Bring the different pieces together and find a clearer
place to start.
Explore needs, capacity, pressures, strengths, existing
supports and possible support gaps — without assuming
everything has the same cause.
When health, sensory needs, capacity, daily life,
relationships and other pressures overlap, it can be
difficult to see what is making life harder — or where
support might make the biggest difference.
An ALPIMS Support Map brings the different
pieces together. It can help identify what is affecting the
person, what is using capacity, what already helps, where
there may be support gaps, and which areas might be useful
to explore next.
This is not about finding everything that is “wrong”.
It is about creating a more useful picture of the person and
their current circumstances — including strengths, existing
supports, things that are already working and areas where
life could perhaps be made easier.
See some examples
Explore ALPIMS Support Maps
Different people can have very different combinations of
needs, pressures, strengths and useful supports. These
examples show how the ALPIMS lens can be applied to a
whole person rather than a single condition.
Work through seven short steps. Choose what seems important
now rather than trying to describe everything.
A note before you begin
This is an educational and support-planning tool. It does not
diagnose medical or mental health conditions and is not a
substitute for individual assessment, diagnosis, treatment or
advice from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Step 1 of 7Support Map
1. Who is this Support Map for?
Choose the option that best fits how you are using the tool.
2. What is part of the picture?
Choose the areas that seem relevant. These are not diagnoses —
they are simply parts of the picture worth considering.
3. What is hardest right now?
Choose the areas that are having the biggest effect on everyday life.
Try to focus on what matters most today rather than everything
that has ever been difficult.
4. What is using capacity or increasing the load?
Something does not have to be impossible to be costly.
Include things that leave less capacity for what comes next.
Things that use capacity
What tends to take a lot out of the person?
Things that increase the load
What seems to make functioning harder?
5. What is already supporting the person?
A useful Support Map includes strengths and protective factors,
not only difficulties.
Strengths & personal resources
Things that already help
6. Where might there be a mismatch?
Sometimes the difficulty is not simply the person or the symptom.
Demand, environment, expectations and available support may not
currently fit the person’s capacity or needs.
7. What might make the biggest useful difference?
Choose up to three. These will become the
priorities on the finished Support Map.
Choose up to three priorities.
My ALPIMS Support Map
A clearer picture of what may help
This map reflects the selections made today.
Current picture
What is hardest right now
Capacity costs
Things increasing the load
Strengths & protective factors
Things already helping
Possible support gaps
What this map may be showing
Priorities selected
Start here
You do not need to work on the whole map.
A useful next step can be small.
Reduce one source of unnecessary load.
Protect one thing that is already helping.
Make one difficult activity easier.
Ask for help with one specific part.
Take one concern or question to an appropriate professional.
Keep the map for now. You do not have to act on everything today.
ALPIMS starting points
These suggestions are based on the areas selected.
Choose what seems useful rather than trying to explore everything.
Questions, notes or something important to remember
Add a next step, something to discuss with family,
or a question to take to a health or other professional.
Important information
The ALPIMS Support Map is intended for general educational,
reflection and support-planning purposes. It is not a diagnostic
tool and does not replace personalised medical, psychological,
allied health or other professional assessment, diagnosis,
treatment or advice.
Symptoms and changes in functioning can have many causes.
Discuss ongoing, worsening, new or concerning symptoms,
significant changes in functioning, and questions about treatment
or management with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Do not start, stop or change medication, treatment or other
medical management solely on the basis of this tool. Seek urgent
medical care when symptoms may require immediate assessment.
A Support Map reflects the person’s selections at a particular
point in time. Needs, capacity, priorities and circumstances can
change. It should not be treated as a diagnosis, a measure of
overall ability, or a fixed description of the person.
