Universal Positive Support Strategies for Creating a Quality Environment
What are positive support tips?
Positive support tips are possibilities you can try to do that will enhance the support of most people that you know and support. These tips are all grounded in the values of person centered positive supports practices. They may be applicable to all people. In this document, the strategies described will work with people who receive supports, people you work with and co-workers. The tips below could add or enhance your support strategies.
Who could use these tips?
Providers (e.g., direct support professionals, supervisors, managers), Lead Agencies (e.g., case managers, assessors) or others caregivers in roles to support people using supports and services could try out any of these tips.
How could they be used?
Try them out and see how they work. These tips are possibilities. Take the time to evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies to determine what is working and not working. For example, you could scroll through these online, you could print them off and you could share them with coworkers. You could also share what has been useful and effective with each other.
Creating an environment that is supportive to the person
Creating a supportive environment takes some careful thought and time.
Schedules and routines
Routines and schedules help create and contribute to a feeling of contentment, comfort, fulfillment and satisfaction.
Model What You Expect
When we are working with someone, it is important to model what you expect rather than telling the person what they should do.
Collaboration
Working together as a team reduces difficulty and can make the experiences more fun, enhancing the likelihood of participation on a task or activity.
Positive Answers to Request
Hearing “no” or “wait” can be upsetting for people who have heard “no” or “wait” for most of their life.
Memorable Celebrations during a Pandemic: A Tool to Guide Informed Choice
How do we balance what is important to us and what’s important for us?
Mental Wellness (PDF)
Are we thinking about how to support the person in engaging in a healthy lifestyle that will promote mental wellness and having a good life?
Stress Management Tips (PDF)
We review some strategies that can be used to improve stress management among people with IDD