PATH (Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope) is a person centered planning tool co-developed by John O’Brien. Inclusion Outreach uses John’s Quality of Life indicators as guidelines for developing educational programs for the students we support. PATH uses graphic facilitation to illustrate the path to a positive and possible future.
The PATH process involves a two hour meeting after school on the Wednesday afternoon of the Inclusion Outreach team’s visit. It involves the student, the student’s school team, therapists, family, friends, school staff and select community members in order to develop a plan for the student’s future. It has been highly successful in bringing school teams and families together and solidifying those relationships while focussing on the student’s future needs. In preparation for an in-person PATH, we will need you to:
- Contact the family ASAP to identify family members, friends and community members they wish to invite on the student’s behalf.
- Send out an Invitation (click here for a sample PATH invitation template), adding the appropriate RSVP email address.
- Invite the school team and members of the extended team.
- Arrange a meeting space for approximately 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Wall space is needed in order to display a large sheet of paper (3 feet wide x 6 feet long), which we supply.
- Arrange beverages and snacks for the participants.
- Send a reminder to the participants regarding meeting date and location.
There are a number of websites where you can find out more information about PATH including Sooke School District’s Student Services video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKlBcsf6_uo&t=11s
For more information or to arrange a PATH session on an upcoming student visit, contact Inclusion Outreach’s Program Coordinator, Dr. Christopher J. Jenkins, at cjenkins@sd61.bc.ca.
