Represent a Diverse Community?
Become a Person-Centered Plan Facilitator!
Increasing Diversity and Inclusion Among Person-Centered Plan Facilitators: A Development Opportunity
The Minnesota Department of Human Services is committed to having person-centered practices and services available to everyone who receives disability, mental health, and aging services and supports. Through a partnership between DHS and STAR Services, FREE TRAINING is available to develop diversity among person-centered plan facilitators that represent diversity among Minnesotans, specifically with regards to culture, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity. The goal is to make available Person-Centered Plan facilitation that is responsive to diverse cultural beliefs and practices, preferred languages, health literacy, and other preferred modes of communication.
Selected applicants will receive four months of training and mentoring on important person-centered planning methods and skills. They include MAPS, PATH, Liberty Plans, Solutions Circles, building community capacity using Learning Journey, Person-Centered Thinking discovery, and more. The training and mentoring sessions will all be delivered virtually, helping to make this class accessible to new facilitators participating across Minnesota.
The course starts with a six session extensive facilitation foundation and will continue to build momentum with individual and group mentoring sessions. Plan facilitation can be a bit intimidating in the beginning, and this series allows you to learn and practice, while receiving expert guidance from experienced facilitators.

After completing this development program, participants are expected to enroll to provide person-centered planning as a service through waiver and Moving Home Minnesota funding.
To learn more about this opportunity and application process, please register to attend one of the following informational sessions:
Thursday, June 23, 2022 @ 10:00 am
Wednesday, June 29, 2022 @ 2:00 pm
Interested in becoming a Person-Centered Plan Facilitator but don’t qualify for this opportunity, registration is open for Foundations of Person-Centered Planning.
Training Dates:
Monday, August 8th
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Tuesday, August 9th
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Wednesday, August 10th
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Monday, August 15th
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Tuesday, August 16th
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Wednesday, August 17th
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Group Mentoring Sessions:
Monday, September 19th
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Monday, October 3rd
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Monday, October 17th
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Monday, October 31st
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Monday, November 14th
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Monday, November 28th
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Additional Individual Mentoring scheduled between the student and the instructor:
- 2 hours Discovery
- 1 hour Pre-Meeting
- 2 hours Attending Planning Meeting
- 2 hours Review and Recommendations of Plan Write-Up
You must commit to all sessions. Training and mentoring sessions will be conducted virtually.
Trainer/Mentor

Betsy Gadbois
Betsy has worked in the field of
developmental disabilities since 1980 and executing person-centered planning since the early 1990s. She is a certified trainer and mentor for Person-Centered Thinking and Person-Centered Planning and one of five Person-Centered Thinking and Planning mentors in Minnesota. She has trained people all over the country including families, educators, county case managers, providers, and people receiving services. Betsy is passionate about people having positive control over a life they desire.
Person-Centered Thinking (PCT) is a prerequisite for this training. STAR is offering PCT free of charge July 20-21, 2022. Space is reserved for applicants of this development opportunity.
Applications are due by July 15, 2022
Principles for Person-Centered Planning Facilitators
- Person-Centered Planning facilitators are able to describe the history that drives Person-Centered Practices and Planning including the following elements:
- History of replacing long term care options with less isolating community settings (deinstitutionalization)
- Commitment to equity and culturally inclusive and affirming approach
- Commitment to people having valued social roles
- Community participation and social inclusion
- Supported and competitive employment
- Concepts of most integrated environment including school, work, and living situation
- Self-determination
- Person-Centered Planning facilitators are able to identify and apply the common shared values that make person centered practices distinct from system centered approaches, including:
- Promoting dignity, respect, and trust for each person and or family
- Ensuring each person can contribute to the community and has the ability to choose supports and services that help them contribute in a meaningful way
- Understanding and demonstrating how to address health and safety concerns inside of what is important to the person
- Using a “power with” as opposed to a “power over” approach to support people to pursue what is important to them
- Ensuring that the person and their Person-Centered Planning team experience a “supportive” environment throughout the planning process rather than one of “fixing”
- Honoring each person’s preferences and choices with regard to their unique identity, culture, language, race, religion, sexual orientation and/or gender identity, including planning supports and services accordingly
- Promoting and establishing a shared vision between the person and their Person-Centered Planning team
- Promoting and demonstrating that with information, experience and assistance a person can “choose off the menu” to select supports and services that work for him or her
- Honoring the person’s ability to express preferences and choices
- Affirming a person’s civil and legal rights
Person-Centered Planning facilitators:
- Describe and demonstrate strategies for working collaboratively with other professionals, people who use supports and services, and their families and friends
- Demonstrate respect for and build on the values, beliefs, culture and preferences identified by the person and his or her circle of support
- Use strategies and processes to demonstrate respect to all team members and to diverse opinions
- Create respectful partnerships and consensus within the team
Person-Centered Planning facilitators:
- Engage in ongoing and rigorous personal skill development by consulting current publications, and attending workshops, conferences, and/or presentations
- Stay current with emerging research, trends, and models of Person-Centered Planning.
- Seek out collaboration, support, or assistance when needed
- Participate in local and/or national communities of practice related to Person-Centered Practices
- Planning process:
- The process is individualized and builds on the appreciation for who the person is, including understanding his or her short term or long term dreams and visions
- The process empowers the voice of the person. The person drives the planning process and formulation of the plan
- The person’s preferences and choices in regard to their unique identity, culture, language, race, religion, sexual orientation and/or gender identity are recognized and honored throughout the planning process
- The person chooses the people on the Person-Centered Planning team with emphasis on the involvement of family members, friends, and other natural supports. The facilitator supports the person in coordinating their meeting(s)
- The purpose of the planning process is clearly stated in the plan and members of the person’s team know and understand the purpose of the planning process
- The process and plan develops a vision of a lifestyle based on the person’s preferences, strengths, abilities, and talents rather than his or her deficits or limitations
- The plan addresses building or maintaining relationships, community connections, community living, and community participation, based on the person’s preferences, including building on natural supports
- The person has opportunities to broaden his or her ability to make informed choices based on information and experiences that are unrestricted by current resources or services
- The process and plan reflects the person’s ability to make choices about his or her daily routines, lifestyle and activities
- The process addresses possible barriers to achieving the person’s preferred lifestyle in a respectful manner
- Plans include clear outcomes and goals based on the person’s preferences and desired lifestyle, with timelines and people identified who are responsible for each goal. There is an on-going plan to evaluate each of the outcomes and goals, based on the timelines and action steps identified by the team
- The discovery and learning process is ongoing throughout a person’s life. Plans are revised with the person and the person’s team to address growth and changes in a person’s life
- Written plans reflect what occurred during the planning process
- Written plans are free from technical jargon and are written or otherwise made available in a way that is understood by and useful to the person and those responsible for implementing the plan
- The written plan is a “living document.” The person and their team review the plan and determine if any change in the person’s life results in changes to the plan
- Written plans created by the person and their Person-Centered Planning team are reviewed and approved by the person
- Implementation of the plan:
- The plan drives the services and supports delivered
- Plans are implemented as developed with integrity and fidelity
- Team members follow through with completing action steps and each action is documented The plan then drives the services and supports delivered
- Team meetings occur periodically to share information, work on the plan, evaluate what’s working and what’s not working, make changes to the plan as needed, and reflect on successes and setbacks
The preceding were excerpted from Principles of Practice for Person-Centered Practices developed by Positive Supports Minnesota, a statewide planning group.