1. Who’s in Charge: Self-Directed Supports

2. Today’s Take Away: Introductions Taking charge and making life changes
What is Self-Directed Supports
Self-Determination and You
A day in the life of Happy
I’m the Employer
Roles of Support
Great Employee Search
Challenges/Success/Advice
My future plans
Questions

3. I Am Poem Activity
It is always nice to know who is in the audience. Happy and I will introduce ourselves using the I Am Poem by answering 3 very simple questions. When you are working on taking charge of your daily life it is so important that you let people know who you are, why you are here, and what you hope can happen
I am ______________________
I’m here to__________________
I hope to ___________________
Please take the time to answer these three questions.
Would two or three people like to share? This will help us to have a better understanding of who is in our audience.
Happys Feedback:
- I am (an intelligent, loved, child of God.)
- I’m here to (tell people about my unique experience with SDS).
- I hope to (encourage others to take charge of your life).
Tonda:
I am a very lucky person who has been given the opportunity to watch people to make their goals and dreams happen using Self-Directed Supports.
I’m here to share information on supports that enable you to take charge of your life path
I hope that every person in the room will learn at least one new concept, resource or idea today

4. Starting Point Age 9 moved to Children’s Home Society of Missouri
Age 11 on KSDK’s “A Place to Call Home”
Age 19 Residential Living
Self-Directed Supports
Happy will share his story on where he started to where he is now and later on where he is headed as he takes charge in building and meeting his life goals and plans.

5. What is Self-Directed Supports
Self-directed supports (SDS) is an option for service delivery for individuals, who live in their own private residence or that of their family member, who wish to exercise more choice, control and authority over their waiver supports. SDS is firmly grounded in the principles of self-determination. Self-directed supports is based on the premise that the individual and their representative knows best how to address one’s own needs. The individual must be empowered to make decisions about the services they receive, including having choice and control over the type of supports they receive, who provides the supports and when and where the supports are delivered.

6. My Self-Determined Life
Principles of Self Determination
Happy’s Self-Determined Life Principles
Freedom
Authority
Support
Responsibility
Confirmation
Choices
Power to make decisions
Family Friends Caregivers
Productive and active Life
Validated life choices
Freedom- having SDS, allows me the ability to make my own choices and do the things I desire.
Support- In my life having "support" means that I have people that give me emotional and physical assistance along with encouragement for me to be successful and to enrich my life.
Authority- Having SDS, not only gives me freedom but also the power to make decisions and enforce them in my life.
Responsibility-  In my life, responsibility is vital. It means making appropriate decisions for myself and my employees. And ensuring that I am productive and active in my life, my friends and families lives, but also, my community. 
Confirmation- Since I have SDS, I am validated in my life choices, my individual plan and ultimately my care is dependent on my own needs and desires.

7. Daily happenings
Hanging out
Social Media
School
Church
Being Outside

8. My Employer Role Hiring and Training
Daily oversight of employees to ensure they complete their job duties
Reviewing daily notes
Reviewing and approving timesheets
Counseling employees
Completing Monthly Summary
Reviewing Budget
Happy: Can you share with the us what your Employer Role looks like on a daily and monthly basis.
Happy’s Feedback: As the Employer, I review my staff’s notes and provide instruction to my employees for my care daily. I also maintain my financial budget, write a summary of my daily notes each month, and approve my employees time sheets

9. Besides the day to day management of your employees, what else do you have to do every two weeks? What do you look for when you review timesheets and notes? What happens if you see error with time entry or if you feel the notes do not contain enough information?

10. At the end of every month, what is one of your other employer responsibilities?

12. Roles and Functions in Self-Directed Supports
Happy mentioned his Support Coordinator and Consumer Direct/PPL. The slide above shows a few more roles within SDS, to include the Self-Directed Support Coordinator and Support Broker.

13. Hiring the right employee
Finding the right employee is very important
They must be trained to follow the plan
The employee must follow the rules
Happy: How did you find your employees? What resources and tools do you use for training your employees? How long have your employees been with you?
Happy’s Feedback: My first employee was actually my favorite para from high school. He worked with me at other agencies and continued working with me when I began SDS. I found my other employee’s through connections I have made with my roommate and friends. My current employee’s are Josh, who has been with me for 8 years, and I have recently hired Sammie and Brendan roughly a year ago. I am able to train my employees through my communication device and through orientation of experienced staff.

14. Challenges/Success/Advice
Happy: Share one of the biggest challenges you are dealing with, dealt with or overcome as you have been using Self Directed Supports?
Happy’s Feedback:
My biggest challenge I have faced using Self Directed Supports is the communication with Customer Representatives over the phone, for obvious reasons. However, I have had success with managing and maintaining my independent living, which is very important to me. My advice to individuals in SDS would be to seek out good caregivers and other supports before getting started.
Happy: Share one of your successes with Self Directed Supports
Happy: If you could give one piece of Advice to individuals who are interested in Self Directed Supports, What would that be?

15. Home Relationship Education Business
My future plans
Home Relationship Education Business
Happy: Would you like to share what your future goals and plans are as you continue to move into the your next life transition?

16. Resources http://dmh.mo.gov/dd/progs/selfdirect
All of the resources we have mentioned today are available on the websites above. If you are interested in learning more about Self Directed Supports you can reach out to your local Support Coordinator Agency or contact the Self-Directed Support Coordinator at your local regional office.

17. Questions and Rap Up.