Supporting a Good Life in the Family Home

For many adults with developmental disabilities, living with family is the right choice.

But making that arrangement work well over time can require more than one service or support. Families may be coordinating regional center services, healthcare, benefits, transportation, employment, education, appointments, community resources, and changing support needs.

Coordinated Family Support, or Coordinated Family Support, helps bring those pieces together.

At Community Life, we use Coordinated Family Support to help the person and family create a more coordinated, sustainable system of support while strengthening the person’s independence, participation, and future options.

Coordinated Family Support

Starting With the Person

Coordinate services support is family informed, but person centered.

We begin by learning about the person’s strengths, preferences, routines, relationships, goals, support needs, and vision for the future.

We also listen closely to the family. We want to understand what is working, where there are gaps, what is creating stress, what resources are already in place, and what may need to change.

The goal is not simply to coordinate services. It is to help build a support system that makes sense for the person and the life they want.

Understanding the Whole Picture

Coordinate services support begins with a broad look at the person’s current supports, needs, and goals.

This may include:

• Regional center services

• Healthcare and behavioral health supports

• IHSS and other public benefits

• SSI, SSDI, Medi Cal, CalFresh, and other generic resources

• Transportation

• Education and training

• Employment and career goals

A Coordinated Plan

From that assessment, Community Life develops a clear Coordinated Family Support Plan of Action with the person and family.

The plan identifies priorities, responsibilities, next steps, and the supports or resources that need to be coordinated.

It is designed to be practical and useful, not another document that sits on a shelf.

We revisit the plan as circumstances change and use it to keep the person, family, regional center, and other providers aligned around what needs attention.

• Daily routines and skill development

• Community participation and relationships

• Family and natural supports

• Current and future housing needs

• Changing caregiver capacity

• Cultural, language, and family considerations

This whole picture helps us identify where services are working well, where there may be duplication, and where important gaps remain.

What Coordinated Family Support May Include

  • Helping the person and family understand how different services fit together and supporting communication among providers, family members, and other members of the support team.

  • Helping identify, understand, and access resources outside the regional center system.

    This may include public benefits, healthcare, transportation, education, employment resources, community programs, and other supports that can strengthen the person’s independence and family stability.

  • CFS can include support that helps the person develop greater independence in the family home and community.

    This may include routines, decision making, self advocacy, communication, organization, digital skills, safety, transportation, community participation, and other skills connected to the person’s goals.

  • There is no single way families should live or support one another.

    CFS should reflect the person and family’s language, culture, routines, relationships, priorities, and values.

    Our role is to understand that context and work within it, while keeping the person’s rights, preferences, and goals at the center.

  • CFS is not only about keeping services organized.

    It can also help create a stronger foundation for the person to pursue other goals, including education, employment, relationships, community participation, greater independence, or a future move from the family home.

    When appropriate, CFS can connect naturally with other Community Life supports while maintaining clear boundaries between services.independence and family stability.

  • CFS works alongside regional center service coordination. It does not replace it.

    The regional center service coordinator continues to lead the IPP process and authorize regional center services.

    Community Life’s CFS role is more focused on helping the person and family carry out the plan in everyday life, coordinate systems and resources, address gaps, and keep the different parts of the support network working together.

  • Families often carry a great deal of responsibility for coordinating care, solving problems, and filling gaps between services.

    CFS can help families better understand available supports, clarify roles, improve coordination, and build a more sustainable network around the person.

    The goal is not to replace family support. It is to make sure the family is not expected to hold every piece alone.

  • Sometimes a person has multiple services, but important needs are still not being met.

    Other times, services overlap without anyone having a clear picture of who is responsible for what.

    CFS helps identify both.

    When another provider or resource is better positioned to meet a need, we help connect the person and family to that resource rather than duplicate it.

    Sometimes the most important part of coordination is recognizing what is missing.

  • Future planning is a central part of CFS.

    Families change. Parents and other caregivers age. Health changes. Employment goals develop. Housing needs shift. The person’s own preferences and abilities evolve.

    We help people and families think ahead about questions such as:

    • What will support need to look like in the future?

    • Who else should be part of the person’s support network?

    • What happens if a parent or caregiver can no longer provide the same level of support?

    • What housing options may be appropriate over time?

    • What financial, benefits, or legal planning may need attention?

    • What steps could increase the person’s independence now?

    The goal is to plan early, before changing circumstances limit the person and family’s options.

  • CFS should evolve as the person and family’s needs change.

    We regularly review what is working, what still needs attention, and whether Community Life remains the right support.

    Community Life does not provide 24 hour support through CFS. If another level or type of service becomes more appropriate, we will help the person, family, and team explore other options and connect with appropriate resources or providers.

    Sometimes our role changes. Sometimes another service is a better fit. And sometimes Community Life steps away so the person can receive the level of support they need.

    Our responsibility is to stay focused on what is right for the person.

  • Coordinated Family Support is available to eligible adults age 18 and older who receive regional center services and live in the family home.

    If you are interested in CFS, talk with your regional center service coordinator about whether the service may be appropriate for you.

    You can also contact Community Life to learn more about our approach and whether we may be a good fit.

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