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Supporting Families Community of Practice Evaluation

Changes in Knowledge: Maggie’s Story

“The framework has guided my professional development and built capacity in me to serve selfadvocates and families in a way that is person-centered and proactive.” –Maggie

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 second 

category: increasing knowledge.

Themes across States

Several themes regarding increasing knowledge emerged across all sixteen states participating in 

the evaluation. States noted increased use and dissemination of CtLC tools and principles by CoP 

members. States deploy diverse strategies to help build knowledge, which includes attending and 

administering training on CtLC. CoP members are participating in the Ambassador Series training

to diffuse information learned through state and local training. In addition, CtLC helps state 

systems and organizations reframe their strategies. CoP members cited the value of diffusing the 

framework across sectors, including education. All states are advancing current initiatives, leading 

to changes in thinking and increased understanding of how to best assist families through 

alternative avenues of support for individuals with I/DD and their families across the lifespan. 

States credit the framework for helping individuals and families develop a vision for a good life 

and identify available supports.
Final Draft Personal Story

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Maggie’s Story

Maggie’s story highlights how the CoP and CtLC tools and 

principles promote changes in thinking and knowledge, in 

both professional and personal settings. She notes how 

CtLC has expanded into the education sector and refers to 

her use of the tools in her role at Abilities First and their 

work with Green County School District. Utilizing the tools 

has also enabled Maggie to support her son Max’s 

behavioral health needs at home.

Maggie Rollwagen is an Educational Liaison for Abilities First, an organization focused on inclusion within 

the community for individuals with I/DD. She first learned about CtLC during her leadership team’s 

participation in a training by UMKC. In her role, Maggie uses the CtLC tools to help families articulate 

their needs and promote the effective navigation of support options within schools by linking families to 

additional resources identified by their Supports Star.

As an organization, Abilities First supports the CtLC by spreading use of the tools throughout the 

education field by working with school districts such as the Green County School District (GCSD) in 

Missouri. Use of CtLC can support schools to fulfill Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 

(DESE) requirements. The GSCD has 1,500 students with special education needs but only 5% have 

program support coordinators helping families to navigate their service options. To educate the 

community and coordinate resources, Abilities First uses CtLC to fill the gap in support to families. They 

conduct five community resource events each year, sharing lessons learned with a focus on topics such 

as life transitions, guardianship, and DESE requirements through the lens of the CtLC framework. Maggie 

witnessed firsthand the positive impact CtLC can have when utilized efficiently across sectors.

Using CtLC on a professional level prompted Maggie to explore its use on a personal level. Her stepson 

Max has behavioral challenges that prevent him from inclusion within the school environment. Maggie 

worked with his biological mother using the Life Trajectory as a tool to determine what had and had not 

worked in the past. Doing so resulted in a shared vision, allowing both parties to mitigate tension and 

find a balance among potential support options.

In summary, the CtLC tools have not only supported Maggie in her professional role, but have helped

Maggie to support Max to meet his life goals. With assistance, Max developed the individual portfolio 

providing him with a tangible tool he can use to speak for himself in all settings and across all 

experiences. The CtLC tools changed how Maggie thinks about her family’s life and empowered her to 

share their knowledge with others.