Strategies for organizational change from group homes to individualized supports.
Real change from group homes to individual living needs person-led planning, empowered staff, and strong community ties.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Walker (2012) watched six organizations leave group homes behind.
Each group moved people with developmental disabilities into their own homes or apartments.
The study listed the exact steps they all used to make the change stick.
What they found
All six groups used the same six moves.
They put the person in charge of planning, trained staff to listen, and linked each person to real neighbors and jobs.
Culture change took years, not months.
How this fits with other research
Clarke et al. (1998) showed life inside old-style facilities.
Their data helps you see why Pam’s groups wanted out.
Shogren (2024) picks up Pam’s torch.
Where Pam changed services, A wants to change research itself by letting people with disabilities lead the studies.
Werner et al. (2013) warns that parents still feel stigma during any shift.
You can ease that pain with extra support.
Festinger et al. (1996) found social skills alone do not keep friends.
Pam’s groups add community links, not just skills training, to build lasting ties.
Why it matters
You can copy the six steps in your own agency. Start with one person’s dream plan. Give staff real power to say yes. Then open the front door to neighbors, clubs, and jobs. The shift is slow, but the payoff is a life, not just a placement.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Organizations are increasingly looking to convert from facility-based services for adults with developmental disabilities to individualized supports. Such conversion involves not only a change in services but a transformation of organizational culture. This qualitative study involved four organizations that have made sustained efforts to transform. Although the approach taken by each organization was unique, there were also some common strategies, which included generating commitment to common values and mission, a turn or return to authentic person-centered planning, shifting power and control, using community supports and relationships, moving away from facility-based settings, and nurturing staff engagement. Ultimately, organizational change is an ongoing process that requires organizational perseverance and commitment.
Intellectual and developmental disabilities, 2012 · doi:10.1352/1934-9556-50.5.403