action and as a feeling is one of the most researched items in the field of positive psychology. Expressing genuine feelings of gratitude has been proven to increase both psychological and physical health. What a positive way to invite someone to get to know you! Gratitude helps develop a positive mindset.
What People like and admire about me
As someone new in your life gets to know you, you hope they notice your strengths and your talents at least as much as—maybe a little more than—your weaknesses or the times when you, inevitably, fall short.
This panel also allows the person to consider and track the development of their strengths.
my interests
What motivates you to work at a hobby, craft or building project even when you’re tired after a long day or a week of work? A person’s interests are like little flames that make heat and light, and if tended to, can lead to the longer-lived fire of deep engagement. Knowing a person’s interests—the things that bring enjoyment in the doing—allows a friend or new aquaintance the privilege of seeing you at one with some small part of the world that makes a difference to you.
In upcoming issues of the High Tide Press newsletter, we’ll continue with our exploration of each part of My Plan to Flourish.
