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Person-Centered Planning

Person Centered Planning has been a part of Michigan Mental Health since 1996 when it became a part of the Rights section of the Michigan Mental Health Code. It is a right for all individuals to have their Individual Plan of Service (IPOS or Plan) developed through a person-centered planning process.

What Does That Mean?

When making a treatment plan (which is an IPOS or Plan) for you, the provider agency must find out what you want to have happen in your life and target the services you receive from them in a way that will help your life happen in a way you want it to happen.

It’s All About You

Sometimes people have been known to look at their person-centered planning process as painful, something they didn’t really want to do, but did just so they could get services. It’s not meant to be a pain. It’s meant to be a tool that can be used for you to get the life that you want to have.

What Is the Person-Centered Planning Process?

What would you like to do or be? How would you like to feel? What do you want to have happen in your life? Would you like to become a Peer Support Specialist, a dog walker, a chef or something entirely different?

Your Person-Centered Plan is a tool that assists you in getting those things accomplished in your life. That is what a plan is. It includes:

Your goals and the outcomes of those goals.

An outcome is what has happened as you have tried to reach your goals. What is being measured is how well the system supports you, and if what you are doing is helping you get to where you want to be. If things aren’t working, your plan can always be changed. You can always tweak your plan to something that can work out better for you, or you can start the process all over again.

You design your plan with assistance from people who are supportive, who want to help you get where you want to end up in life. This can include people who are both natural and paid supports.