Good Life Network OACB Good Life Practitioner Willie Jones believes that the vast majority of people who enter the Developmental Disability (DD) field do so for the right reason – a desire to help people. Many times, however, these well-meaning professionals are expected to deliver care under an “old mental model.” The old mental model results in approaches that are often disrespectful and not focused on the needs of the people with developmental disabilities we serve.
The Good Life is a "new mental model" that focuses on the ability of professionals to show compassion, appreciation, and respect – not only with the people they serve, but also with their professional peers. The Good Life mental model is about great relationships and collaborations to enhance services. The Good Life focuses on helping people live a good life using some fundamental tools based on compassion, appreciation, and respect.
Evolution of Good Life Facilitator Training
The Ohio Association of County Boards (OACB) has been committed to advancing the skills and practices of developmental disabilities professionals since its founding. OACB began to offer Good Life Network Facilitator training in 2011. Willie Jones and Pete Moore developed the Good Life approach to provide county boards and providers with opportunities to promote positive and respect-based cultures while ensuring a high level of customer service.
Pete and Willie learned that the traditional "in-service" training approach cannot truly break down old mental models and replace them with new, respect-based skills and techniques. This was why they co-developed a way for organizations to advance professional development for their employees by enabling them to discover their talents, skills, and contributions.
The Good Life design is similar to a train the trainer format. However, the OACB model is different in that we use a facilitator and learning experience model. Good Life Facilitators are able to offer Learning Experiences to DD professionals to enable them to move through the four stages of learning and professional development. There are now more than 450 Good Life Facilitators spread across the state.
For more information about the Good Life training model, to inquire about inviting Willie to come to your board, or to simply share feedback about the Good Life program, send an email to wjones@oacbdd.org.
Last updated September 2018 | 