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Supporting Families Community of Practice Evaluation

Changes in Practice: Ty’s Story

“The Charting the LifeCourse Framework makes it easy for me to see how to get to my goals or be 

taken down a not so happy path. It is something I am able to complete all by myself and keep with me 

for reassurance, like a diary to show me I have control of my life. I am able to share it with others or 

keep it to myself. The Community of Practice is helping people be more aware of ways people can 

make a difference in their own life and the lives of others.”—Ty

Overview

In 2012 the Administration for Community Living (ACL) funded the development of a National 

Community of Practice for Supporting Families (CoP) to help state agencies and stakeholders, 

such as families, make systemic changes that positively impacts individuals with intellectual and 

developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families. The CoP is driven by a set of principles that 

comprise the Charting the LifeCourse (CtLC) framework designed by and for families through the 

University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC)-Institute for Human Development. The core belief of 

the CtLC framework is that all people have the right to live, love, work, play and pursue their life 

aspirations in their community.

In 2017, ACL funded an evaluation 

of the CoP to identify measurable 

outcomes achieved by the sixteen 

participating states. The evaluation 

uses five categories to evaluate the 

benefits of the CoP and CtLC: 

sharing information and creating 

partnerships, increasing knowledge, 

changing practice, improving 

performance, and redefining success. 

This document highlights themes 

observed across states that relate to 

the third category: changing

practice.

Themes across States

Several themes in the area of changing practice emerged across all sixteen states participating in 

the evaluation. Many states report policy changes that led to improved support services for 

families, crediting the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) home and communitybased services (HCBS) settings final rule for influencing these advances. States cited implementing 

new waivers that embed CtLC principles and language, as well as revising eligibility guidelines for 

services, as additional changes in practice. States changed existing programs and services, 

including employment and assistive technology. States revised ISP forms, administrative 

procedures, and hiring processes to align with the CtLC framework.
Final Draft Personal Story

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Ty’s Story

Ty Lyn Ferguson is a self-advocate from Ohio who

uses the CtLC tools and framework to help her achieve 

her goals. Ty learned about CtLC through Project 

STIR, a training program that provides self-advocates 

with knowledge to empower them and other 

individuals with I/DD. Barb Sapharas and Dana 

Charlton, members of Ohio’s CoP, are responsible for 

embeding CtLC principles into Project STIR’s 

curriculum.

The state of Ohio dedicates time and resource to help reframe the conversations around support 

options for individuals with disabilities and their families. One organization of note is the Ohio SelfDetermination Association (OSDA), which fosters change throughout the state by helping individuals 

with I/DD and their families self-direct their lives. In pursuit of this goal, OSDA brought Project STIR to 

Ohio. Project STIR is a training program designed to support self-advocates by providing them the tools 

to empower themselves, mobilize others, and gain leadership experiences. Dana Charlton, Executive 

Director of OSDA and Barb Sapharas, Ambassador for Ohio, National CoP team member, and board 

member of OSDA, joined forces to integrate CtLC tools and principles into Project STIR. During the 

spring of 2019, Statewide Trainers and Coaches from Project STIR were trained using the updated 

curriculum.

Members of Ohio’s Community of Practice recognize the benefits of embedding CtLC tools and 

principles into existing programs, like Project STIR. Instead of developing new avenues for diffusion, 

the CoP focused on building upon existing structures. Barb and Dana attended a Project STIR training 

and deliberated where the CtLC tools could offer value to the existing curriculum. The final decision 

included incorporating the One-Page Portfolio, the Trajectory Worksheet, and the Integrated Supports 

Star.

Project STIR leaders, with the support of OSDA and the CoP, hosted an event for a select group of 

coaches and trainers to evaluate changes made to the program. Participants were incredibly 

enthusiastic about the new tools. The coaches cited how concise and effective the training was, while 

trainers emphasized the skills it gave them to use in their daily lives. To date, 30 statewide trainers and 

27 coaches have had exposure to CtLC.

Ty Lyn Ferguson is a statewide trainer. She credits many of her life’s successes to Project STIR, 

highlighting how the addition of CtLC tools into the training materials enhance her ability to empower 

herself and others. Ty uses the tools like a diary, allowing her to think about her trajectory on a daily 

basis. She constantly writes down what she learns from those around her and keeps track of 

interventions that have worked and ones that have not. Ty regularly sets new goals for herself and is 

able to achieve them with the support of the tools. She is just one of the many individuals who have 

benefited from using the CtLC tools and framework.

In summary, embedding CtLC into existing programs, such as Project STIR helps promote the diffusion 

of the tools and framework. These changes in practice can lead to better experiences navigating 

services and supports for individuals like Ty, and their families.