Health Care Policy--CSS Family Support Project

Project Sites
Two diverse project sites have been selected. One in Wyandotte County and the other in Southeast Kansas (Woodson, Allen, Bourbon and Neosho Counties). These areas represent two distinct types of service areas in the state of Kansas - urban (Wyandotte) and rural (SE Kansas). Each experiences a unique set of challenges in providing family supports and other services to families of and people with disabilities.

Project Staff
Local project staff will help coordinate family support services in each area and will provide support to a Local Family Support Advisory Council. Families of children with disabilities in need of additional supports can contact Sean at the address above or Gene or Elaine at the addresses listed below:

Wyandotte County
Gene Holland
Bethphage, Kansas City
8047 Parallel Parkway
Kansas City, KS 66112
(913) 788-7666 x31
gholland2002@hotmail.com

Southeast Kansas
Elaine Legitt
Tri-Valley Developmental Services
3740 Santa Fe
Chanute, KS 66720
(620) 431-7401
elegitt@tvds.org

Advisory Councils
LOCAL FAMILY SUPPORT ADVISORY COUNCILS
Advisory Councils will be formed at each Project Site. If you are a parent of a person with an Individual Education Program (IEP) or who receives services in the Developmental Disabilities or Mental Health systems the Kansas Parent Empowerment Program would like your input!

A local Family Support Advisory Council is being formed in Wyandotte County and in Southeast Kansas. These Councils will advise area agencies on how to better support families and will advise in the development of a local training package to help other families.

ideas about how agencies in your area can better support families;
suggestions on how families can become more involved in the service system; or
any other questions you would like answered.

STATE FAMILY SUPPORT ADVISORY COUNCILS
The State Family Support Advisory Council will receive input from the local councils and through focus groups conducted statewide by family support staff to advise state policy-makers on cross-agency and other issues impacting family support. The council will review current practices related to funding and other inherent barriers that impede best practices in providing supports to Kansas Families who have a member who have a child with a disability. A major focus on these efforts will be coordinating efforts for people who have both a developmental or physical disability and a mental health diagnosis.

Supporting people with disabilities means supporting their families.
Families must be supported to develop a vision for the future.
Families must be trusted to make decisions.
Families must have real control over all available resources.
Support systems must be responsive to family needs.
Families must have access to day-to-day supports that make a positive difference.
Families must have access to systems and supports that are easy to use and understand.
Self-determination must be supported and respected.
Diversity must be respected.
These principles of family support must be put into ACTION.

What is Family Support?
Family Support is a: Philosophy; Way of doing business; and Best practice

Family Support: A Philosophy
The best way to support a child with disabilities is to support the child's family.

Family Support: A way of doing business
Regulations and policies need to be changed to better support families.
Regulations and policies make a real and direct impact on people's lives.

Family Support: A best practice
The type of services available, and the way services are delivered, makes a real and direct impact on people's lives.

Family Support Belief Statements
See attachment

The Kansas Family Support Project:

The Kansas Parent Empowerment Project
A grant from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities
42 Family Support Projects nationwide

The Kansas Family Support Project
Focus: Working with children with dual diagnosis and making changes in the developmental disabilities, mental health, special education, and foster care systems to better support these children and their families.

How are we going to make changes in family support regulations, policies, and practices?
Individual advocacy- working one on one with families and documenting what works.

Local systems change- local Family Support Advisory Councils make policy and practice recommendations at the local level and to the state.

Statewide systems change- Project staff work with parents to make recommendations for regulatory and policy changes to the State Family Support Advisory Council.

Family Support Advisory Councils
Local Councils- made up of parents of children with dual diagnosis and behavioral support needs.

State Council- made up of a majority of parents along with key policymakers from SRS Division of Health Care Policy, SRS Division of Children and Family Policy and Special Education.

Parent Advocacy Groups- Families Together and KEYS for Networking
The Beach Center- training curriculum development
Rucker-Powell- project evaluation
Wyandotte CDDO and TVDS CDDO
Wyandot Mental Health and Southeast Kansas Mental Health Centers