Fort Hood Family Support 360 Center

The Texas Center for Disability Studies has received funding by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration on Developmental Disabilities to work with and support military families caring for children with disabilities through the Fort Hood Family Support 360 Center.

We are working in direct partnership with the Exceptional Family Member Program and Army Community Services at Fort Hood,Texas.

During this anticipated five-year project, the Fort Hood Family Support 360 Center will plan and implement a one-stop family support center to enhance the capabilities of families in assisting children with developmental disabilities to achieve their maximum potential; support the increasing ability of children with developmental disabilities to exercise greater choice and self-determination and engage in leadership activities in their communities; and ensure the protection of children with developmental disabilities’ legal and human rights. Supporting families has long been recognized as a model of best practices in the developmental disability field. 

Our family training sessions will involve learning how families provide support for each other, and the needs that arise. Training workshops help develop strong community services for children with disabilities.

The foundation of the support center is the use of person-centered practices to identify the needs of all family members who live together, not just the person with a developmental or long-term disability. In working with families to identify and obtain the appropriate services, the Center will use Families Planning Together as a process to develop family and person-centered plans.           

What are Family Supports?

While many service programs are available in this country, human service systems often fail to meet the diverse needs of an individual with developmental disabilities and his or her family. A family may need several services, and many human service systems address primarily one need, such as health, education, or employment. These systems usually focus on one individual, not the person and his or her family. Military families usually navigate two systems – civilian and military. The Fort Hood Family Support 360 Center will work with families to identify and get the services they need.

Family services and supports may include:

• adaptive equipment and/or assistive technology devices and services;
• counseling services;
• parent training and support;
• home modifications;
• leisure-time planning;
• person-centered comprehensive planning for transition from early childhood to school, from school to adult life, and from adult life to retirement;
• personal assistance services/direct care services;
• respite care that is affordable, safe, age-appropriate and in the most integrated setting;
• service coordination including information and referral services;
• training to empower people with disabilities and their families to advocate for lifestyles they choose;
• and other services that are identified by the family in individual family-centered planning sessions.

Read more about Families Planning Together at

http://learningcommunity.us/documents/FPTGuide.11-03.pdf (English) or

http://learningcommunity.us/documents/01fptspanish.pdf (Spanish)

These planning formats, in English and Spanish, provide information gathered and used to navigate service and support systems by and for families in this project.