Support for Families
To locate a Family Support Program Provider in your community, click here to search the Pathfinder database. On the database search page, select your county and "Family Support Program" then click on "Search."
You may also be interested in these Pathfinder service categories: Advocacy Services, Support Groups, In-Home Assistance. Click here to look up service definitions.
AARP provides information on caregiving for seniors.
Caregiving.com provides weekly tips segment and a support center full of stories written and sent in by caregivers. Also, provides resources to help caregivers at any stage of the caregiving cycle.
Children with Special Health Care Needs, from the Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities
Family Voices is a national grassroots clearinghouse for information and education about ways to assure and improve health care for children with disabilities and chronic conditions
Family Caregiving 101 provides resources for caring for loved ones with disabilities or serious health related illnesses.
National Alliance for Caregiving provides information on caregiving that includes educational materials for caregivers; national statistics on caregiving; and, through the Family Care Resource Connection, reviews and ratings of over 1,000 books, videos, Web sites, and training materials on caregiving.
National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) provides caregivers with tips, advocacy updates, as well as information on communicating effectively with healthcare professionals. The site also offers a section on sharing your caregiving story, where family caregivers can write in to share their personal caregiving experience. Additionally, the site provides information on becoming a NFCA member and ordering publications.
The Well Spouse Foundation provides support to husbands, wives and partners of individuals who with disabilities or chonic illnessess.
Today's Caregiver provides information and resources to help caregivers of individuals with disabilities and seniors. Also provides information on local resources within each state.
Tennessee Department of Human Services licenses Tennessee's child care providers and has resources available to assist families searching for child care.
Care.com is a national resource to find child care, tutoring and senior care.
Medicaid Waiver for individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
Home and Community-Based Services for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities
The Division of Mental Retardation Services (DMRS) administers Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver programs serving persons with intellectual disabilities and their families. These programs were developed as an alternative to services provided in an institutional setting. They are the primary source of support for people with intellectual disabilities who live in the community. Please note: There is a significant waiting list for these services.
Services which persons may be eligible to receive through the HCBS Waiver include:
Support Coordination
Residential Services (Residential Habilitation, Supported Living, Family Model Residential Support)
Day Services
Behavior Services
Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy Services
Nursing and Nutrition Services
Respite Services and Behavioral Respite Services
Personal Assistance
Transportation
For information about and access to HCBS Waiver services for persons with MR, contact your DMRS regional office .
Additional information about these services:
DMRS Consumer Services page
DMRS Application for Services
DMRS Family Guide to the Medicaid Waiver
DMRS Family Handbook
DMRS Provider Agency List
DMRS Medicaid Waiver Admission Information letter dated June 5, 2006
Accessing DMRS Services, published by The Arc of Tennessee (en Espanol)
Waiting List information, from The Arc of Tennessee
Home and Community-Based Services for Older Adults and Persons with Physical Disabilities
The Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability (TCAD) is the Administrative Lead Agency for the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver that serves older adults and people with disabilities. This waiver is administered under the supervision of the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration, Bureau of TennCare, and is intended to provide a community-based, cost-effective alternative to institutional nursing facility care for individuals who are eligible for nursing home care.
Please note: There is a significant waiting list for these services.
Services available to individuals enrolled in the Waiver include:
Case Management (CM)
Homemaker Services (HMKR)
Personal Care Services (PCS)
Minor Home Modifications (MODS)
Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS)
Home Delivered Meals (HDM)
Respite Care (IR)
For information about and access to HCBS Waiver services for older adults and persons with disabilities, contact your local Area Agency on Aging & Disability .
Please note: There is a significant waiting list for these services.
The following information about Tennessee's Family Support Program is provided from the Division of Mental Retardation Services (DMRS). For more information about Family Support, including specific guidelines, provider agencies, council members, and answers to frequently asked questions, visit the Family Support website.
2008-2009 Statewide Family Support Agencies
Click here for the Family Support Program brochure.
What is Family Support?
In 1992, at the urging of disability advocates and families, the Tennessee legislature established the Family Support Program. The program is funded by state dollars and designed to assist individuals with severe disabilities and their families to remain together in their homes and communities. Family Support is not a substitute for more comprehensive services provided under other programs, including the Medicaid HCBS Waiver, TennCare, Medicare, or private insurance.
Who Is Eligible?
The primary purpose of the program is to support
Who is eligible for Family Support?
Any person with severe disabilities who meet eligibility criteria and are residing in the community in an unsupported residential setting. Many families who apply may be approved as eligible for services but selection will depend on funding availability and priorities set by local councils.
Can I receive funding from the Family Support Program and a waiver program through the Division of Mental Retardation Services?
If families are receiving the Consumer Directed Supports during a fiscal year they cannot receive Family Support funds. If a family is receiving the Self Determination or Community Based Waiver they could receive funds from the Family Support Program if the agency’s local council does not have priorities exempting families receiving funds from both programs. There cannot be a duplication of services between the two programs.
How does a person apply for the Family Support Program?
There is a Family Support agency for every county in the state. Contact the Division of Mental Retardation Services Regional or Central Office to find out what agency has the Family Support contract for your county or click here to search the Pathfinder database. On the database search page, select your county and "Family Support Program" then click on "Search."
How does a person get approved for the Family Support Program?
The individual must have a severe disability and meet the eligibility criteria established for the program. It is important to note the distinction between eligibility and selection and enrollment. Many families who apply to the Family Support Program may be approved as eligible for services based on the definition of family, severe disability, and living circumstance. However, depending on the resources and local council priorities, a few families may actually be selected to receive services and be enrolled in the program.
What services are available through Family Support?
Services are designed to be flexible and responsive to individual or family needs. Services might include but are not limited to: respite care, before/after care, day care, home/vehicle modifications, specialized equipment/repair/maintenance, nutrition/clothing/supplies, personal assistance, transportation, homemaker services, housing costs, health related costs, nursing, counseling, summer camp, and evaluation. The program funds services and needs that are not covered by traditional resources.
How much funding can I receive?
The current limit on benefits if $4,000 per individual with a severe disability in a family. However, depending on Family Support resources and Local Council priorities, you may get less than $4,000.
If I am approved for the Family Support Program and my needs change during the year, can I revise the services in my Family Support Service Plan?
Yes, the program is designed to be flexible and recognizes that family needs may change during the year. Services can be added or changed as long as money is available in the existing Family Support Service Plan.
Will I receive the same amount of money each year?
An individual/family has to reapply each year for Family Support funding. Allocations each year are based on the availability of state funds, needs of the individual/family, and Local Council priorities.
Will the Family Support agency assist me in finding a Respite Care provider?
Once a local council has approved a family to receive funding from the program it is up to the family to find the provider or services they need.
Can the Family Support Program pay my Respite Care provider?
If you are approved to receive funding for respite care you will need to ask your Family Support agency if they can pay your respite care provider directly. Each agency develops their own accounting system for the distribution of funds to families.
What can I do if I have an unresolved complaint pertaining to the Family Support Program?
If the conflict cannot be resolved with the agency Family Support Coordinator, there is a formal Grievance/Appeals process. If you do not have a copy of the Grievance/Appeals process, ask the Family Support Coordinator for a copy.
American Academy of Pediatrics has resources dedicated to help the parents. Also available are resources on how to build your child's Health Care Notebook.
Family Village is a global community that integrates information, resources, and communication opportunities on the Internet for persons with intellectual disabilities and other disabilities, their families, and those that provide services and supports.
Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit, private operating foundation focusing on the major health care issues facing the U.S., as well as the U.S. role in global health policy
www.Kidshealth.org is a comprehensive website that provides information on health topics and disabilities. The site is developed into resource sections specifically designed for parents, children and teens. Resources available in Espanol
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) is comprised of statewide support groups with individuals and families coping with severe mental health illnesses. They offer emotional support and information about mental illness, coping strategies, and local services that might be able to help with a specific mental health illnesses.
National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities
NICHCY is a national information and referral center that provides information on disabilities and disability-related issues for families. Special focus is on children and youth (birth to age 22).
National Resource Center for Parents with Disabilities
A nationally recognized center that has pioneered research, training, and services for families in which a child, parent or grandparent has a disability or medical issue
.
PACER (Parent Advocacy Coalition for Education Rights)
Strives to improve and expand opportunities that enhance the quality of life for children and adults with disabilities and their families.
Parents Helping Parents (PHP)
A parent-directed family resource center for children with special needs. PHP provides information, support, and training for families of children of any age with any kind of special need (mental, physical, emotional, or learning disability) resulting from accident, illness, or birth defect.
The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center offers support programs for siblings of people with disabilities.
The Sibling Support Project is a national program dedicated to the interests of brothers and sisters of people with special health and developmental needs. The Project's primary goal is to increase the availability of peer support and education opportunities for brothers and sisters of people with special health and developmental needs
SibKids (for younger brothers and sisters) and SibNet (for older siblings) are the Internet's only listservs for and about brothers and sisters of people with special health, developmental, and emotional needs. This project allows brothers and sisters an opportunity to connect with their peers from around the world. The Sibling Support Project is program of the Arc of the United States.
A project of PACER's National Center for Bullying Prevention offers a website to help prevent bulling,