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Person-Centered Thinking

Person-Centered Thinking goes beyond a mindset. It's a skill set.

Person-Centered Practices begin with a change in how we think. For people to gain or regain positive control over their lives, those supporting them need a person-centered approach, and that starts with mindset. 

 Person-Centered Thinking is the mindset that turns Person-Centered Practices into everyday support. 

 

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About the Curriculum

The Learning Community for Person Centered Practices (TLCPCP) is a collaborative of agencies, companies, states, and individuals who have come together to ensure best practices in Person-Centered Practices, as well as to provide resources, such as curriculum, education, conferences, group discussions, and celebration.

IntellectAbility has partnered with TLCPCP to provide tools and training that empower, educate, and inform those responsible for protecting, maintaining, and restoring health, wholeness, and good quality of life.


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Person-Centered Thinking Training

Virtual Person-Centered Thinking Training

Gain the core Person-Centered Thinking skills you need to put person-centered practices into action. 

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Person-Centered Thinking Training

Become a Person-Centered Coach

Prepare to be a Person-Centered Coach who builds others' skills and champions person-centered practices at every level of the organization.

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Person-Centered Thinking Training

Become a Credentialed Person-Centered Thinking Trainer

Become a credentialed PCT Trainer and deliver Person-Centered Thinking training with confidence and expertise. 

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Person-Centered Thinking Training

Electronic Person-Centered Description

Easily create continuity of support with this web-based record of essential information about the person.

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Supporting People with IDD

Person-Centered Thinking Training: Reimagined.

PCT Training is now available as an eLearn Course!

This revolutionary training takes the comprehensive TLCPCP curriculum and makes it available in a fully self-paced format. No more scheduling conflicts or travel time. Easily scalable across your entire organization. And NADSP-accredited.

One course. The full PCT experience. On your schedule.

 

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Real Results from Person-Centered Thinking Training

“I just wanted to let you know that yesterday I did an activity with a person I support where I asked her the “7 questions you should be able to answer for each person you support.” And the feedback I received from her was powerful.

I’ve been working with her for about 4 months now, and that was the most she’s opened up. She even shared a situation from the past which gave her a lot of relief. So I just wanted to say thank you for the awesome training, and I am looking forward to using different PCT strategies!

Hope this story proves useful in broadcasting your training and its ability to be effective.”

– E.R., PCT Training Student

Person-Centered Thinking
  • WHAT ARE PERSON-CENTERED PRACTICES?
  • KEY POINTS TO IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE
  • WHAT ARE PERSON-CENTERED PRACTICES?

    Person-Centered Practices represent the ideal methodology of delivering services and supports that respect the person’s autonomy and promote a life of their own choosing in their own community

    Whether it is because of a disability from birth, an accident, or just the aging process, at some point, we may all need support from others. However, this can lead to a loss of positive control or autonomy in our lives.  Person-Centered Practices help ensure the person remains the focus of these supports.

    We all want to retain our autonomy.  We want a life of our choosing, lived out in a place of our choosing, surrounded by people of our choosing.

    Person-Centered Practices are rooted in Person-Centered Thinking (PCT), which helps others gain and maintain a positive and accurate response to the person. It promotes the all-important balance of what is Important TO and FOR the person.

  • KEY POINTS TO IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE

    Improving Quality of Life

    Balancing personal choice with personal responsibility by establishing and maintaining things that are important to the person, with things that are important for the person

    Being integrated into one’s community so that the person is known and respected for her or his contributions

    Being respectfully communicated with as a person, using language consistent with being a typical adult, as opposed to using clinical or system language

    Receiving support that is consistent so that new staff and others know and respect the person’s values and choices, as well as how others can help the person

    Being matched with staff, housemates, or others so that life is more enjoyable

Meet Our Person-Centered Services Staff

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PCS MANAGER

Elizabeth Hunter

Elizabeth brings over 22 years of experience in human services, including more than 14 years dedicated to the field of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Her career spans work with diverse and at-risk populations, including individuals experiencing homelessness and those impacted by human trafficking. She has extensive provider-level experience leading the transformation of services from center-based to community-based models and from sheltered workshops to competitive, integrated employment. Elizabeth has led key initiatives to expand transitional and post-secondary Employment First opportunities for students through customized, person-centered strategies. She currently serves on the board of The Georgia Learning Community and is a certified Person-Centered Thinking Trainer through The Learning Community for Person-Centered Practices. Elizabeth joined IntellectAbility in September 2024 and currently serves as Person-Centered Services Manager.

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PCS MENTOR

David Toback

David has nearly 20 years of experience working in the field of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. He has worked at both the provider and state levels as a training and project manager for the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD). David has experience in transition initiatives for those moving from institutional to community settings and has also worked as a Supports Intensity Scale (SIS) interviewer for many years. He is a commissioned Mentor Trainer in Person-Centered Practices by The Learning Community for Person-Centered Practices. He is also a Charting the Life Course Ambassador through Charting the Life Course Nexus and a PATH & MAPS facilitator.

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PCT TRAINER

Johnathon Crumley

Johnathon has over 20 years of experience working in the field of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. For many years, he was the Vice President of Operations for a large Support Coordination agency in Georgia. Concurrently, he worked as a Supports Intensity Scale (SIS) senior trainer with AAIDD, working in both the US and Canada. He is a certified Person-Centered Thinking Trainer by The Learning Community for Person-Centered Practices. He has been with IntellectAbility since 2013 and is currently its Chief Operations Officer.

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PCT TRAINER

Debra Davis

Deb has over 20 years as a Registered Nurse working with vulnerable populations, including those with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Mental Illness, and Aging. She is a Certified Developmental Disabilities Nurse and a Registered Nurse Trainer for the state of Illinois. She has been a member of DDNA for 14 years and served as the president of Central IL DDNA for 10 years.

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PCT TRAINER

Rick Strickland

Rick Strickland has close to 50 years of experience working with individuals with disabilities. From 1985 to 2016, he assumed a leadership role at a “cutting edge” agency providing Person-Centered supports. The organization moved from a traditional segregated facility-based program to a fully integrated, community-based, person-centered organization. Rick has presented at numerous state and national conferences and, in 1995, founded Creative Resources, a consultation and training organization that has provided training and consultation to over 75 organizations, including the Council on Quality and Leadership, University of Georgia, Georgia Department of Adult Education, Qlarant, IntellectAbility, and Support Development Associates. His insights come from 50 years of firsthand experience spanning an array of settings, including national consultation organizations, large state-operated programs, and small community-based non-profit organizations. His humor and down-to-earth style will entertain, educate, and delight you.

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PCT TRAINER

Adriane Mota

Adriane has worked in the service industry since 2007. Starting as a one-on-one personal assistant, she transitioned to working in a day program as an Instructor, Supervisor, and Program Director. As a Program Director, Adriane led teams at five program sites, serving over 200 people and collaborating with the five Regional Centers across Los Angeles County in California. In 2022, Adriane became a certified Person-Centered Thinking Trainer with The Learning Community for Person-Centered Practices (TLCPCP). Adriane joined IntellectAbility in 2024 as a Person-Centered Thinking Trainer and is currently a Person-Centered Coach Trainer candidate.

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PCS SUPPORT REP

Stephanie Saylor

Stephanie Saylor brings over 10 years of experience working with technology and people, primarily in retail environments, where she honed her skills in management and team development. Known for her focus on skill building, Stephanie has a proven track record of fostering strong team dynamics and enhancing operational efficiency. In September 2024, she joined IntellectAbility as a Person-Centered Support Representative, where she helps assist with Person-Centered Thinking training. Stephanie is passionate about empowering individuals and teams to achieve their full potential.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the Person-Centered Thinking training take?

Person-Centered Thinking training is an 18-hour training delivered live via Zoom. It is an interactive training held in a virtual classroom environment. Typically, this training is delivered over three consecutive six-hour days, but it is also available for custom scheduling for groups of 15 or more.

Do attendees have to participate in the training for the entire 18 hours?

Yes. IntellectAbility is bound by The Learning Community for Person-Centered Practices (TLCPCP) to ensure that students meet the minimum requirements to receive a certificate for completing this virtual training. Participation for the entire 18-hours is one of these requirements.

Can a recording of the virtual Person-Centered Thinking training be sent to me to watch?

No. Our virtual, instructor-led Person-Centered Thinking training is an interactive experience that requires learners to engage in small-group activities and other interactions with the trainer. If you are interested in a self-paced option, check out our eLearn courses, which are available for agency-wide licensing or individual use.

Is this training consistent with CMS Person-Centered standards?

Yes. The Person-Centered Thinking curriculum used by IntellectAbility trainers is that of The Learning Community for Person-Centered Practices (TLCPCP) and is consistent with CMS Person-Centered standards.

How is Person-Centered Thinking Training different than Person-Centered Planning or Coaching?

Person-Centered Thinking training is an essential prerequisite to successful planning or facilitation. Without the right mindset, skill set, and perspective, writing and implementing person-centered plans and practices will be largely ineffective, no matter the planning product or method used.

What training material does IntellectAbility offer along with the live, virtual Person-Centered Thinking training?

IntellectAbility provides all materials the learner needs to engage in the live, virtual Person-Centered Thinking training. Since this is virtual training, pre-training preparation is required and is coordinated by an IntellectAbility representative. This ensures all participants join with the necessary hardware, software, and documents, as well as an understanding of training expectations.

Does IntellectAbility offer ongoing support after training?

Yes. We provide ongoing support to all who have completed any person-centered service offered by IntellectAbility. We provide a help line that users can access if they have questions about the training they have received or the proper use of the training content.

Does IntellectAbility provide a certified record of completion?

Yes. IntellectAbility provides a certificate of completion for anyone successfully completing virtual Person-Centered Thinking training.

Does IntellectAbility’s Person-Centered Thinking training support other person-centered thinking planning resources?

Yes. The Person-Centered Thinking training effectively supports all kinds of person-centered planning approaches and methods, such as Facilitation Planning, Maps, Profiles, Charting the Life-Course, and others.

Does IntellectAbility credential Person-Centered Thinking Trainers?

Yes. IntellectAbility’s Person-Centered Services Mentors work with qualified trainer candidates to develop Person-Centered Thinking Trainers who meet the prerequisites and high standards of The Learning Community for Person-Centered Practices (TLCPCP). This training consists of both virtual class time and on-site training observation by an IntellectAbility Mentor.

What are Person-Centered Thinking Coaches?

Person-Centered Coaches are specifically trained in the application, proper use, and implementation of the person-centered skills learned in Person-Centered Thinking training. Coaches receive additional training to provide front-line support to those within their agency. They can not only offer troubleshooting assistance but also help the agency maintain momentum in person-centered efforts and help change the culture of the agency or entity.

IntellectAbility highly recommends using Coaches to maximize all person-centered initiatives and endeavors.

Who is a good candidate to be a Person-Centered Coach?

Those seeking to become a Coach should have:

  • A strong commitment to person-centered approaches
  • A solid willingness to work with others to ensure the proper application of person-centered approaches
  • A strong desire to provide ongoing support to others in the application, proper use, and implementation of person-centered approaches
  • A firm belief that EVERYONE should be supported in a way that is significant and meaningful to that person

IntellectAbility can assist the client in selecting Person-Centered Coaches.

How long does it take to become a Person-Centered Coach?

Person-Centered Coach Training takes 6 months. Coach Trainees meet one Friday a month for six months and complete homework between meetings.

How long does it take to become a Person-Centered Thinking Trainer?

Becoming a Person-Centered Thinking Trainer takes between 6 and 8 months. Trainer-candidates meet with a Mentor on Mondays for 14 weeks to prepare,  completing homework between meetings. They then schedule two rounds of live, on-site demonstration training sessions to be delivered under the supervision of a Mentor. The time between preparation and demonstration is used for review and rehearsal.

Why are Person-Centered Thinking Trainers credentialed in pairs?

The Person-Centered Thinking Trainer credentialing curriculum is extensive and requires a co-trainer to deliver the demonstration training. Trainers should continue to train in pairs even after credentialing until they have been approved by a Mentor to deliver the training alone.