LifeCourse Library
Integrated Supports Star
Everyone accesses a variety of supports to meet their day-to-day needs, support the achievement of long-term or short-term goals, solve problems, or enhance their quality of life.
Integrated Supports for a Good Life
The Integrated Support Star principle and tool can be used by anyone (individuals, families, or professionals) to guide their thinking about supports. It can be used for mapping current services and supports, problem-solving for a specific need, or planning the next steps. The star can help explore current needs, identify gaps, or plan how to access supports for the future.
The tool can be used to guide a conversation over the phone or facilitate an in-person planning meeting with one person or a group of people. For an overview of “how” and “why” to use the Integrated Supports Star, click here to download the Tip Sheet.
The Origin of the Integrated Supports Star
Hear how the Integrated Supports Star takes us from services being a barrier to integrating, connecting, and leveraging supports for a good life.
Using the Integrated Supports Star to Problem Solve
Watch this video to hear how the Integrated Supports Star can be used for problem-solving real-life issues, and how all the categories of the star are connected and can work together.
How to Use the Integrated Supports Star
Each of the five videos describes a section of the star and provides ideas on supports that could be accessed in that point of the star. Download the Integrated Supports Star Tool here and the Tip Sheet here.
Personal Strengths and Assets
The Personal Strengths and Assets part of the Integrated Supports Star is explained, and a real-life example of personal strength is given.
Relationships
Relationships can be an important support for achieving your desired outcomes. This video explores different sources of relationship supports you might consider.
Technology
Learn about how technology can be used as a support, and how the star can help you identify gaps and explore how technology can help people be more independent.
Community
Examples of how community resources – places, groups, or resources that anyone has access to as a member of that community, can be a source of support in the integrated star.
Eligibility
This video helps explore different kinds of eligibility, or paid systems supports, that someone might be able to receive that can work together with other supports around the star.
Additional Integrated Supports Star Resources
These “Starter Stars” will help you get started brainstorming integrated supports in the life domains and related topics. Download the 11×17 (Tabloid) Integrated Support Options that contains ideas for all of the life domains here.
Daily Life/Employment Support Options
Explore supports in all the categories of the star that would help with getting or keeping a job, building a career, or other goals for daily life and employment.
Healthy Living Support Options
Discover ideas in each area of the star to get you started thinking about options for a variety of supports that will help you lead a healthy life or work on goals for healthy living.
Social and Spirituality Support Options
This “starter star” will help you with ideas for supports in all the sections of the star for friendships, social activities, and other social and spiritual goals.
Community Living Support Options
Explore options in each part of the star for housing, home adaptations or modifications, accessing the community, and other goals for community living.
Respite Support Options
Consider supports and resources you could access in each of the star categories that could help make respite possible or a better experience for you and your loved one.
Advocacy and Engagement Support Options
Learn about supports to help you think about building valued roles, making choices, being responsible and other advocacy and engagement goals.
Supported Decision-Making Support Options
People can use this star to think about different kinds of supports to help them with making choices and decisions, and supports for communicating their decisions to others.
Safety and Security Support Options
This “starter star” will help generate ideas for staying safe and secure, overall well-being, and dealing with legal rights and issues.
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