Person-Centred Practice - Where to From Here?

True Person centred practice is possible right here, right now. While we applaud the current changes in government policy and funding, we acknowledge we have tremendous challenges before us. There are barriers to overcome. But we do not have to wait for something outside ourselves to change. Right now, with the limited resources we have, we can practice in a way that focuses on the needs and aspirations of those we support.

In the words of Honoré de Balzac: ‘It is easy to sit up and take notice. What is difficult is getting up and taking action’.

So, how to we start, where do we begin a truly person centred practice? In the words of Leonard Cohen:

If each of us acknowledges our cracks, we can start to let the light in so we can make transformative differences to the lives of those we support.

References:

• Carkhuff, Robert, 1971, The Development of Human Resources: Education, Society and Social Action. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
• NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and home Care, 2009, Exploring and Implementing Person Centred Approaches, A guide for NSW Community Participation Service Providers.
• Garner, Howard and Dietz, Lise, 1996), Person-Centred Planning: Maps and Paths to the Future,, Four Runner, Technical Assistance Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, 11, 2 ,1-2.
• Vitalo, Raphael, L., 1975, Guidelines for the Functioning of a Helping Service, Community Mental Health Journal, 11, 2, 170.

Table of Contents

Related posts:

1. Person-Centred Practice
2. Walk in Our Shoes: People with Disability Share their Experience of Person-Centred Practice
3. What Makes Person Centred Practice Possible?
4. Person-Centred Practice – 3 Client Presentations
5. What do the values of the community sector look like in practice?