Family Support

Family Support 360 Fact Sheet

Overview

Through the Family Support 360 (FS 360) initiative, ADD has provided planning and implementation grant opportunities to create one-stop centers to assist the families of individuals with developmental disabilities (DD).
In FY 2004, 21 entities were funded for five years to implement, and in FY 2009, 7 entities were funded to plan and implement Family Support 360 Centers.  Applicants were required to be designated as the lead entity for their State/Territory by their Governor and work in partnership with the DD Network (DD Council, Protection and Advocacy System, and University Center on Developmental Disabilities), family members, policymakers, and others in their State/Territory. In addition, applicants identified an unserved or underserved population in their State/Territory, on which to focus their efforts.  These grantees are working with families in a variety of community settings to assist them in locating and navigating public human service agencies, as well as connecting to private community organizations.  
In FY 2008, ADD awarded grants to four entities, and in FY 2009, an additional six grants were awarded to plan and implement one-stop centers for military families.  While many service programs are available in this country, human service systems often fail to meet the diverse needs of an individual with developmental disabilities and his or her family. A family may need several services, and many human service systems address primarily one need, such as health, education, or employment. These systems usually focus on one individual, not the person and his or her family. Military families usually navigate two systems – civilian and military. Each project will assist 20 families in year one, and 40 families each year in the second through fifth years.

Family Support 360 Goals

Families need access to comprehensive systems of family support services that are family-centered and family-directed, and that provide families with the greatest possible decisionmaking authority and control regarding the nature and use of services and supports for them and their members with disabilities. Families need to have the opportunity to participate in the design of family support services. Initiatives that involve and center on families, and promote and develop coordination and collaboration among agencies responsible for providing the services will contribute to family preservation and strengthening.
The FS 360 initiative differs from other family support efforts in that it views the family as a unit and provides services for the entire family, not just the individual with a developmental disability. Existing service agencies often focus on the individual with DD and provide only one type of service, such as childcare or an educational evaluation, for that individual. The FS 360 initiative seeks to assist the entire family. This means not only the member with the DD, but also the mother, father, siblings, and even the grandparents and children of individuals with DD.
Families participate in one family-friendly information collection process. From the information collected, center staff and where appropriate, other agency personnel, work with the individual family to determine the services needed and the best way to qualify for those services. Families participate in writing a family service plan (FSP), which describes the services they may receive, as well as the steps to be taken to secure the services. Through the FSP, families may be assisted with a broad range of needs, for example, accessing health care, childcare, early intervention, education, employment, marriage education, financial education, transportation, housing, respite care, and assistance in maintaining parental rights. If a family encounters a problem once the plan is implemented, staff at the one-stop will help get things back on track.

Family Support 360 Technical Support:

In the FY 2009, BETAH Associates of Bethesda, Maryland was awarded the contract to provide technical assistance to ADD’s Family Support grantees. The BETAH staff is tasked with coordinating the annual grantee technical assistance institute, hosting conference calls, providing expert knowledge upon request, and facilitating peer-to-peer grantee learning and problem solving. Through this contract, a technical assistance web site has also been developed which may be viewed at: www.addfamilysupport360.org.

To view Family Support 360 Programs by state/territory, please click here.