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 PLAN
Planned Lifetime Assistance Network
Although PLAN is not a program or service provided by NAMI Ohio, we support and appreciate these opportunities to plan for the future of our loved ones.
"We applaud approaches like PLAN that help families to help their own family members." Michael Hogan, Ph.D., Director, Ohio Dept. of Mental Health
Who will care for my loved one when I no longer can?
 Caring for a relative with mental illness or another disability can be a difficult and unsettling issue. But a deeper source of concern to many families and friends is how to provide for the required level of care when the family or friend is no longer able or available to do so. Until recently there was no satisfactory answer to this dilemma that did not involve siblings or other relative's agreement to take on the responsibility. Alternatively, a trust officer or attorney was appointed as guardian, a task which could involve distance and expense.
Today we are more fortunate. The Planned Lifetime Assistance Network (PLAN) offers - among other things - peace of mind by assisting in setting up a service plan (contracted services) which maintains continued care and supervision of the disabled person. As a response to the concerns of families with a mentally disabled member, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) established a Guardianship and trust Network in the early 1980s. The need for an organized, effective and affordable way to support family members with disabilities both now and in the future has led to the development of Planned Lifetime Assistance Network (PLAN) organizations across the country.
What Types of Services Will PLAN Provide?
Anything that will help individuals become more self-sufficient and enhance the quality of life. This can vary from appointment of a representative payee to help with management of finances, to simply being there as a friend or companion, from encouraging or assisting in a crisis to helping learn living skills or finding suitable housing.
Who Will Provide Services?
A qualified professional - a Family Advocate -will guide your loved one in organizing daily chores, recreational activities, and living and financial arrangements. This professional will also help in preparing the personal plan of care according to the needs of your family, your loved one, and/or guardian. While PLAN's day-to-day operations are managed by a competent, experienced staff of professionals committed to working with families, the overall direction of each PLAN is determined by a volunteer Board of Directors composed of consumers of services and family members of disabled persons. The Board meets regularly to make sure that the quality of services provided by each PLAN is the best and most relevant. Any family that receives services from PLAN may participate in Board activities.
Who Does PLAN Serve?
Families and friends of disabled persons are served directly by PLAN, but all the plans are for the benefit of the entire family. It is crucial to the PLAN organization that your loved one lives as independently as possible and, as the direct result of carefully planned arrangements, lives a life of quality.
PLAN is not limited to serving families who have relatives with a mental illness, but also works with families who have members with other disabilities (mental retardation, head injury, etc.). An important feature of PLAN is to advocate - to bridge any gaps that may exist between the family, community service agencies, and the disabled individual.
"PLAN can give families comfort in knowing they can provide additional security for their loved ones even after they are gone." Velma Beale, Past President, NAMI Ohio
Does PLAN Affect Benefits?
Enrollment in PLAN will not jeopardize current government benefits (SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, etc.).
How Does PLAN Work?
PLAN staff and family members work together to determine needs and resources and to develop a Personal Plan of Care for each family. Services may vary somewhat from PLAN to PLAN, but in general, there may be services which families want to utilize right away, such as regular personal contact, transportation, liaison with family, client, and/or community services and agencies, monitor to assure continuation of benefits, representative payee, money management, household and personal shopping, prevention or resolution of a crisis or legal difficulty. Future services enable a family to anticipate the future needs of a loved one through a Personal Plan of Care which takes into account the unique situation faced by each family, and which attempts to provide a comprehensive care plan throughout the life of the disabled person. This includes financial and estate planning to insure that the individual continues to receive public benefits and entitlements.
Where is the Nearest PLAN Located?
There are now PLANs similar to those in Ohio in more than a dozen states across the nation with more than 18 individual programs in existence. It is expected that in due time there will be at least one or more PLANs in all fifty states. PLAN programs in Ohio are members of the National PLAN Alliance, endorsed by NAMI. There are currently five PLANs operating in Ohio.
PLAN of Northwest Ohio provides service in 22 counties. For further information or to enroll, contact Cindy Brock, PLAN of Northwest Ohio, United Health Services, 419-242-9587 or e-mail: Cindyb@uhs-toledo.org
PLAN of Northeast Ohio may be contacted at: 3130 Mayfield Rd., Suite GW 112, Cleveland Hts, OH 44118, or call (216) 321-3611 for more information or to set up an appointment with a PLAN Family Advocate.
PLAN of Southeast Ohio may be contacted at: NAMI Athens, 100 Hospital Drive, Athens, OH 45701, or call (740) 593-6919.
www.namiathensohio.org
PLAN of Southwest Ohio, Inc. may be contacted at:8075 Reading Rd., Suite 214, Cincinnati, OH 45237, phone 513-821-6111, Fax 513-821-6141, or e-mail: planofsouthwestoh@fuse.net . Dr. Stacy A. Martz, Executive Director is available for consultation in the office during normal office hours.
 PLAN of Central Ohio, (plan-co), may be contacted at; Anita Rigsby Szuch, MA; Executive Director, 1221 Riverside Drive, Columbus, OH 43221, Phone: (614) 586-4049, Fax: (614) 596-4051, e-mail planco@wowway.com
Visit the website.
Contact the National Plan Alliance at 193 Woodlawn Ave., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, phone: 518-587-3372.
E-mail NAMI Ohio
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