Changing practices, procedures, and perceptions: A multi-year person-centered planning initiative in group homes for residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Person-centered planning has been shown to benefit people with disabilities and their quality of life. However, we have little knowledge of how person-centered planning can benefit staff and administration within a group home organization, as well as the extent to which it results in changes to organizational practices and procedures, as well as perceptions of people with disabilities. In this qualitative study, we explored the perspectives of organizational employees, an affiliating behavioral consultant, and residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities, taking into consideration key insights from person-centered planning consultant-coaches, to understand the effects of a person-centered planning initiative on the group home organization. Accompanying our findings are five stories that poetically describe each of the participating residents and their experiences with organizational employees throughout the implementation of the initiative. Implications for research and practice are discussed.