Personal Choice

Six areas of PFP: Friends, Work, Support, Community, Choices and Home. Choices circle is highlighted.

You learned earlier that 'choice' is an important person-centered principle. Person-centered planning involves respecting the individual's choices.

Respecting personal choice during person-centered planning means using these skills:

  • Assume the person has the capacity to make decisions, unless it has been established otherwise.
  • Support individuals to make their own decisions and do what is needed to help them reach decisions by themselves.
  • Solicit preferences rather than "recommend choices."
  • Know that people have the right to make decisions that others might think are unwise.
  • Discuss and provide alternatives for choices related to unreasonable expectations, e.g., the type or amount of support the person needs to remain in the community, the type of home desired, etc.