Community support and services can play a vital role in helping individuals of all abilities live a healthy life. The Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS) offers a process for helping clients develop an action-oriented plan to identify and achieve their life goals through building the right support network.
DDRS’ LifeCourse Framework encourages participants to define their vision for how they want to live life by finding out what they need to know, determining how to find or develop supports in their communities, and learning what they need to do to achieve their best lives.
Listen to DDRS team members Heather Dane and Richard Propes describe the LifeCourse Framework:
Click here to learn details about the program, including the Person-Centered Individualized Support Plan Guide.
About Communities
Community is vital to our well-being. When we form communities with family, friends and co-workers, we are able to support one another and share experiences as well as struggles. We have a greater sense of purpose and belonging as part of a community. And this, in turn, makes us feel safe and secure, positively impacting our health. When we lack a strong community, we struggle to find support. We are more likely to suffer from loneliness and isolation, which can lead to poorer health outcomes. Lack of community can also decrease willpower and resilience and lead to unhealthy behaviors. It’s easy to see how community connections are a fundamental part of living a full and healthy life.
