Liam· age 10
Positive Behavior Support Plan
Step 1 of 5 · What was happening
Becomes upset during transitions (crying, refusing to move, throwing objects).
What was happening
TREATMENT
Systems & Workforce
Treatment approaches, positive behavior supports, and outcomes across systems serving IDD/A and SUD.
Chapter 01
Charting the LifeCourse & Person-Centered Practice
A person- and family-driven framework for imagining a good life, planning across every domain and life stage, and connecting the full range of supports — the operating system for person-centered practice at the IDD/A + SUD intersection.
Framework
Charting the LifeCourse
Charting the LifeCourse (CtLC) is a person- and family-driven framework developed by the UMKC Institute for Human Development. It helps people with IDD/A and their families imagine a good life, plan across every life domain and life stage, and connect the full range of supports — not just paid services — to make that life real. It is the operating system underneath person-centered practice at the IDD/A + SUD intersection.
Six guiding principles
How CtLC shapes practice
Use these as a quick gut-check on any plan, meeting, or treatment decision.
Life domains
Plan across all six — not just the easy ones
A good life isn't just housing and a day program. Tap each domain for what good support looks like at the IDD/A + SUD intersection.
Life stages
Whole-life planning, not crisis-to-crisis
Today's decisions are shaped by what came before — and shape what comes next. Click a stage to see the focus.
Stage focus · 14–24
Employment exploration, post-secondary, healthy relationships, SUD prevention.
LifeCourse tools & portfolio
The instruments person-centered teams actually use
Each tool can be used on its own, or together as a living LifeCourse Portfolio that the person and family own.
At the IDD/A + SUD intersection
What this changes for SUD work
Click each shift to see how it shows up in day-to-day practice.
Chapter 02
💬 Communication Supports
🔑 Effective communication is foundational for preventing and reducing challenging behavior (demanding, avoidance, attention seeking). Supports must align with a person's expressive and receptive language abilities.
Fletcher et al., 2022
Helpful Communication Techniques
Three everyday moves that lower the temperature of any interaction. Try the scenarios first, then open a card for the full breakdown.
Try it · Scenario 1 of 3
Monday morning. Maya arrives at the day program looking tired and avoids eye contact.
What's the best opening?
McGilvery & Sweetland, 2011
Communication Strategies
Three strategies for harder conversations — overwhelm, self-judgment, refusal. Click to see the scripted dialogue and what makes it work.
Case examples
Communication supports in practice
Four people, four different functions of behavior. Click a card to see the plan and the outcome.
Sophia· age 18
ABA Intervention
Step 1 of 5 · What was happening
Cries or hits when she wants snacks or drinks but can't express needs.
What was happening
Shana· age 20
Communication Supports
Step 1 of 5 · What was happening
Became physically aggressive during group activities.
What was happening
Derek· age 32
Social & Environmental Supports
Step 1 of 5 · What was happening
Stopped attending his vocational program regularly. Felt ignored during break times.
What was happening
Chapter 03
🚧 Common Barriers to Collaboration
A. Fragmented Funding and Eligibility ▼
Four barriers show up again and again when IDD/A, SUD, mental health, housing, and justice systems try to work together. Open a card to see how each barrier looks in practice, what shifts help, and a quick scenario to test your eye.
Building Together
Building a Responsive System of Care
No single system can hold the whole person. A responsive system is woven from many partners — each with a clear role and a habit of collaboration. Tap any system to see what it brings, then try the exercise below to assemble the right team for a real scenario.
INTEGRATED · PERSON-CENTERED · COLLABORATIVE
Practice scenarios
0 / 3 solvedTry it · Build the team
Luis is being discharged from the hospital tomorrow. He has an intellectual disability and stimulant use disorder, and lives alone. Which systems should be at the discharge huddle?
Picked 0
Collaborative Systems of Care
Six Core Collaboration Principles
Six principles anchor coordinated care across IDD/A, SUD, and mental health systems. Tap any principle to see what it looks like in real practice.
Systems Collaboration
Building Sustainable Cross-System Partnerships
Sustainable collaboration is not a one-time initiative. Tap any element to see what it looks like in practice and why it matters.
Chapter 04
Building a Responsive System of Care
A responsive system is built every day — in policy, in supervision, in how risk is understood, and in how systems collaborate.