Arizona Disability Advocates for Individual Support Plans/Individual Service Plans

The most important responsibility of staff members and administrators at residential group homes is to ensure that the individual needs of all residents are being met. Every resident in a group home, whether they have a physical or developmental disability, has a unique and individual set of needs that need to be addressed in order to ensure the highest quality of life possible.

In order to ensure that group home residents’ individual needs are being met, state and federal laws require that all residents have an Individual Support Plan/Individual Service Plan (ISP). It is crucial that group home staff and administrators are aware of the ISP and that they follow it at all times. If a resident’s ISP is not being followed, the group home staff and administration is acting negligently.

If your loved one is in a residential group home in Phoenix, Glendale, Scottsdale or elsewhere in Maricopa County and you believe that their ISP is not being followed properly, you should discuss it with an Arizona group home abuse lawyer. Filing suit with an Arizona group home abuse lawyer can not only help you and your loved one receive justice, but it can help other residents by preventing the negligent practice in the future.

About ISPs

Individual Support Plans and Individual Service Plans are developed in order to ensure that each group home resident receives individualized care and has the highest quality of life possible. ISPs are developed with the involvement of a large support team, including parents, group home staff, doctors, and representatives of the Arizona Department of Economic Security/Division of Developmental Disabilities (DES/DDD).

An ISP should address the individual strengths and weaknesses of the resident, and it should include matters such as medication, community exposure, hygiene, and plans for improving daily living skills. All staff members are required to follow the ISP at all times and keep log books to document that the ISP is being followed.

Following ISPs

The best way to ensure that your child or other loved one’s ISP is being followed is to visit regularly, get to know the staff, and check the log books to ensure that the ISP is being followed. Parents or other guardians have the right to check log books, and if you are denied this right, the group home is in violation of the law.

If the staff knows a resident’s parents or guardians and knows that they are checking the log books regularly, they are much more likely to pay attention to the ISP and follow it carefully.

In addition to checking log books, it is also important to monitor your child or loved one’s living conditions and progress. If a group home resident is not making expected progress or is living in conditions that do not promote the highest possible quality of life, this may be evidence that the ISP is not being followed.

Contact an Arizona Group Home Abuse Lawyer

If your child or other loved one is a resident of a group home in Phoenix, Tempe, Scottsdale or elsewhere in Maricopa County, and you believe their ISP is not being followed properly, the group home administration may be guilty of negligence. It is best to consult with an Arizona group home abuse lawyer to discuss your case. For more information, please visit http://www.grouphomeabuselawyer.com/