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About PALS
For those
of us who have a relative with a disability, one of the
most pressing questions we face is: "What will happen to
our family member when I die?" PALS helps answer that
question.
What is PALS?
Why PALS?
How can PALS help you?
What is a Future Plan?
What is a Personal Support Network?
What does a Personal Support Network do?
How are Personal Support Networks developed
and maintained?
How long does it take?
Who are the Network Members?
What does it take to become a PALS, Inc. network member??
What are the limitations of personal networks?
What are the benefits of establishing a personal network for my family member when I am still alive?
What is PALS? top
Personal Advocacy and Lifetime Support, Inc.
(PALS, Inc.) is a non-profit
organization started in 1998, by a group of parents
with adult sons and daughters with special needs. PALS, Inc. is adapted from a similar program, Planned
Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN) started by parents in Canada in 1989.
The PALS, Inc. goal is twofold: to
ensure a safe and secure future for your relative with special needs
and to provide you and your loved one with peace of
mind. This is accomplished
by providing advocacy and friendship in the present, and
in the future, when primary care givers are no longer able to do so.
Why PALS? top
We help you create a plan for the
future that provides for the safety, security and
well-being of your loved one. A plan that ensures that
they will not only have access to the programs and
services they need, but that they will be surrounded by
a loving and caring network of friends.
We've learned a lot since PALS was
founded in 1998. One of the things we've learned is that
when families start making plans for the future, they
also start changing the present. So when you join PALS
you're not only safeguarding your relative's future but
helping them create a good life today.
How can PALS help you? top
What is a Future Plan? top
A future plan involves gathering
information on the family and the family member with
disabilities. PALS helps the family complete a
comprehensive information organizer and write up a
Vision Statement, based on medical, vocational,
financial, housing, recreational and behavioral
information. (If a Person Centered Plan has already been
developed, it can be used as a tool when starting to
activate your Personal Support Network, in the Exploratory
Stage.) A work plan is developed with time lines, goals
and a list of potential Network members.
What is a Personal Support Network? top
Personal Support Networks are a natural part of life. They
consist of the ongoing relationships we share with family, friends and
colleagues. People start building circles of friendships in childhood and
continue to do so lifelong. The quality and variety of your Personal Support
Network is one measure of the richness and social stability in your life. Many
people with special needs are unable to initiate and maintain networks,
becoming isolated and lonely, which is unnatural and unhealthy.
When a person is
isolated or vulnerable by reason of disability,
opportunity or society's perception, their networks are
often small or non-existent. PALS nurtures the
development of a personal network of committed men and
women who join together in a relationship with the
individual and with each other.
Each member of
the network has formed a relationship with the person at
its centre and with other members of the network.
Through the relationship, members offer support,
monitoring, advocacy, companionship and caring.
Developing a
personal network is the foundation of your future plan.
Network members contribute to the quality of your
relative's life now, as they prepare for their role
after you are gone.
What does a Personal Support Network do? top
Networks ensure a safe and secure future for your
relative by contributing to the quality of their life
now. They do this by:
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Creating a "safety net" where key players are
informed
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Providing links to others in the community
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Advocating on behalf of your relative
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Securing and monitoring supports and services
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Providing a forum for network members to support one
another
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Providing security and a sense of relief for all
family members
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Acting as a resource for executors and trustees
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Acting as representatives and supporting
decision-making
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Planning, dreaming, socializing and having fun
How are Personal Support Networks
developed and maintained? top
Each Personal Support Network is
unique in terms of vision, values, cost and the time it
takes to implement it. PALS, Inc. hires people with
strong community connections as Facilitators, whom
families contract with for services. PALS, Inc.
recruits, trains and supervises the Facilitator and
monitors the development of each Network.
Several Network meetings are held. The potential Network members process
the vision statement and provide input. The Facilitator speaks with each person
and gradually specific voluntary activities are scheduled.
Once the Personal Support Network has achieved self-sufficiency and cohesion,
the Facilitator will continue to provide oversight of Network activities, at
the family’s request.
How long does it take?
top
Established networks average two to three hours of
connector time per month.
The time for connecting networks varies. Influencing
factors include:
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How easy it is to get to know you and your relative
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Connections you and your relative already have
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What your relative currently does and wants to do
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Changes in your relative's circumstances
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Change among network members
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How much involvement families want the facilitator
to have
Who are the Network Members? top
Network members are people of all ages, who commit to
engage with the person with special needs over time. They can include family
members, neighbors, former staff, old and new friends and community members.
They may have a special interest in health, housing, advocacy, continuing
education, recreation or the arts. Or they may simply be attempting to enrich
their own lives, by giving their time to others. We have found people with mild
special needs, senior citizens, teenagers, college students, aunts and uncles,
cousins, siblings, and professionals of all kinds who are interested in
participating on Personal Support Networks. It takes time for friendships to
develop. You can find potential network members in religious congregations,
service clubs and leisure/recreation groups. Virtually anyone can become a
member of a Personal Support Network, providing they have an interest in the
focus person.
What does it take to become a PALS network member? top
Willingness to
spend a few hours with someone who really likes you
and wants to be with you
Recognition that it
is the quality and diversity of our relationships
that are the measure of our lives
What are the limitations of personal networks? top
Personal networks do not work miracles. They require
hard work, perseverance and commitment. Personal
networks are no guarantee that all will be well. A
lifetime of isolation or loneliness cannot be overcome
immediately. New contacts take time to develop into
nurturing relationships. The process can be slow and it
may seem at first as if nothing is happening. But even
though results may take time, pleasant surprises occur
frequently. Check out the stories in the
Member Stories Folder.
What are the benefits of establishing a personal network for my family member while I am still alive?? top
Establishing a personal network now:
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Gives you the opportunity to share your knowledge of
the best interests of your family member with the
people you are counting on to support them in the
future
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Allows you to see your relative flourish socially
and emotionally
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Helps you prepare your relative for the changes that
will occur when you can no longer help
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Enables you to shape and define the nature of the
personal network and to see if fully functioning
while you are alive
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Enables PALS to have the detailed background and
familiarity it needs to become an effective advocate
for your relative
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Gives you security, relief and peace of mind
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