Session Title: Person-Centered Language, Technology, and the Shift from Care to Coaching
Session Description: Person-Centered Language is often misunderstood as a list of preferred terms or a moral code for how we speak. In practice, it reflects a deeper
shift in how services are designed and delivered, especially within a Technology First approach. Technology First service models rely on partnership, shared problem-solving, and the expectation that people can direct their own lives with the right tools and supports. Language plays a critical role in that shift. The words we choose can either reinforce dependency and caregiver roles, or support coaching, autonomy, and informed decision-making. This webinar examines how person-centered support language differs from patient-centered care language, and why that distinction matters outside clinical settings. Participants will explore how language shapes power, expectations, and risk-taking in technology-enabled supports, and how to use language intentionally to promote dignity, contribution, and independence while mitigating health and safety risks.
About Patrick: Patrick is the Education Manager with SHIFT. With 20 years of human
services experience, Patrick brings a wealth of knowledge working with adults who have neurodiverse support needs and a passion for developing the professionals that serve them. As a subject-matter expert in Person-Centered practices, he often presents at conferences and advises organizational leaders. In a Person-Centered context, he believes enabling technology offers a generational opportunity for those receiving services to
have more control over lives they have chosen for themselves. Patrick is a mentor with The Learning Community for Person-Centered Practices and holds a graduate degree from Mercer University.
Session Title: Person-Centered Language, Technology, and the Shift from Care to Coaching
Session Description: Person-Centered Language is often misunderstood as a list of preferred terms or a moral code for how we speak. In practice, it reflects a deeper
shift in how services are designed and delivered, especially within a Technology First approach. Technology First service models rely on partnership, shared problem-solving, and the expectation that people can direct their own lives with the right tools and supports. Language plays a critical role in that shift. The words we choose can either reinforce dependency and caregiver roles, or support coaching, autonomy, and informed decision-making. This webinar examines how person-centered support language differs from patient-centered care language, and why that distinction matters outside clinical settings. Participants will explore how language shapes power, expectations, and risk-taking in technology-enabled supports, and how to use language intentionally to promote dignity, contribution, and independence while mitigating health and safety risks.
About Patrick: Patrick is the Education Manager with SHIFT. With 20 years of human
services experience, Patrick brings a wealth of knowledge working with adults who have neurodiverse support needs and a passion for developing the professionals that serve them. As a subject-matter expert in Person-Centered practices, he often presents at conferences and advises organizational leaders. In a Person-Centered context, he believes enabling technology offers a generational opportunity for those receiving services to
have more control over lives they have chosen for themselves. Patrick is a mentor with The Learning Community for Person-Centered Practices and holds a graduate degree from Mercer University.
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