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What Is Independent Facilitation and Planning?

Independent Facilitation and planning focuses on the needs that arise among individuals and families within the context of creating a meaningful life in community where the individual is supported to take up his citizenship and make his or her contribution alongside others.  While the individual may choose a range of services and supports it is this vision of community inclusion that sets it apart from other person-directed planning models.  The role is fundamentally derived from a social justice perspective meaning that individuals who have a developmental disability are supported to take up their citizenship and participate alongside others in their community. Independent facilitators believe community is always the first place to turn for fulfilling a dream, developing relationships, having valued roles, and finding solutions.
 

Independent facilitators are deeply aware of the importance of family to the individuals they support. Where there are no existing family connections, effort is made to recognize those people who love and care for the individual and who are prepared to stand by them over time and foster these kinds of relationships. The foundation of the work is relational. Independent facilitators form and help create trusting and lasting relationships over time that lead to individuals and families being far less likely to go into crisis and needing to rely solely on the service system for support. Independent facilitators are free of conflicts because they are not part of an organization that offers residential or day support programs. They also do not have any responsibility related to assessment, eligibility, service provision or funding determinations.
 

(Adapted from IFCO Report on Direction of Independent Facilitation) Taken from Ontario Indepedent facilitation network OIFN.com