Keys to Life

1. Keys to Life Christopher Liuzzo Associate Executive Director & Sandra Van Eck Director of Innovation and Design

2. Overview: Founded 1950 Budget of about $28M Supported Employment: 90 Persons Sheltered Employment: 70 Persons Other Day Supports: 150 Persons Family Supports: 150 Families Residential Supports: 179 people in certified and uncertified settings. 105 addreses

3. Overview Development Decisions Impact Where We are Today 1980’s and 1990’s : • No shared bedrooms • Support people to stay in their own homes as they age through the last stage of life. • Avoid the “Medical Model” /No ICF’s • Explore home ownership and shared living. • No new homes for more than three people • Downsize the sheltered workshop.

4. OUTCOMES 1986: Closed Enclaves/Work Stations Move to Supported Work 1987: Began Downsizing of Sheltered Workshop 145 People to about 70 Average Stay 25 Years Average Age 52 Keys to Life

5. 2000 to Present: Overview and Some History • Increased commitment to Self-Determination. • Downsized or closed larger group homes • Created life-sharing with many variations, not just one style or type. • Created Department of Design and Innovation.

6. OUTCOMES 2002-2014: Closed 10 Person Residential Setting Closed 8 Person Residential Setting Closed 8 person Residential Setting 8 Other Residential Settings Downsized 43 Residential Opportunities Have Been Reinvested from Congregate to Individualized Settings More people supported on the same dollar Keys to Life

7. OUTCOMES What They Look Like Now One and Two Person Settings Certified Uncertified Self Directed Life Sharing Keys to Life

8. Seeking Social Justice How Do We Stop the Wounding? Constantly Broken Relationships Loss of Freely Given Relationships Deindividualization Impoverishment of Experience Having One’s Life Wasted Beliefs and Values Keys to Life

9. Outcomes?Comparisons by Residence Size Source: Charlie Lakin

10. Beliefs and Values Seeking Social Justice Evolving Sense of Justice: New Assumptions, New Ladder Stop the Life Wasting! How Do We Support “Lives of Distinction”? Deep Listening: What Do You Want to Do? (Not What I Think I Need to Do TO YOU or FOR YOU!) How Do We Co-Create? How Do We Engage in Right Relationship? How Do We Reshape Our Resources? Keys to Life

11. Beliefs and Values Seeking Social Justice What Reshaping Means Revisiting “Growth” Letting Go Power Control What We Usually Think of as Adding Value, Like Property Keys to Life

12. Beliefs and Values Seeking Social Justice What Reshaping Means BEING GUMBY RESHAPING RESOURCES AGAIN AND AGAIN TO FIT ONE PERSON AT A TIME VIRTUALLY ANTITHETICAL TO “GROWTH” Keys to Life

13. Beliefs and Values Seeking Social Justice What Reshaping Means Redefining “Growth” to Mean Practicing (in true sense): OPEN MIND OPEN HEART OPEN WILL Keys to Life

14. Beliefs and Values Seeking Social Justice "Creating a new theory is not like destroying an old barn and erecting a skyscraper in its place. It is rather like climbing a mountain, gaining new and wider views, discovering unexpected connections between our starting point and its rich environment. But the point from which we started still exists and can be seen, although it appears smaller and forms a tiny part of our broad view gained by the mastery of our obstacles on our adventurous way up" Albert Einstein Keys to Life

15. The Six Accomplishments Life Affirming Relationships Community Presence, Participation and Contribution Choice and Expression of One’s Individualism Health and Wellness Life Enhancing Competencies John O’Brien, Connie Lyle-O’Brien and Beth Mount circa 1980

16. Open Heart:The Rule that Guides QualityPerson-Centered Explorationand Support Design “Don’t be a do-gooder. Be a gooder-doer” Wolf Wolfensberger “The success of an intervention depends upon the interior condition of the intervener”. Bill O’Brien

17. Arc of Rensselaer Strategic Plan Strategic Agenda #4: Social Innovation: Creating and Nurturing Organizational Conditions that Enable Right Relationships to Form and Flourish Keys to Life

18. OPEN WILL “MAKE HOPE PALPABLE” John O’Brien Keys to Life

19. Processes That Have Helped AI: Organizations Move in the Direction ofthe Questions They Ask Corollary: Organizations Move in the Direction of Their Practices Organizational Circuitry Will Change with Practice, Practice, Practice, Practice Practice Keys to Life

20. Overarching Strategies

21. SOME MECHANICS • “Paid Neighbors” • Live in Supports • Live in Managers • Family Partnerships Revisiting the definition of 24 hours supports

22. Gary, Edie, Doug and Brian Family Partnerships

23. (Re)Defining Safeguards The degree to which a person’s vulnerabilities (actual and potential) are proactively identified and addressed, the responsiveness of the support system to unforeseen health and safety concerns and the proactive promotion of the person’s health and wellness.

24. OUTCOMES Keys to Life

25. OUTCOMES Keys to Life

26. OUTCOMES George and Brian Keys to Life

27. George on Right Relationships Keys to Life

28. OUTCOMES Mary Ann Keys to Life

29. Closing Thoughts We Really Believe This: INTENTIONALITY BREEDS SERENDIPITY Keys to Life

30. LESSONS LEARNED Structural Innovation is not Social Innovation Innovation and Stability Are Not Mutually Exclusive Life Wasting is Stubborn and Pervasive The Perfect is the Enemy of the Good Not Being Able to See the End Point is OK Ideology is Hamstringing Keys to Life

31. LESSONS LEARNED Stop Asking How Practice, Practice, Practice Hold Sacred Space What is Counterintuitive Can Be Done It Takes Dogged Persistence Keys to Life