By Jennifer Buss | The Arc Oregon
Understanding Shared Best Practices: The SC/PA and ONA Assessor
In our past two articles, we talked about the Oregon Needs Assessment (ONA) and the Individual Support Plan (ISP), along with the roles of the ONA Assessor and Services Coordinator and Personal Agent (SC/PA). You can find both articles at the Oregon ISP website:
- Part 1- ONA & ISP: Working Together to Support a Person’s Good Life
- Part 2- The SC/PA and ONA Assessor: Understanding Roles
This month, we will focus on best practices shared by SC/PAs and ONA Assessors. These best practices might show up in different ways depending on a person’s role. We will discuss three best practices and give examples of what these might look like in each role
Service Coordinators and Personal Agents
ONA Assessors
Best Practice: The Person is at the Center
No matter what support a person needs, it is their life. It is their plan. It is their assessment. ONA Assessors and SC/PAs do their job in a way that keeps the person and their perspectives at the center of everything. They make sure that conversations are not just happening around or about the person. Instead, the person is as involved as possible in a way that works for them.
ONA Assessor Example: Lucas is interviewing Mariya and others to complete her ONA. Several people were present with Mariya’s permission, including the residential program manager and lead Direct Support Professional (DSP). Lucas notices that each time he asks a question, one of the support providers respond with an answer.
After the home manager gives an answer about how Mariya is supported to get dressed, Lucas turns to Mariya. “It sounds like you call the shots about what you want to wear”.
Mariya smiles. “I know what I like and don’t like. I always pick out what to wear.”
Lucas responds. “That’s great! I understand that you also check the weather in the morning. I usually forget to do that and need to go back in and grab an extra layer. Maybe I need to start checking the weather!”
Mariya nods. “I ask Alexa what the weather is. I like to be prepared.”
Lucas continues to turn the conversation back to Mariya each time one of her providers shares information. After several questions, Mariya begins to speak first before others contribute information.
SC/PA Example: Tanya is Sam’s Personal Agent. She gives Sam a call to talk about how they want to plan this year.
“Last year we met at my office.” Tanya reminds Sam. “We can meet here again, or we can meet anywhere you feel the most comfortable. Sometimes I plan with people in their own home, other times I’ve met them at a restaurant or coffee shop. I’ve met people at the park. One time I even planned with someone in the parking lot at their work!”
Sam is quiet for several moments, thinking. Finally, they share “I like the park idea. There’s a park nearby with lots of dogs.”
Tanya also finds out who Sam wants at their planning meeting. They prefer just Tanya to be there, but Sam lets Tanya know it is okay for her to follow up with other people in their life, such as their parents and Personal Support Worker (PSW).
Best Practice: Communication that Works for the Person
People have the right to understand and be a part of every part of planning. This includes needs assessments, making choices, and the plan itself. When supporters communicate information in a way that works for the person, they are supporting a person’s rights.
SC/PAs and ONA Assessors learn how the person best receives information and expresses themselves to others. They adapt their communication to work for the person.
ONA Assessor Example: When Jamie conducts ONA interviews, she uses plain language that works for the person. She avoids profession-specific terms in the ONA Manual, such as “medical impact on ADL/IADL Activities” or “elimination/toileting”. While these terms make sense to her as an ONA Assessor, she uses language that works for the person she is speaking with.
If she notices the person using phrases or words to describe their own support needs, she often mirrors this language. For instance, Aliya refers to catheter and colostomy care as “help using the bathroom”.
While Jamie still asks questions about the specifics of what this support looks like, she begins by asking Aliya “How do you prefer that staff help you with using the bathroom?”.
SC/PA Example: Tao is Greg’s Services Coordinator. When reviewing the Person Centered Information sent to him by Greg’s foster provider, he notices that going on a vacation is important to Greg. The foster provider connected with Greg about places he might want to visit, and Greg appeared interested in walking on the beach, seeing a play in Ashland, and visiting the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland.
During Greg’s ISP meeting, the team discusses taking a vacation. Tao pulls up short YouTube videos of Cannon Beach, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Tao seems the most excited when watching the video of Cannon Beach.
“It sounds like you want to plan a trip to Cannon Beach? Am I understanding you correctly?” Tao asks Greg.
Greg smiles and shakes his head ‘yes’. Tao, Greg, and his foster provider then begin to plan out key steps for Greg’s vacation.
Best Practice: Trauma-Informed Practices
SC/PAs and ONA Assessors do not need to know the details of a person’s trauma history to be trauma informed. SAMHSA’s four Rs of Trauma-Informed Approaches, shown below, support environments of safety, empowerment, and healing.
Realize the widespread impact of trauma and understand the potential paths for recovery
Recognize the signs trauma in people, families, staff, and others involved in systems
Respond by integrating knowledge about trauma into all areas of practice and policy
Actively resist re-traumatization
ONA Assessor Example: When completing Liam’s file review, Fatima notices that Liam prefers that others do not discuss Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) with him. Specifically, the term OCD can cause Liam to shut down, so his supporters know to avoid using this language around him. Liam prefers not to discuss this diagnosis in any way, especially with those he does not know well.
At the same time, OCD does impact many aspects of the support that Liam needs. Fatima uses her best judgment and creativity when speaking to Liam about his support needs. She avoids language that could be harmful to Liam while learning as much as she can from him. She also follows up with his brother and his DSPs to get a more complete picture of how OCD impacts his support needs.
SC/PA Example: Miranda is meeting with Ify and her family. She notices that Ify, who was sharing a lot during her meeting, became very quiet when the topic of serious risks was brought up and began fidgeting with her hands.
“I wonder if it might be a good time to take a break” Miranda says to Ify. Ify agrees and seems more relaxed after introducing Miranda to her rabbit, Sir Hopsalot.
Miranda realizes that the way serious risk was brought up this year did not give Ify very much positive control. She makes and writes down a plan for next year:
- Ask Ify what helps planning feel more comfortable for her (Her rabbit? Fidgets?)
- Ask Ify permission to ask her questions about risk
- Share information with Ify about why I am asking questions about risk
- Remind Ify that she can decide not to talk about any topic
- Begin every meeting by reminding Ify that we can take breaks at any time and that she is in charge of deciding when breaks happen and when the meeting is over.
Learning More- Best Practices for Everyone
These best practices are not just for ONA Assessors and Service Coordinators and Personal Agents. They are a part of supporting all people. If you work with people, what this looks like in your specific job depends on what you do. We invite you to explore the resources below and consider how the best practices discussed in this article could show up in your work.