The Support Coordinator has many roles in supporting an individual with a developmental disability. Their chief role is to be the primary advocate for the individual to assure the individual receives supports and services that protect their health and safety, are driven based on the individual’s dreams, that the individual is always treated with dignity and respect and that the individual is linked to community resources.
The support provided by the Support Coordinator is different depending on the individual’s services and needs. For example:
People that are in need of services but funding is unavailable are placed on a planning list for services. The Support Coordinator for this person will make contact with the individual/family/representative at least one time every month. One of these contacts, every three months, will be a face to face visit. The purpose for this contact is to confirm the individual’s most in need status and report any changes in needs to the State. In addition, the Support Coordinator will assist the individual/family/representative in locating other community resources that may meet some or all of the needs that are present.
If an individual receives Family Support services (intermittent support services) the Support Coordinator’s role remains the same with one exception. The Support Coordinator will also assure the services the individual should be receiving is being provided as prescribed in the Individual Family Support Plan. The Support Coordinator should maintain contacts at a minimum as stated above.
For individuals that receive long term services such as Day Services, Employment Services, Residential Services or Personal Support Services the ISP Team determines how frequently the Support Coordinator will make contact with the individual/family/representative and in what manner. The Support Coordinator has numerous responsibilities while supporting individual’s receiving these services which include all of the above as well as documenting, reporting and following-up on health and safety issues, dignity and rights issues, choices and preferences and the implementation of the ISP.