Personal Futures Planning
Reaching career and financial goals through structure and collaboration
What is Personal Futures Planning?
The Personal Futures Planning (also known as Discovery & Career Planning) program helps individuals with diverse abilities create a vision for their future, set career and financial goals, and identify the resources needed to achieve long-term success. We also connect with local employers around the Fox Cities area to develop work experience programs. In addition to we also provide post-secondary support such as study skills and assignment/project timelines and chunking.
Who Can Benefit From Our Program?
Our Personal Futures Planning program is helpful for any individual with a diverse ability looking for person-centered and future-oriented support. We’ve found this program particularly helpful for those going through a transitional period, such as young adults transitioning from school to adulthood, college/tech school, or employment.
What We Do
Focus on Freedom’s Personal Futures Planning program is customized to fit the needs of the individual and their employer (or future career goals for those who have not yet entered the workforce). We start by honing in on key interests and building skills, then provide advocacy and ongoing support to ensure success in various roles.
We currently offer this program in Winnebago, Outagamie, and Fond du Lac counties. In addition to employment planning, we also support transitions to post-secondary education by helping individuals build study skills, organizational strategies, and break down assignments and projects into manageable timelines.
Discover Interests
The process usually begins by gathering information about the individual’s current situation, strengths, preferences, and aspirations. This involves:
- Interviews and discussions with the individual about their interests and goals
- Interviews and discussions with the individual’s support network, including family, friends, teachers, and current employers
- Home and community-based observation and assessments
- Identifying support, resources, and services necessary for the individual to reach their goals
Create an Action Plan
Once the goals and supports have been identified, we focus on outlining specific steps, timelines, and responsibilities to help the individual progress toward their goal. The plan focuses on training, strategies, and contingency plans to address potential challenges, including:
- Daily skills training to boost independence at work and home
- Help with applications and interviewing as needed
- Practice handling challenging job-related situations
Partner with Local Employers
The collaborative process includes working with businesses across Winnebago, Outagamie, and Fond du Lac counties to develop mutually beneficial employment opportunities. We collaborate with employers in a variety of ways:
- Identifying candidates who may be a good fit for open roles
- Educating about inclusion and the benefits of hiring individuals with diverse abilities
- Advocating for reasonable workplace accommodations to support individuals with diverse abilities in their roles
- Ongoing support and monitoring to make sure the role is a good fit
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have questions about personal futures planning or our other services, we’re here to help! Use our FAQs page to learn more about our services, staff, processes and more.
Request a Personal Futures Planning Consultation Today
Getting started with our personal futures planning is simple! Fill out our online form below and we’ll schedule a free consultation to discuss your goals and answer questions.
