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| In the fall of 1989, the Developmental Disabilities Planning
Council organized the state's first task force on family support. In response to the
national movement away from institutional care, the Council proposed that the WV
Department of Health and Human Resources should shift funding to family support efforts.
In 1991 the WV Legislature mandated this shift with an initial appropriation of $200,000
to support four regional programs. Today we have 14 behavioral health regions and a budget
of over one million dollars. |
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| With the closing of the last of the state's institutions for
people with developmental disabilities, residents are returning to their home communities.
An estimated 10,000 families statewide care for loved ones with disabilities, and the WV
Family Support Program helps as many as funds allow. |
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| The Program provides help with planning for needs and
finding resources; help with identifying and applying for appropriate government and
community programs; funding for goods, services or home modifications that will help
families stay together; and networking and support services. |
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| The average cost per person for institutional care exceeds
$100,000. Serving people in the community costs less and better meets the needs of the
individuals and their families. Costs vary widely in community settings, and the Family
Support program assists families with services that aren't available through other
resources. |
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| The Program's average expenditure per family is $1,000. Each
child or adult with a disability who lives at home saves the state thousands of dollars
each year; family support pays for itself very quickly. And even though the state provides
part of the funding, private donations constitute an ever- growing percentage of the
budget. |
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"Terry is 26 and lives
with his mother. Recently she had emergency surgery, leaving no one to care for Terry and
no money to hire help ---- until their case manager asked the Family Support Program for
emergency respite care. Without it, Terry would have gone to a nursing home. This small
financial support kept the family together and saved thousands of dollars. "
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The Family Support Program's innovative service delivery
model has been adopted by several other states and applauded by national organizations.
The Program Director, the only state employee, oversees the
project. Each of the 14 regions has a Family Support Coordinator --- employed by the
region's Behavioral Health Center --- who works with the Regional Family Support Council.
The majority of Regional Council members are parents, care givers and people with
developmental disabilities --- they understand what it means to live with developmental
disabilities on a daily basis.
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Families fill out a simple application requesting support.
The Regional Coordinator meets with each family to develop a long range plan. Together
they decide how the Family Support Program can best serve the family.
The Regional Council meets regularly and reviews all
applications. They determine how the funds will be distributed to benefit the most
families. Often, a Council member can recommend a local resource to reduce the overall
cost of a request (volunteer labor, discounts at local businesses, etc.). In this way, the
limited funds can be stretched to reach those families most in need.
Foundation funds supplement the Regional Program funds
intended for direct services to families. This family-driven system makes the Program
responsive and cost-effective.
This is how government programs should work, in partnership
with private organizations and individuals, without a large, cost-intensive bureaucracy.
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| At least 80% of the state funds go directly
to serving families, as do at least 90% of private donations.
As the Foundation grows, more families will receive the support
they need to foster long-lasting, positive outcomes. The
Foundation-Program partnership embodies the "best of all worlds.
"The Program has a working system to deliver services
and provides the infrastructure to fund and coordinate those services.
The Foundation has the flexibility to develop fundraising strategies to
augment the state funds.
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| Together, they make West Virginia's communities better
places for all of us to live. |
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Please support the Foundation. By building our endowment,
you'll be making more services available to West Virginia's families and reducing future
demands on taxpayers. |
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| By helping people with disabilities live at home, you'll be
making our communities better places to live. |
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| Your help will provide families with equipment and services
such as indoor and outdoor wheelchair ramps, wheelchair lifts for vans, specially adapted
computers, safe recreational equipment, physical therapy training, and much more. |
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If you'd like to become a
Program volunteer, contact Family Matters,
toll-free, at 1-888-WVFAMILY. They will give you the name, address and phone number of the
Family Support Program in your community. For more
information on the Program, contact the coordinator, Scott Miller, at 304-558-0627 or by
e-mail at
smiller@wvdhhr.org.
You may also
click here for information on how to contact your nearest Family Support Coordinator.
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Two-year-old M. lives with his parents and older sister. The family once occupied a
rental house with dirt floors and inadequate water and heating. The case management
program and the Family Support Program helped provide a used trailer that was insulated
and underpinned. The family spent the winter in a safe environment, and remained together
and self- sufficient.
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The West Virginia Support Foundation represents a new working relationship between the public and private sectors. In
partnership with the State of West Virginia and the West Virginia Family Support Program,
the Foundation provides supplemental funding to families who care for members with
disabilities at home.
The West Virginia Support Foundation represents a new working relationship between the public and private sectors. In
partnership with the State of West Virginia and the West Virginia Family Support Program,
the Foundation provides supplemental funding to families who care for members with
disabilities at home.
Funds raised by the Foundation go into an endowment. The interest earned
by the endowment serves families who would not otherwise find funding
through the Program.
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The WV Family Support Foundation helps families with members
who have developmental disabilities. Young or old, people can make
the most of their abilities when they're in a supportive, loving
environment. Helping people with disabilities live at home enriches
our communities both spiritually and financially, for home care is
much less expensive than institutional care. |
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