Individual Supports Plan

Coordinating Services, Supporting Individual Choice

When an individual enters the waiver program in Pennsylvania, he/she is assigned a Supports Coordinator Organization (SCO). Supports/Service Coordinator Organizations (SCO) are providers with the primary responsibilities of locating, coordinating, and monitoring needed services and supports for Waiver/Program participants. SCOs can monitor individual health, safety, and service delivery. Because the waiver program emphasizes and prioritizes individual choice, the individual has the right to choose their SCO. SCOs by county are listed here.

An individual’s first Individual Supports Plan (ISP) is developed as soon as a Supports Coordinator (SC) is provided. The SC is responsible for coordinating with a team to review and update the ISP at regularly scheduled reviews and when life changes occur. The team can include family, friends, case management staff, providers, school staff and anyone else the individual would like to invite.

  • Individual Preferences: what is important to the individual and desired activities

  • Medical: current diagnoses, medical concerns, and medications and supplements

  • Health And Safety: knowledge of safe practices associated with cooking / use of appliances and traveling in the community; explanation of what supports are needed for health and safety, for example, assistance needed in the event of a fire

  • Outcomes: what a person desires or needs to occur in their lives

  • Services and Supports:

    • Communication: how the individual communicates with others
    • Supervision: how much supervision is needed when the individual is at home and when they are in the community and when they are receiving services
    • Contact information for each current service provider