1. Kelly Casey KC Professional Solutions
"Building Community” – Reducing Social Isolation and Enhancing Engagement
Good afternoon- my name is Kelly Casey.
I am going to share an approach that I have been using, over the last 7 years with individuals and their families, as well as with individuals and agencies that supports Community Building.
Kelly Casey
KC Professional Solutions

2. An Ontario Trillium Foundation grant provided the funding to The York ASD Partnership to engage Kelly Casey to develop, present at the Community Planning Day and consent to posting the following materials on our website.

3. Community Building: Let’s get started:
How do we build community?
Person Directed Planning
Networks of Support and Friendship
Getting Started
Some Stories
Jane
Joe
Some Resources
How many of you heard of Person Directed Planning and Facilitation? Awesome. And how many of you have been involved in the development of a person directed plan? So practiced planning?
**I am going to pass around a book written by two facilitators. These facilitators train individuals in the corporate world (Google, Microsoft, Pepsi). They teach them how to identify their strenghts and interests, their potential roles in the company, develop visions, etc.
**I am going to ask each table to take one page from the pad that I am passing around and one marker.
Before we start practicing, I want to start by providing you some knowledge.
I want to start by providing you some information regarding person directed planning and Networks for support and friendship.
Then I want to give you some of the easy steps that you can follow to begin using the person directed planning approach. These are really going to be simple, high level steps- but they will provide you a few quick tricks to get going right away and think a little differently when planning for transitions to adult life.
I want to move into some story telling tin order to illustrate how it works. Person directed planning can be quite theoretical, so the stories will provide you with a much clearer illustration and provide you with practical examples of person directed planning and networks of support and friendship.
Finally, I want to give you some resources- some of my favorite websites, to support you, should you be interested in learning more about planning.

4. What is Person Directed Planning?
Intentional Process
Involves both Formal and Informal community support with the overall goal of increasing reliance on informal supports
Maximizes resources that are available within the community
Intentional process: Third party facilitator planner works with the individuals to identify their Vision and then helps them build their Networks of Support and Friendship
Formal and Informal: Formal are paid supports, informal are involved because they have a relationship with them.
Maximizing Resources: Facilitator is knowledgeable about resources but creative as well- they are usually great collaborators and partners with agencies, community, etc.

5. What is Person Directed Planning (cont.’)
Believes in the concept of “full citizenship”
Believes community and being a full citizen provides safety and a better quality of life
Results in the completion and implementation of the person driven “Vision” with detailed goals and tasks necessary to achieve this vision
Quality of life: Belong, Valued, and have meaningful relationships.
Safety: Bowling mom story.

6. Principles of Person Directed Planning
Person Directed: Strength based and relies on individual’s interests and Vision for direction
Organic, Flexible and dynamic: Supports on-going goal revision based on changing Vision
Respects Individual Rights and Responsibility : Choice and decision making is essential

7. Principles of Person Directed Planning (cont.’)
Embraces Cultural Diversity: Honours dignity and embraces all aspects of diversity
Fosters relationships: Meaningful and lasting with family, friends and community members, values the network and continually works on strengthening the network.
Values Inclusion: Facilitates community relationships and explores creative community based options.
Foster relationships

8. Networks of Support and Friendship
What is it?
Purpose:
Friendships
Supportive decision making
Potentially to flow government funding
How do you build the Network:
Common interests
Third Places
Ongoing gatherings
Networks of Support of Friendship is a group of individuals or informal supports: could be parents, siblings, neighbours

9. Getting Started What is their Vision?
What are their current likes (Interest), abilities (Strengths) and Third Places?
Based on the above, what are some potential interest, abilities and third places to explore?
Vision is a description (dream like statement) of where you expect to go and what you hope to achieve.

10. Jane Likes/Meaningful: Strengths: Kids and Seniors Animals (cats) Boys
Being a “Helper”
Board games
Strengths:
Great hostess
Sign language
Technology
Able to communicate choices
- Sign language for early years in Aurora (toddler program)
Hosts a Friday Night gathering in her home
Looking into Bingo with Seniors
Just met a boyfriend and connector helps with date planning

11. Joe Meaningful/Likes: Strengths: Foodie Coffee
Records (collects and trades)
Headphones (collects)
Vintage shops (Queen Street) & Value Village
Strengths:
Independent in community, once familiar
Routine oriented
Knowledge of music
Social Media
Photography
Vision was to move into his own place
Preparing to move Ales out to REENA over the last year: Cooking classes with a former chef and foodie, weekends without family and a one week without family (using check in only daily for one hour), added Alex to the subsidized housing list, Introduced Alex to like minded people/potential friends
Move in steps:
Explore the Rutherford market (Rutherford and Bathurst)- there is an Aroma, french bakery/ coffee shop and other food places. Also a great Longo’s to do groceries- 
Explore the closest Value Village- the one in Richmond HIll is closest (Value Village, Yonge St, Richmond Hill, ON L4C 3C8). There is a Covernotes coffee place walking distance (10268 Yonge Street)
Google and explore thrift shops and record stores in the area
Google and explore the best coffee spots in the area- the RCR coffee is not too bad….(that is the recreation complex next door)
Check out and trial the bus route to the parents new home (Dufferin and King)- I think it is bus 88 all the way
Trial going downtown in the bus to Finch station- again 88 to finch subway. This is to provide some context regarding distance to Queen Street or other areas of interest.
Potential Role : DJ

12. Where can I learn more? OIFN training and information www.oifn.ca
Dimensions UK
Heather Sanderson and Associates

13. Be a “Connector” not a Protector
Questions?
Be a “Connector” not a Protector