Services & Supports Definitions: Developmental Disabilities Program: is the name of the office within the Florida Department of Children & Families (DCF) that is charged with providing assistance to adults and children with developmental disabilities. It is the main source of services for people with developmental disabilities in the State of Florida, and has offices located in 15 service districts across the state. In order to receive services, an individual (or parent or guardian) must first contact a local district office to become a client (consumer) of the Program. The process consists of completing a written application and providing documentation of the presence of a developmental disability. Existing medical or educational records, or reports from disability agencies, may serve as the required documentation. If no such records are available, the Program will arrange the necessary evaluation to determine the individual's eligibility. Family Care Councils (FCCs): are independent volunteer bodies that represent the concerns of families and people with developmental disabilities in Florida. The mandate establishing the Councils can be found in the Developmental Disabilities Act, Chapter 393 of the Florida Statutes. One Council exists in each of the 15 service districts of the Developmental Disabilities Program. The general purposes of the FCCs are to: advise district Developmental Disabilities Program staff on local service priorities, educate and inform other area families and consumers and, advocate on behalf of individuals with disabilities and their families. Each FCC meets on a regular (usually monthly) basis. All meetings are open to the public and families are encouraged to attend and share questions. Services: are activities that are especially designed to meet the specific needs of people with disabilities. A service is always provided through some type of formal system, which often has criteria that a person must meet to be eligible to receive the service. Because these services have a cost (borne by the state or federal government or by a third party), they are sometimes referred to as paid supports. Services are also limited in the amounts, times and places where they are available. Services may be provided in the person's home, elsewhere in the community or in designated special care settings. Examples of some services are special transportation and personal care assistance. Supports: are all of the things that help a person with a disability to live his/her life. A support can be a person, an activity or a thing…such as a device that adapts the person's environment in some way. A support may also be the help provided by a friend or family member, or a resource from the general community. These latter forms of help are called informal or natural supports because they are provided at no cost (e.g., one neighbor picking up groceries for another). A paid service is considered to be a type of formal support. Support Plan: is the document that details the individually tailored service needs, preferences, hopes and dreams of the individual with a disability. It also contains the service plan, which is the basis for the cost plan. The Developmental Disabilities Program must first approve this Cost Plan before any services can be obtained. While a support plan can be updated whenever the needs of the individual change, it must be reviewed and updated at least annually. Support Planning: is the process of identifying service needs, developing support and cost plans and coordinating the delivery of services to the individual. A paid professional known as a support coordinator conducts this process with the individual and his/her family. Support Coordinator: is the professional responsible for helping plan, develop, coordinate and monitor supports and services. It is the support coordinator's job to learn about the individual and family, help identify life goals and outcomes important to the individual and, secure the supports and services necessary to attain those goals. The support coordinator also monitors the ongoing provision of services and the progress made by the individual in reaching those goals. A support coordinator who works with people under the Medicaid Waiver is interviewed and hired by the individual and his/her family. A support coordinator who works with people not on the Waiver is generally a state employee, who is assigned to work with certain individuals and families. In either case, the individual or family can request a change in support coordinators when they are dissatisfied with the coordinator's performance or if unresolved conflicts arise.

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