Our team, while providing support around the Oregon ISP, often hears this question: What does it mean for an ISP to reflect Independence, Integration, and Productivity? These values are important in each of our lives and show up in many ways. But how do these values look when planning with someone within the Oregon ISP process?
There is no one answer. When we are invited to plan with someone around what a “good life” means to them, we must consider how the values of independence, integration and productivity can look different for each person. You’ll find these values listed in the ‘acknowledgments’ section of the Oregon Individual Support Plan (ISP).
ISP team – does this ISP reflect…
Independence: Having control and choice over one’s own life.
Integration: Living near and using the same community resources and participating in the same activities as, and together with, people without disabilities.
Productivity: Engaging in contributions to a household or community; or engaging in income-producing work that is measured through improvements in income level, employment status, or job advancement.
While we can all agree that these values are not only required but key to living a good life, how do we know if they are reflected in plans? The answer to that is much different than simply “checking the box”.
Values Embedded in the Planning Process
Independence, integration, and productivity are values embedded throughout the planning process. These values are intended to be part of a shift away from a plan that only reflects support needs and services. Instead, planning is about supporting someone to live the life that is meaningful to them. This is a very personal thing. After all, each of us have our own vision for a good life and what this means to us.
Consider your own life for a moment. What does “productivity” mean to you? What does it look like in your life, community, and culture? How is this different from others that are close to you? For example, “productivity” in a parent’s life will looks different that “productivity” in the lives of their children, their own parents, or even their partner. It can also look different depending on what is happening in that moment, that day, or that time of year. Productivity, as a life value, is something that is deeply personal, constantly evolving, and cannot be reduced to someone else’s checklist.
Ultimately, what’s guiding planning is the person: who they are, what is ‘important to’ them, and what their personal vision for a good life is. In the case of children, this also includes who the family is, what is ‘important to’ the family, and what the family’s vision for a good life is. When this happens, independence, integration, and productivity follow.
Common Misconception- Values, not Check-Boxes!
A common misconception about independence, integration, and productivity is that there is some part of a person’s ISP that must be specifically written to ‘show’ each of these values. This is not the case. The guiding force of the planning process is the person (or the family, in the case of children). If we support someone to pursue their ‘good life’, then these values will follow naturally. When this happens, we can confidently answer “yes” to the three questions about what the plan as a whole reflects.
There is no one section of the plan that must capture these values. These values will show up in many different places, if the person’s vision of a good life is truly leading the planning process. Consider these examples:
- Gavin’s autonomy is reflected in their Desired Outcome to get a new tattoo. This reflects independence.
- Malik, with support from his PSW (described in the Provider Service Agreement), creates pottery alongside other artists at his community college. This reflects integration.
- Maria contributes her time as an usher at her church, as described in her Person-Centered Information. This reflects productivity.
When we write documents aiming to specifically demonstrate these values, it can shift the focus away from what is truly the person’s vision of their good life. In some cases, it may even lead to imposed or outside perspective of what “independence, integration, and productivity” should look like in someone’s life. Consider the examples below:
The first sample shows a desired outcome that may have been written to specifically demonstrate that Jackson’s ISP reflects independence. However, unless Jackson is interested in learning to do own laundry and this is part of his vision for a good life, we have missed the mark. Additionally, this outcome may reflect the values of others on the team, and what they believe ‘independence’ should look like in Jackson’s life. It may ignore Jackson’s perspective on what independence means to him.
The second example shows a desired outcome that has been written in response to Jackson’s ‘good life’ and something he is really hoping to do in the next year. Although this outcome was not written with independence in mind, there is a lot of things here that relate to independence- planning a trip, saving and budgeting money, taking that trip. In fact, Jackson might even be learning to do laundry so that he can pack fresh, clean clothes or wash his clothes while on vacation!
Yeah, but what about…?
If you are reading this article and wondering how it might apply to your work and the people you support, please reach out to our team! We understand this can be a complex topic and our team is happy to offer support.