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Technical assistance needs for realizing person-centered thinking, planning and practices in United States human service systems

Bevin Croft (Human Services Research Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA)
Jami Petner-Arrey (Human Services Research Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA)
Dorothy Hiersteiner (Human Services Research Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA)

Journal of Integrated Care

ISSN: 1476-9018

Article publication date: 12 October 2020

Issue publication date: 19 July 2021

102

Abstract

Purpose

The United States’ National Center on Advancing Person-Centered Practices and Systems provides technical assistance to human service systems on person-centered thinking, planning and practices. To apply for the Center's technical assistance, 33 state human service systems submitted applications and participated in interviews in which they detailed technical assistance needs. This technical paper examines themes that emerged from these technical assistance applications and interviews. These themes offer a view into barriers, obstacles and priorities for human service systems as they work toward more person-centered practices. Common themes point to key areas that, if enhanced, could result in a more person-centered system overall.

Design/methodology/approach

The application process generated 33 applications containing technical assistance goals and priorities, summaries of recent and ongoing initiatives to advance person-centered approaches, measurement methods and anticipated challenges. Using thematic analysis, the authors organized the information into seven themes.

Findings

Applicants identified seven themes to improve person-centered thinking, planning and practices: Staff Training and Competencies, Participant Engagement, Measurement and Quality Improvement, Cross-System Consistency in Planning and Practice, Payment and Managed Care, Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness and Other Practice-Related Goals. They also articulated contextual factors that help or hinder systems efforts and a vision for an ideal person-centered system.

Originality/value

The themes provide a unique window into human service system administrators' priorities for achieving more person-centered human service systems and the conditions that may promote or hinder systems change.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This paper was created as part of the work of the National Center on Advancing Person-Centered Practices and Systems (NCAPPS), which is funded by the U.S. Department of Human Services Administration for Community Living and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. NCAPPS is administered by the Human Services Research Institute (HSRI).

Citation

Croft, B., Petner-Arrey, J. and Hiersteiner, D. (2021), "Technical assistance needs for realizing person-centered thinking, planning and practices in United States human service systems", Journal of Integrated Care, Vol. 29 No. 3, pp. 262-273. https://doi.org/10.1108/JICA-05-2020-0032

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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