TRANSFORMING PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE THROUGH PERSON-DIRECTED PLANNING AND

CARE ETHICSLindy Zaretsky, Ph.D.

Reaching Education Resolutions Inc.Toronto, ON, Canada

lindazaretsky@gmail.com

Beit Issie ShapiroThe Trump International Institute for Continuing Education

6th International Conference on DisabilitiesUnity and Diversity in Action

July 6-9, 2015Tel Aviv, Israel

   

  

Setting the Context and Framework

Two Case Studies: 1. Autism Centre; 2. Private Jewish Day Secondary School

Influence of two competing models of disability on social care and education policy in Canada (Medical and Social)

Adopting an Ethic of Care blending feminist and critical disability perspectives within a social model of disability

Using a Person-Directed Planning (PDP) approach influenced by a theory of care, and grounded within a Citizenship Education Framework

Impact of approach on: 1. Program designs; 2. Transition pathways and choices; and 3: ) Professional practice and relational aspects of care

Models of Disability

Admissions Process Question

Traditional Question (Medical Model) Does your disability/health problem make it difficult for

you to travel by bus?

Transformed Question (Social Model) Are there any transportation or financial problems that

prevent you from going out as often or as far as you would like to?

Care Ethics

Rights and Responsibility Attentiveness and Responsiveness

Competence and Self-Determination Interdependence

Building Moral Knowledge through

Relationships

Person-directed Planning (PDP)

Quality of Live & Self-Determination

Personal control over their: Activities Programs & Interventions, and Environments.

Power, choice, and most important, the right to chase our dreams...The chance to direct our lives the way we want to, not the way others expect us to... (Student)

PDP Approach

What are your hopes, dreams, and fears? Tell me about some of the things you are good at and like to

do? Who do you like to spend time with and might like to get to

know better? What resources are currently available to you to support you in

reaching your goals? What skills do you think you need to develop to live on your

own, go to college, work, get around in the community, manage your money?

Case Study #1: Autism CentreAnne: Culinary/Hospitality Pathway Choice

Measurable post-secondary goal in employment created with Anne

I will work as a dietary aide at a local nursing home. Researching the Role Anne will be expected to perform a variety of food service/room functions,

patient meal tray delivery, and other related tasks. She will require a high school diploma or certificate. Anne will know how to communicate effectively and have good customer service skills. Anne needs to demonstrate reading and writing skills at a minimum grade 4 level. Anne will be expected to assist in meal preparation activity. Food service experience will be beneficial leading up to this type of employment. Enrolling in a food handler’s certificate course will also be highly beneficial.

 

Individual Service Plan (ISP)Goals

Anne wants to work as a dietary aide at a nursing home Given a visual schedule of my tasks, I will complete at least three meal

preparations in the Centre’s social enterprise café independently once a week for three consecutive weeks (internal work experience).

I will independently make purchases at the grocery store using the counting-on strategy with 100% accuracy over three consecutive sessions.

Using the material from the Food Handler’s Guide, and related visuals including videos, I will read one section of the manual (e.g. City of Toronto Safe Found Handling) and write a practice test with a passing grade of 70% (course requirement).

I will use public transportation. Given schedules and maps, I will identify the routes to my work experience

placements and the bus/subway I needs to take; and times of departure/arrival at least two times over three opportunities

Case Study #2: Secondary SchoolRachel: College Pathway

Creating Essential Questions for PlanningScience and Geography What is a sustainable

community?

History What has conflict and cooperation looked like in a community in the past?

Civics What are some of the rights and responsibilities a community has in Canada?

Service Learning What type of service could you provide to your community?

Careers What are your interests? Where in the community can you explore these interests?

The Arts and Technology In what creative ways can you represent your understanding of community and citizenship?

Teachers’ Integrated PlanningOverall Expectations

Concepts Big Ideas

Explain the importance of community cooperation in addressing a community issue, and evaluate the effectiveness of a selected action(s) by citizens in the community

InterrelationshipsPerspectives

The actions of community members can make a difference for the community

Use an inquiry process to investigate an issue (community, global) of political, social, environmental, economic importance and its impact on the community, and responses to the issues

Cause and Consequence The issue requires action

Describe significant aspects of the involvement of some citizens in some community, region, city, country, including the impact of this involvement.

Signficance: Patterns and Trends

Citizens/Canadians participate in their communities/the world in many different ways

Impact: Transformations in Professional Practice

Program Designs: Personalized Pathways of Extended Learning, and Integrated Collaborative Planning Transition Planning and Multiple Pathway Choices

Professional Practice and Relational Aspects of Care Correcting Power Imbalances in Voice, Choice and Decision-making

Ethical Awareness

“People know what they do; they frequently know why they do what they do; but what they don’t know is what what they do does” (Foucault cited in Dreyfus and Rabinow, 1982, p 187).

Both the givers of care/service and the receivers of care/service came to recognize that person directed planning influenced by a theory of care and grounded in a citizenship framework demands that all citizens’ dignity and worth be valued and reflected in their relationships. Achieving desired outcomes and improving the quality of life for persons with disabilities is a shared responsibility.

Future Research

Little documented evidence in Canada of impact of PDP on individual and organizational outcomes

Little documented evidence on how professional learning that integrates care ethics, models of disability, and a citizenship framework into its design can influence relationships between service providers and recipients of service

More applied research required to support government and public service action in enacting values of self-determination, interdependence, and inclusion in practice, and how this action can influence quality of life for people with disabilities