Step Two- Understanding Services & Supports

Step Two: Understanding Services and Supports

Do you understand what is meant by the terms,
services and supports?

Though the terms services and supports are common enough in everyday conversation, the way these terms are used when referring to people with disabilities can be confusing. Most of the time, professionals use these words together, as in a catalog of services and supports. The simplest way to understand what they mean is to remember this: supports are all of the things a particular person with a disability needs in his/her life. A support may be a service, an activity, a person or a thing, such as an environmental aid. The supports one person needs will be different from those needed by another.

A service is probably the most recognized type of support. A service is designed to meet a specific need of a person with a disability, such as special transportation. A service is generally regarded as a paid support and is often funded by a government, either federal, state or local. Because paid services are defined and limited by the entity paying, they are also called "formal supports."

Probably all of us, with and without disabilities, have some "informal supports" in our lives: people who help us personally, without payment. We may not call them such, but friends and family members often serve as naturally occurring, informal supports in times of minor problems (a car breakdown, a bout of the flu) or major life crises (a serious illness, loss of a job, a divorce). For a person with a disability, informal supports can be a source of enduring and consistent help (a grocery-shopping neighbor, a helpful co-worker, etc.). Therefore, in addition to the services planned, support coordinators may stress the need to identify or locate informal supports to meet some of the needs of the individual with a disability.

Community resources often provide recreational supports that are available to all local residents. These could be movies or special events sponsored by a branch library, recreation programs or dances conducted by a city or town, or concerts sponsored by a local radio station. People with and without disabilities can avail themselves of such resources.

When planning supports, it is also important to consider eligibility. Paid services frequently have some kind of eligibility criteria; their availability may also be limited to certain places and times. Informal services have no such restrictions.

The term support coordinator may be new for some families. A person bearing a more familiar title of "case manager", once carried out many of the same job functions. Simply put, a support coordinator is the professional paid to help you and your loved one identify and plan for the supports and services needed to reach the individual's desired life goals and outcomes. This person-centered activity is called the support planning process. It is the time when you and family member should make your individual choices and preferences known.

The support coordinator will first get to know you and your loved one, to help you come up with the most appropriate and effective support plan. Once the supports and services are underway, the support coordinator will monitor and evaluate their effectiveness, as well as check your satisfaction with them. As a result of ongoing contact with you and your loved one, the support coordinator will make any necessary adjustments to the services and supports. Together, you will review/update the support plan once a year.

The "Medicaid Waiver" in the Developmental Disabilities Program is only one of several such waivers that the State of Florida has entered into with the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), to provide care to the most vulnerable of the State's residents. This Home and Community Based Services Waiver makes it possible for an individual with severe disabilities to receive the services he/she needs in a local community setting, rather than in an institution such as an ICF/DD. The avoidance of an institution and the option of individual choices in services and providers are the hallmarks of the Medicaid Waiver.

Typically, through the Waiver, a person will be provided with a meaningful day activity, transportation, necessary health care, a safe place to live that has adequate supervision and assistance and, any necessary medical therapies.

If your relative was denied services and you believe the decision was wrong, do you know what actions you can take next?

If your answer to these questions was NO, or if you want more information about these issues, go to the Services & Supports "Frequently Asked Questions" section by Clicking Here.

Do you understand all of the terms associated with support coordination and the support planning process?

Do you know why it's important for your loved one to have an approved cost plan?

Do you know why the Family Care Council can be an important resource for you, especially in understanding changes in the Developmental Disabilities Program and the services available in your local area?

If your answer to any of these questions was NO, go to "Definitions" of Services & Supports by Clicking Here.