Person-Centered Templates
DODD's assessment template and Individual Service Plan template, plus guidance on using the fillable forms.
Open resourceTraining module
Review of ISP
Each person who receives developmental disabilities services must have an Individual Service Plan (ISP). The plan tells you what supports the person receives, how they want them delivered, and how to keep them safe.
What an ISP is
- Every person who receives developmental disabilities services in Ohio must have an Individual Service Plan (ISP), sometimes called a service plan or simply a plan.
- The county board identifies a service and support administrator (SSA) who develops the ISP with the active participation of the person and their team.
- The team is the group of people the person chooses to help direct the development of their plan — family, guardian, friends, providers, and the SSA.
- The ISP lists the services, supports, and activities to be provided, including natural supports from family, friends, and the community.
- The ISP authorizes services; the PAWS plan authorizes DODD to pay for them. A service must be in the ISP before it is delivered.
- DODD's person-centered planning templates (assessment template and individual service plan template) must be used for people enrolled in Home and Community Based Services waivers and for people living in Intermediate Care Facilities.
- OhioISP has been retired; plans are now written using DODD's accessible, fillable person-centered templates.
What you will find in the plan
- Who the person is: preferences, routines, what is important TO them and important FOR them
- Personal outcomes and goals, and the steps and supports needed to reach them
- Each service authorized, who provides it, how often, and for how long
- Health and medical needs, medications, and any required protocols
- Risks identified for the person and the specific strategies that address each risk
- Behavioral support strategies and any restrictive measures approved for the person
- Emergency and back-up plans, including who to call and what to do
- Communication needs and how the person expresses choices
- Transportation needs and authorized transportation services
Your responsibilities as staff
- Read the full ISP for every person you support before your first shift with them, and re-read it after every revision.
- Follow the plan exactly as written — services, schedules, protocols, and risk strategies are not optional.
- Deliver only services that are authorized in the ISP; never add, substitute, or skip an authorized service.
- Document each shift so your notes match the outcomes and services listed in the plan.
- Support the person's choices and independence in the way the plan describes, using person-centered language.
- Report changes in the person's needs, health, behavior, or circumstances to your supervisor and the SSA so the plan can be revised.
- Report any suspected rights violation, abuse, neglect, or exploitation immediately under MUI/UI requirements.
- Participate in team meetings and ISP reviews when invited — your day-to-day observations shape the plan.
- Keep the ISP and everything in it confidential under HIPAA and agency policy.
Reviews and revisions
- The ISP is reviewed and updated at least annually, and any time the person's needs or circumstances change.
- A revised plan replaces the old one — always work from the current version on file.
- Warm Hearts keeps a current copy of each person's ISP; ask the office if you do not have the latest version.
ISP forms and resources
Service Planning and Coordination
DODD's overview of service planning, the SSA role, and how Individual Service Plans are developed.
Open resourceService Authorization Guide (eMBS)
How the ISP, cost projection tool, and PAWS plan work together to authorize and pay for waiver services.
Open resourceService Documentation Guide
Documentation requirements that tie your daily notes back to the services authorized in the ISP.
Open resourceYour sign-off is emailed to the office for your training file. Ready for the next module?
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