Self Directed Supports

Essential Lifestyle Planning

Real Life Choices

Self-Determination Initiative

Individual Habilitation Plan

The Boggs Center provides the community training and technical assistance component for New Jersey's efforts in self directed supports coordinated by the New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities. The Boggs Center team responds to requests from individuals and families and provides technical assistance and works with staff from the Division of Developmental Disabilities on training, technical assistance, and dissemination activities. The Boggs Center maintains connections with national and international initiatives in Self-Determination and individualized funding for the purpose of sharing ideas, issues, and resources. The team also responds to customized training and information sessions on self directed services and person-centered planning.

For more information about The Boggs Center Self-Directed Supports Training and Technical Assistance Team, or the New Jersey Initiatives, contact Bill Gaventa, Project Director, or other members of the team.

Real Life Choices
The Boggs Center has been involved in training and technical assistance for the current Division of Developmental Disabilities approach in self directed supports, entitled Real Life Choices. As part of this process, The Boggs Center is providing training in Essential Lifestyle Planning, the planning process being used by families, individuals, and support coordinators in the development of a plan of care. The Boggs Center offers the Essential Lifestyle Planning courses as part of its regular training calendar.

Click here for more information and registration for Essential Lifestyle Planning Training.

The Boggs Center is also assisting Division of Developmental Disabilities staff and support coordinators with orientation and networking meetings for families, and coordinating the technical assistance being provided by Michael Smull.

Self-Determination Initiative
The Boggs Center continues to provide training and technical assistance for the self determination initiative. Close to 300 individuals and their families chose this process between 1997 and 2002 as an alternative to traditional residential placements. In those five years, The Boggs Center led training for families, individuals, and support brokers, and coordinated a variety of technical assistance activities. Since 2003, our training and technical assistance has focused on periodic regional networking meetings, an annual conference for the participants in self-determination, the maintenance of a self-directed supports listserv and support broker directory, and other activities to assist the maintenance and improvement of the self determination process. Products include a Resource Manual, and a short video, The New Jersey Self-Determination Process: It Makes Life Worth Living, available from The Boggs Center. For more information on the self-directed supports listserv, contact Michael Steinbruck.

Individual Habilitation Plan
The Boggs Center coordinates a series of IHP train the trainer sessions provided primarily to community provider agency IHP trainers with the purpose of enhancing their knowledge and skills in facilitating the Statewide IHP Training Curriculum for Community Services. The curriculum provides detailed instruction on the IHP self-directed planning process for individuals with developmental disabilities. The project also supports the creation and dissemination of a training video geared toward helping direct support staff better understand their role in helping people with disabilities design and implement their plan of care. Lastly, an IHP listserv for on-going technical assistance to IHP trainers, plan coordinators, Division of Developmental Disabilities personnel and other interested parties is maintained through the project. Products include a manual, and a video entitled Planning for Life, with five vignettes about ways that direct support professionals have assisted individuals with developmental disabilities to reach their dreams and enhance the quality of their lives. For more information about the IHP training curriculum, listserv, and video, contact Michael Steinbruck.

Project Director: William Gaventa
Project Manager/Contact: Michael Steinbruck
Staff: Carol Britton, Colleen Mclaughlin