How it works
Learning that fits where people live.
FREEDOM Forward is intended for implementation in nursing homes, residential care facilities, group homes, and other supported living settings. The proposed model connects meaningful coursework with opportunities to practice and demonstrate skills in everyday life.
Printed materials created. Digital participation planned.
The program’s printed books have been created. The private digital platform described below is planned: participant accounts, document uploads, staff verification, guardian dashboards, and online enrollment are not yet available. Contact FREEDOM Forward to discuss the materials, your setting, and possible implementation.
One program. Flexible participation.
Printed books, a computer or tablet, or both.
Printed books
Participants complete activities in the physical program books. Staff can help with reading, writing, organizing work, and maintaining signed practice records. In the planned portal, participants or authorized helpers could upload scans or photographs of this work.
Digital learning
The planned platform would give each participant an individual login to access assigned materials, complete activities, review goals, and see progress on a computer or tablet. Assistance and accessibility needs would be built into the participation plan.
A combined approach
Participants could use printed materials for some activities and digital tools for others. Both would contribute to the same Restoration Portfolio, with the source of each item clearly identified.
A traditional classroom would not be required. The proposed delivery model keeps core and supplemental learning connected while allowing facilities to organize individual sessions, supported practice, or small groups around participants’ needs and daily routines.
Learn it. Practice it. Document it.
Two kinds of evidence. One fuller picture of progress.
Completed coursework
Worksheets, reflections, goals, exercises, and projects document the participant’s learning. A participant or authorized helper could submit printed work; digital work would be saved within the planned platform.
Daily-life practice
Staff observations document how a participant applies a skill in everyday life, when it happened, and what support was provided. Completing a worksheet would not automatically mark a practical skill as demonstrated.
- Personal hygiene and self-care routines.
- Laundry, housekeeping, and care of personal and shared spaces.
- Communication, problem-solving, and asking for support.
- Participation in medication routines and medication-related learning, within the existing care plan and staff responsibilities.
Medication-related records would complement the facility’s established documentation. They would not replace medication administration records, change medication orders, or authorize self-administration.
A clear route from activity to portfolio.
01 / Complete and submit
Capture the work
The participant completes an activity. Printed pages and signed records could be scanned or photographed by the participant or an authorized helper. Digital activities would be submitted through the participant’s own account.
02 / Review and verify
Record staff involvement
An assigned accountability partner reviews coursework or records the skill they witnessed. The record distinguishes direct observation, a record reviewed, and participant-reported information. An uploaded signature would not automatically count as authenticated staff verification.
03 / Reflect and build
Keep progress in context
Verified records, coursework, goals, and participant reflections become part of the portfolio. Items awaiting review remain clearly labeled. Participants would be able to add context, questions, or disagreement.
Illustrative example: A participant completes a housekeeping worksheet, then practices cleaning their personal area. A staff member records what they directly observed and whether reminders or assistance were needed. The worksheet and the observation remain separate, connected entries in the portfolio.
Staff sign-off that explains what happened.
Nurses, CNAs, CMTs, L1MAs, social workers, case workers, and other approved staff could serve as accountability partners within their roles and facility policies. Each would use an individual account and verify only the participants and activities they are authorized to support.
Each verification would identify
- The participant, activity, and date it occurred.
- The staff member’s identity and role, and the date of sign-off.
- Whether the activity was directly observed, reported, or supported by a reviewed record.
- The prompting, assistance, or accommodations provided.
- A brief factual observation and any follow-up needed.
The participant’s voice stays part of the record
Progress should show strengths, goals, choices, and the support that makes participation possible. Needing an accommodation would not automatically count as failure. “Not observed” or “not assessed” would remain distinct from “not completed.”
The planned system would retain the original record and a history of later corrections. Sign-off would document the staff member’s statement; it would not guarantee a particular clinical, housing, or legal outcome.
Individual logins. Appropriate access.
The planned private platform would connect the participant’s circle of support without giving every user the same access.
| Individual account | Planned access and involvement |
|---|---|
| Participant | Access their own learning materials, goals, submissions, progress, and portfolio; add reflections and responses. |
| Accountability partner / assigned staff | Review relevant work and record observations or attestations for assigned participants. |
| Facility coordinator | Coordinate participation, assign approved staff, and follow outstanding work and reviews within their facility. |
| Guardian / authorized representative | Review permitted progress and portfolio information for the participant they are authorized to support. This could include a family guardian or public administrator. |
| Program administrator | Manage curriculum, accounts, licensing, and support, with participant-record access restricted to the role’s authorized needs. |
A guardian account would be optional where applicable. Identity, authority, and the scope of access would need to be verified; being a guardian would not automatically expose every private record. Staff and supporters would have separate accounts, and access would be updated when assignments or authorizations change.
A portfolio built over time, with the participant.
The Restoration Portfolio is intended to bring the participant’s learning and everyday experience together in an organized record:
- Completed bookwork and digital activities, with their sources identified.
- Personal goals, strengths, reflections, and achievements.
- Staff observations, support provided, and verification history.
- Periodic progress reviews and areas for continued practice.
- An organized export that can be shared through an authorized process.
This record can support informed conversations with the participant and their support team. It is not a clinical determination, a legal finding, or a promise of restored rights or a change in living arrangements.
Start with a practical facility plan.
Prepare together
- Identify a facility coordinator and a small initial participant group.
- Agree on goals, accommodations, staff responsibilities, and permissions.
- Select printed, digital when available, or combined participation.
Learn from implementation
- Orient participants and accountability partners.
- Build learning and observation opportunities into daily routines.
- Review workload, participant experience, evidence quality, and next steps together.
Participation, licensing, printed-material options, onboarding, and pricing are still being developed. Facilities can contact FREEDOM Forward to discuss their needs and interest in future implementation. This website is not currently taking enrollment payments.
Please use the contact form for general program questions. Participant documents and medical records should not be sent through the public contact form.