Service & Support Administrators (SSAs) are tasked with completing Individual Service Plans (ISPs) for each person who qualifies for services with the county board. These plans are done annually, usually spread out over the course of the year.
Recently, the Ohio Department of Development Disabilities created one statewide ISP template for all 88 counties. Until now, each county used its own templates.
Now that training on the new statewide ISP is complete, summer days are spent renewing plans with every person on their caseload. We asked the SSAs a few questions about how the new Ohio ISP process is going, and this is what they told us.
How long, on average, does it take to onboard one person to the new Ohio ISP, and approximately how many people will you have to do this process with?
ANSWER: The onboarding process for the OISP, including the time for meetings to go over the assessment and ISP, takes anywhere between 10-14 hours to complete. I will be completing this onboarding process for approximately 18-20 clients that we serve.
Name one part of the Ohio ISP that you think is a positive change from the former ISP and how it helps.
ANSWER: I feel a positive change in the new OISP is all the information entered into the Assessment is automatically generated into the appropriate location in the OISP.
Name two parts of the old ISP process that were eliminated: one you will miss and one you are happy to get rid of.
ANSWER: I feel like the old ISP was easier to read because it flowed better, but I am happy to get rid of some of the annual forms.
What is the most common question clients and their supports have about the new Ohio ISP?
ANSWER: The most common question I have been asked is “Why are the plans changing”. I usually say that it is so everyone in the state is using the same plan, which allows transfers between counties an easier transition as well as making it easier for providers who work in multiple counties to find the information they need easier.
The Ohio ISP asks clients to state how others can support them. What is one way that other SSAs support you during the Ohio ISP transition?
ANSWER: Overall, the other SSAs are extremely helpful in all aspects of the job. Being relatively new to the field I have appreciated all the advice, help, and answers I have received from my fellow SSAs. When it comes to the new OISP, we are all still learning which means we have the ability to share information as we discover it. The new OISP has a heavy focus on person-centered planning and language. Though a great tool to have, it can often be difficult to shift the way we speak and write in our plans, focusing more on the strengths of the individual rather than their weaknesses. The other SSAs have been extremely helpful in the shift in language. They are always so willing to help, whether it be looking over plans or bouncing ideas off of one another.
What is something new you learned about one of the individuals on your caseload during the Ohio ISP process?
ANSWER: As we were completing the communication section of the OISP assessment, I learned that an individual we serve has a unique way of communicating through sounds. When this client makes a specific sound, it typically means he does not want to do something or is uninterested in the activity they are working on.