A transition plan for Adam moving into his own home, come about as a result of harnessing the energy and spirit of Adam’s dedicated support circle. Adam’s family is a member of a peer network called Supported Living Network. They asked for assistance from Libby Ellis from this network and the support planner, Matthew Dimmock, to facilitate a series of meetings.
These meetings sought input from the whole circle and developed a transition plan based on consultation with everyone. This included consulting with Adam’s paid support team who are all young people with experience in living in Sydney and moving out of home. During and after these meetings, information about various elements of Adam’s future home was collected and documented. The ideas came from family members, friends and support team. A key point emerged from the process to guide the road ahead.
Circle Brainstorm: Developing Support Systems A consensus emerged that pointed to the fact that Adam himself did not require much in the way of skill building or preparation, and that rather the focus needs to be on the support structures around him. So there is a need to develop the support systems needed around Adam and as much as possible start putting these into practice while he is still living at home, to build familiarity for him so that the transition into his own home is less jolting for him, and so that these systems can be tested and refined if needed. This will also give a sense of continuity for him.
Here is an early Brainstorm identifying the ideal elements of Adam’s new home Text link 1 (Brainstorm Adam’s House)
For information about Adam’s transition plan watch this video.
One of the keys to Adam being able to live in his own home and self-direct his supports with assurance and longevity was to build a really engaged support network. So the first step in making vision into reality was to develop Adam’s pattern of support in order to establish a “Lifestyle Support Team”. Rather than developing a roster of staff hours or being dictated by funding silos, this vision came to life by focusing on Adam’s support needs and a range of roles and relationships.
Adam Moves Out 