Community Integration: Meaningful Days are Important

This interactive training is designed for Direct Support Professionals who want to move beyond “taking people on outings” and into truly supporting meaningful lives in the community. Grounded in the history of institutionalization and the shift toward rights, choice, and belonging, the course reframes Community Integration as a relational practice, not just a change of scenery, but a change in how people are known, valued, and included.

Participants will build practical competence in implementing the HCBS Final Rule, learning what real integration looks like day‑to‑day and how to avoid recreating “mini‑institutions” in neighborhood settings. The course translates policy into plain language and real decisions: where people spend their time, who they interact with, and how services either limit or expand their freedom and opportunities.

At the core of the training is strong Person‑Centered Planning. DSPs will learn how to use Person‑Centered Plans as living roadmaps, connecting goals to real places, activities, and roles in the community. By the end of the course, staff will be better equipped to design and support meaningful days that reflect what is important to and important for each person, uphold the HCBS expectations, and create lives where people don’t just go out, they belong.