Iliah and his bother utilized an essence planning process to assist all those supporting him in gaining a deeper insight into his social, cultural, and spiritual experiences. Through this process participants came to understand Iliah’s search for nature and quietness to offset the pace and sounds of an urban lifestyle.

This drawing depicts the various aspects of Iliah's life in a visual manner, versus a written document.

Once an individual or family chooses Hope’s supports, the real challenge begins.  In order to provide services and supports that are meaningful, it is essential that the team understands and acknowledges the essence of the person receiving services.

This means asking the individual, along with family members and friends, to share stories that pertain to their history, past experiences, interests, likes and dislikes, wants, needs and desires.  This process enables the team to get a true sense of the person and to help them identify their dreams and aspirations. 

Once the team has completed the process of finding a person’s essence, they must then work together to develop a vision and agreed upon.  The vision then becomes the foundation of the individuals’ support plan.

There are a variety of planning tools and processes that can be utilized based on the unique support needs of an individual.  This allows the team to customize supports that will wrap around the person and create a full life.