Orange Grove Center is now host agency for the Tennessee Family Support Program. The statewide grant program provides limited financial assistance (funding for services and/or supports) needed by individuals with severe disabilities that is not provided by other resources.
The program is funded by the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD), and serves individuals and families in Bledsoe, Bradley, Grundy, Hamilton, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Polk, Rhea and Sequatchie counties. Funding through the Family Support Program supplements any aid that beneficiaries may receive through Medicaid HCBS Waiver, TennCare, Medicare or private insurance.
Services are flexible and responsive to families and their needs. An essential element of the Family Support Program is family and consumer involvement. The primary purpose of the program is to support:
•Families who have school-aged or younger children with severe disabilities
•Adults with severe disabilities who choose to live with their families
•Adults with severe disabilities not supported by other residential programs funded by state or federal funds
Services may change throughout the year as needed, and may include respite care, day care services, home modifications, equipment, supplies, personal assistance, transportation, homemaker services, housing costs, health-related needs, nursing, counseling, and some services that are not covered by traditional resources.
The funding limit is $4,000, and is based on availability of state funds, family needs, council priorities, etc. Individuals and families are required to reapply each year. Local and district councils, mainly of people from the community who have disabilities, meet on a regular basis to oversee the program and approve any expenditures.
Visit www.tn.gov/didd/family_support for more information, or contact Kristi Tankersley, Assistant Director of the Family Support Program at 423 664-5120 or ktankersley@orangegrove.org.