Personal Futures Planning and Youth Engagement

Presentation for the Community of Practice for School Behavioral Health

May 15, 2012JoAnne M. Malloy, Ph.D.

Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire

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Student engagement has emerged as the bottom line in preventing dropout

• Dropping out is a process of disengagement

• Keys to engaging students early on– Enter school ready to learn/early intervention

• Contextual keys to engaging students– Providing effective instruction – evidence based, best practice– Creating cultural match/relevance – extend to include

strategies that are appropriate to student background and culture

(Alexander, Entwisle & Kabbani, 2001; Christenson, Sinclair, Lehr & Hurley, 2000; Cotton & Conklin, 2001; Cleary & Peacock, 1998; Finn, 1993; Payne, 2005)

Youth with EBD….

• Disengaged from school/family/community• Most likely disability group to be in a segregated academic

setting• Highest rates of disciplinary infractions• Perceived by teachers as having significantly lower levels of

social competence and school adjustment (Lane, Carter, Pierson, & Glaeser, 2006)

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What is needed..

Wagner & Davis (2006) recommend that programs for youth with EBD emphasize:

• Relationships• Rigor• Relevance• Address the needs of the whole child• Involve students and families in transition planning

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Rehabilitation, Empowerment, Natural Supports, Education and Work {RENEW}

• Developed in 1996 as the model for a 3-year RSA-funded employment model demonstration project for youth with “SED”

• Focus is on community-based, self-determined services and supports

• Promising results for youth who typically have very poor

post-school outcomes (Bullis & Cheney, 1999; Eber, Nelson & Miles, 1997; Cheney, Malloy & Hagner, 1998; Malloy, Sundar, Hagner, Pierias, & Viet, 2010)

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RENEW Conceptual Framework

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Education

Disability

Children’s Mental Health

Youth, Family, RENEW

Personal Futures Planning

• Personal Futures Planning, is an application of person-centered planning. It is not a one time event, but an ongoing process for:• ...learning about the whole person. This is separate

from defining "deficits" and "needed services."• ...helping people create positive visions for their

futures.• ...helping others organize around people to make

these visions come true.• ...arranging support in a way that is empowering to

people and likely to move them toward their goals

Futures Planning Goals

• Create a meaningful, personalized, individualized plan

• Identify supports at home, school, and in the community

• Assist the youth to build self determination skills

Person-Centered Planning Models

• Personal Futures Planning (Beth Mount)• MAPS [McGill Action Planning (Vandercook,

York & Forrest)]• Methods, Models and Tools, (Cotton, 2004)• Essential Lifestyle Planning (Michael Smull)• Group Action Planning, known as GAP

(Turnbull & Turnbull); and • PATH [Planning Alternative Tomorrows with

Hope (Pearpoint, O'Brien, & Forest)]

Orienting the Student to Personal Futures Planning

• We are going to start gathering information about who you are and where you came from.

• As we have our conversations, I’m going to capture what’s being said on flipchart paper with words & pictures. This process is called mapping.

• As I record what you are saying, please feel free to provide feedback on what I am writing so that I am capturing what you are saying in the correct way. – These are your maps, so you can request at any point

for things to be changed, reworded, or excluded.

• Youth/Client• Facilitator• Parent• Mentor (Friend, Neighbor, Favorite Teacher)• Guest as requested by student

– Guidance– Special Education Case Manager– FSS Worker– Case Manager

Futures Planning Team Roles

Ask questions

Draw maps

Make connections

Facilitator:

Student:Share their story

Make sure the maps are accurate

Parent and/or Mentor:

– Support the student by being a good listener and engaged

– Provide additional strengths and accomplishments and ask the student about resources

– Contribute where asked by the facilitator or student

Personal Futures Planning Orientation

Purpose:• Help participants understand their role• Teach new members how this process may be

different than other teams• Relay the principles of RENEW• Gain commitments• Development and/or sharing of ground rules

Ground Rules

Formed with the student ahead of timePurpose:• Frame the process so that people contribute in

their roles positively and productively (pre -teaching)

• Gives power to the facilitator and student to keep the process moving forward

• Keeps logistics in order (i.e.. starting/ending on time)

Purpose of Identifying Ground Rules up Front

• Flush out strategies for handling conflict later• List of explicit expectations that everyone in

the group agrees to follow• Help to set the tone of the group while also

helping to ensure that everyone is clear on the expectations• These are both important strategies for avoiding

conflict later

Expectations:

What is the youth hoping to get out of working with you?

What are his/ her parents hoping the

youth will get out of RENEW?

Student

Student

Mapping Elements

Futures Planning Maps uses flip chart paper & markers, a power point projected on a wall, or a Smart board and should include:

• Both words and graphics that represent the student and their story

• A focal point where everyone on the team can see the Maps being created

Graphic Facilitation

• Use of a flip chart & graphic recording techniques to document the planning process

• Engages all learners• Notes are recorded in real time during the

meeting, then digital photos can be taken and e-mailed out, so that all members have copies of the original meeting notes

• These notes can also be sent to the school, Area Agency, VR or other collaborators

Graphic Facilitation

SkillsFormGraphics

3 Simultaneous Skills

• Active Listening/ Capturing the speakers voice– Being a conduit for discussion– Flow of words to paper, and then reflect

• Synthesizing & Organizing information:– Use of templates & maps to keep the information

organized & efficient– Using colors to represent different approaches,

moods, and meanings• Drawing:

– Symbols & graphics to convey theme, meaning & keep interest

Pay Attention to Cues

• Verbal• Non Verbal

• Tips for helping engage youth:• Thanking them for coming/ participating/

acknowledging their hard work during a session• If youth misses a meeting, following up with a

phone call, “I missed you today, is everything okay?”

Personal Futures Planning & RENEW

RENEW: A planning and engagement process for youth at risk of failure in home, school, and community that is strengths-based, focused on self determination, and links the youth with resources to successfully complete high school and transition into adult life.

Renew Strategies1. Personal Futures Planning:

a) Career Focused Person Centered Planning2. Individualized Team Development and

Wraparound services3. Braided Funding (Individualized Resource

Development)4. Flexible Education Programming5. Individualized School Transition Planning6. Naturally Supported Employment7. Mentoring

8. Sustainable Community Connections

The RENEW MAPS• History• Who You Are Today• Strengths & Accomplishments• People• What Works and Doesn’t Work (Preferences)• Dreams• Fears, Concerns, Barriers• The Goals• Next Steps• Essential Next Steps and Follow Up (Action Plan)

History Map

Purpose: To learn about the events that have shaped the persons life, and important people who contributed to where they currently are

– The Facilitator’s Role is to help youth talk about significant life events as a way to discover themes and contributing factors that have influenced the perceived success or discomfort of opportunities, experience or relationships. When complete, Facilitator will help the youth identify themes relating to his/ her history

– Support student to lead the process– Decide on a segment of time that relates to the students purpose

for planning– Clarify boundaries for privacy– Discuss any concerns re: trauma, anxiety etc. before starting and

suggest follow up with counselor if necessary/ appropriate

Questions to help facilitate a History Map

• What have been some of the most important things that have happened to you? You can go back as far as you like (some people prefer to start with the present and work backwards).

• What was important about that? How did you feel about that?• What happened as a result?• Who was important in that situation? Who was there?• Could you describe this a little more to help me understand?• What are some of the toughest things that have happened to

you?• What are some of the favorite things you have done? Were

there any special times of the year or events you would look forward to?

Who I am today?

Purpose: Clarify what youth’s life is like now, how he/she describes him/herself and how s/he feels about it.

– Facilitator will use this map to begin to get to know the youth, build rapport, listen to how they see themselves in the world & check in on how things are going for them

Questions to help facilitate the Who I am? Map

• How would you describe yourself? How would your friends/ family describe you?

• How do you think of yourself within the context of the world? i.e. sister, Junior in High School, excellent video gamer?

• How are things for you today?– What about home? School? People/Friends?– How do you feel most of the time?– What makes you happy? Sad? Mad?– Are there things you wish were different?

Accomplishments Skills • Purpose: To have the youth identify things they are

proud of, have accomplished, strengths, & to start to teach them how to shift their thinking– Facilitator will help the student identify

skills/accomplishments & strengths based on the history map and things Identified in Who I am today Map.

– Many youth struggle with identifying strengths & tend to focus on the negative.

– This map will be used later in strategizing action plans.

Questions to help Facilitate

• Pull out something the youth identified from their History map and say “This was a really difficult time for you, what helped you through it?”

• What do you do when you have time for yourself?

• What are you most passionate about?• What do your friends say you are good at?• This is your time to brag!

People Map

• Purpose: Purpose: Capture critical information about which people are important to the youth, who can be relied on to help, and who is not helpful

– Map will be used to identify important people to include in the planning, strategizing action steps, & identifying potential resources later

Facilitating the People Map

• We are going to draw a map with a section for each type of person in your life. – Closest people: best friends, family, adults who you can

always count on no matter what– Good relationships: people you see day to day that you

like, spend time with– Professional relationships/Groups/Organizations: Jobs,

clubs, counsels, DCYF, Probation officer, Doctor, psychologist, boy/girl scouts, fire explorers.

Preferences Map

Purpose: to gather information about what works for the student/ doesn’t work in different contexts. There should be a preference map for each of the following context as they are relevant to the student.– Learning styles & preferences, relationships, home,

work, community groups, activities– Frame the map with Youth around gathering

information & strategies for success

Questions for Facilitating Preferences Map

• What is your learning style?• What strategies help you stay focused?• What gets in the way of learning? Distracts you?• What are your best subjects in school and why?• Which of your teachers/bosses/coaches do you like

best & what is it about them that you like?• What helps you connect with others? Makes you feel

heard, & understood?• What makes you feel safe? Relaxed? At ease?• How do you deal with stress? How would I know that

you are stressed?• What types of activities do you like to do?

Fears, Concerns, Barriers

Purpose: To identify obstacles that the youth perceives as preventing him or her from achieving their dreams. Used in action planning to bring out supports and opportunities to help the person succeed.

Questions for Facilitating Fears etc.

• What may get in the way of your dreams?• What has gotten in the way in the past?• What do you NOT want to happen?• What are you afraid of?• What are some of the things that we’ll need

to address to work toward your dreams?• What will allow you to sleep at night? How

about your parents?

Dreams

Purpose: Provides youth the opportunity to dream and be creative and to begin to set the direction for future planning. Goals and action items derive from this conversation.

Questions for Facilitating Dreams Map• “This is your chance to be creative and think about what

you want in your future. So when you are an adult, 3, 4, or 5 years from now, what is your life like?”

• Think of a perfect world without barriers, and you could have, be, do anything?

• What are some of the things you have accomplished?• What kinds of relationships do you have?• What are some of the things you have?• Where are you living?• What type of job do you have?• What do you do for fun/recreation?• Where are some of the places you have been?

Next Steps: Action planning and Team Development

Action Item Person Responsible

When Due

Speak with Case Manager about Credits Needed Student By Sept 10

Have a meeting with teachers discussing preferences maps & goal for school

Student & Case manager

By October

Meet with Case Manager, Counselor, and Teacher to make sure plan and IEP supports are working

Student, Case manager, Counselor, Teacher

November (Thanksgiving)

Goal: Graduate & Create a High School Plan

2/11/2011

Futures Planning and Engagement

RIGORRELEVANCERELATIONSHIPS

“I didn’t know what it was all about but I was hooked after the first meeting…..they helped me take a huge problem and divide it up into small pieces….after a

while, I was doing things that I thought I couldn’t do….” Kelsey, 2011

Helping the youth self advocate

• Meet with the youth before a group meeting to discuss what they hope to accomplish with the larger group (this becomes the agenda).

• What supports will he/ she need in order to do this?• What strategies will need to be implemented before or

during the meeting to manage stress, etc.?• Have the youth practice what he/ she will say, ask for,

etc. with you and role play different scenarios prior to the meeting

• Acknowledge how courageous he or she is to speak to/ present to a large group and celebrate his/ her success.

Next Steps/Asking for Help• Which goals are the most important to you, or most

relevant to where you are now?• How will we know if the goals are met?• What are the first things that need to get done to

help move you toward these goals?• Who should we invite to your group to help you with

these specific goals?• Who should we show your plans to?• When will we hope to get the first steps done?• What can we do before your first group meeting?

The First Large Group Meeting1. Introductions2. Ground rules3. Share the Future’s Plan (necessary parts)4. Frame the purpose of the meeting

a) State the goals the group will be working on5. Identify the roles of the attendants and how their role

is related to the goals6. Gain commitments to work toward the goals7. Record these commitments in the action plan8. If time allows, start creating action items around who

will do what, by when to help the youth work toward a goal

Subsequent Meetings1. Introductions and roles of new members2. Identify where ground rules are posted3. Orient group to current goals being worked on

a) Review previous action plansb) Inquire on status of each item from those responsiblec) Celebrate accomplishmentsd) Brainstorm around barriers, identify any needed supports, gain commitment

to address supports and log in action plan

4. Address remaining action items by assigning tasks to group members and youth, record in action plana) May include recruiting more participants and how to engage them.

5. Review action plan with everyone gain confirmation on commitments. Then record next meeting dates, times, places in action plana) Make copies of action plan for everyone

Thank You!

JoAnne Malloy, Ph.D.Clinical Assistant ProfessorInstitute on DisabilityUniversity of New Hampshirejoanne.malloy@unh.eduIod@unh.edu