"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." - Mahatma Gandhi
Person-Centered Thinking
Training is an introductory course focused on the core concepts of
person-centered service provision and planning. This is required by the Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for people enrolled in home and
community-based services offered through the Medicaid waiver.
Person-Centered Thinking supports
people throughout the lifespan, regardless of your involvement in in the
service and support systems, whether you are entering for the first time, are in
crisis, or currently enrolled in long-term services or programs.
This two-part training is
structured to help participants understand the importance of coordinated
support, building relationships and community connections, and creating a
culture of learning and accountability throughout the service system.
The training includes group
activities around real-life scenarios, allowing participants to practice
organizing information gained through discovery, everyday learning, and
management tools.
Next available training for all other government agency staff, staff, and community members:
March 26th & 27th
April 18th & 19th
Government agency staff can
register through PeopleSoft. All other providers and community members can
register by contacting Lee Anne Brantley at leeanne.brantley@dc.gov.
The District of Columbia’s
Person-Centered Thinking (PCT) Learning Community entered 2018 by recommitting
to its vision of energizing interagency service professionals and people
receiving long-term supports and services. The Learning Community is dedicated
to getting real results from person and family centered thinking.
Since the No Wrong Door team
joined the DC Learning Community in March 2016, it has expanded its reach to
include the DC Office on Aging, Department of Behavioral Health, Department on
Disability Services and Department of Health Care Finance in addition to key
intake and referral sources, and Medicaid Waiver service providers from the
Elderly and Persons with Physical Disabilities (EPD) waiver and the
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) waiver.
The District’s best practices
and real-life examples, which are shared through these unique connections, add
to the national dialogue on person-centered planning.
Moving into its third year,
participants of the Learning Community have clarified their vision, mission,
core values, and commitments for the year ahead.
Responding to a need discussed
in years prior, the DC Learning Community has committed to adapting the current
two day in-person DC Person-Centered Thinking Training to the needs and
experiences of support professionals working as Home Health Aides, Personal
Care Aides, and Direct Support Professionals. If you are interested in
contributing your point of view, expertise, or experience to the adaptation of
the curriculum, please attend our meetings!
The DC PCT Learning Community meets on the fourth Friday of every
month from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Department on Disability Services
250 E Street, SW
Washington, DC 20024
If you are interested in attending, have any questions, or would like to take a person-centered thinking training please contact Emily Price at emily.price@dc.gov.
 In 2017, the District was selected by the Administration on
Community Living (ACL) to participate in a new national Community of Practice
to advance cultural and linguistic competent (CLC) practices throughout the
developmental disabilities system. This initiative builds upon the work
of the No Wrong Door (NWD) initiative, which has an interagency working group
focusing on cultivating culturally and linguistically competent service and
support systems in the District – starting at the “front door.”
At January’s
Community of Practice on Cultural and Linguistic Competency meeting, NWD CLC
Subcommittee member Dr. Luis Gomez, who serves as a Bilingual Vocational
Rehabilitation Specialist at the Department on Disability Services, shared best
practices in engaging diverse communities and building cultural
connections. As Dr. Gomez shared, “those who enter the community must be
connected to the community they want to serve.”
DDS is leading this
5-year initiative, which brings us opportunities for peer learning and
technical assistance through Georgetown University’s National Center on
Cultural Competence. Much of the work ahead involves engaging in dialogue
around cultural and linguistic competency, exploring collaborative approaches
to enhance the quality of services and supports, and embedding culturally and
linguistically competence into our values, policies, structures, and practices.
For
more information, please contact Vivian Guerra, NWDCultural & Linguistic Competency Lead at vivian.guerra2@dc.gov.
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 Erin Leveton, Program Manager of the DC Department on Disability Services State Office of Policy, Planning & Innovation has been invited to participate in the Professional Fellows Program of Hands Along the Nile Developmental Services (HANDS). HANDS seeks to develop partnerships between Americans and Egyptians to increase intercultural understanding and to support Egyptians in their efforts to enhance the quality of life for all people in their land. Leveton will travel to Egypt February 9 – 21 to work with mid-level professionals and emerging leaders to increase their knowledge about the field of disability advocacy and identify strategies the country can use to foster full participation of people with disabilities in their society.
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 Mark Agosto, DDS Program Manager was accepted in January to the Georgetown University Leadership Academy for Cultural Diversity and Cultural and Linguistic Competence. The Leadership Academy is an intensive course of study comprised of three months of preparatory activities and leadership coaching for up to one year. It also includes a four-day learning experience in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The program starts in late April.
Who's making moves on your team? Share with us an update to include in our next NWD Newsletter. Contact Phillip Williams, NWD Marketing & Outreach Lead, at phillip.williams3@dc.gov.
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The front door experience in accessing long-term services and supports (LTSS) begins with the first encounter between agency staff and a person seeking LTSS. DDS's No Wrong Door Initiative (also called DC Support Link) is a network of government and non-profit organizations focused on enhancing the front door experience for District residents in need of Long Term Services and Supports (LTSS) and their families.The agencies involved are the Department on Disability Services, DC Office on Aging, Department of Behavioral Health, Department of Human Services and the Department of Health Care Finance.
Visit the No Wrong Door for more information.
Program Director
Erin Leveton
Grant Administrator
Rebecca Salon
Program Manager
Mark Agosto
Business Analyst
Robin Barnes
Cultural & Linguistic Competency Lead
Vivian Guerra
Marketing & Outreach Lead
Phillip S. Williams
Person-Centered Lead
Lee Anne Brantley
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