The Michigan Family Support Initiative (MFSI), funded through a five-year, $1.25 million grant to Wayne State's Developmental Disabilities Institute (DDI), is now implementing a program designed to benefit Michigan residents living with developmental disabilities. The service targets youth and adults living in both privately licensed and unlicensed group settings.

The program helps transition individuals with complex support needs into housing situations that create opportunities for them to more fully participate in life, more than is possible in large multiple-bed group home facilities.

"There is a myth in society at large that people who have intellectual disabilities and need 24-hour support must reside in large aggregate settings," said Elizabeth Janks, associate director for training and community support at DDI. "The Michigan Family Support Initiative provides opportunities to people with significant support needs to choose where they want to live, to dictate what they want to do each day, and to have a quality of life enjoyed by people who don't have disabilities."

Community living offers individuals with developmental disabilities greater choices and control over the services they use, as well as opportunities to develop a diverse set of relationships, participate in meaningful employment, and serve as contributing citizens of their communities.

Working in collaboration with an individual's existing services and supports coordinator, the community liaison assigned by MFSI connects the individual with an expanded array of person-centered community supports. Assistance is provided to develop a personalized, family-centered support plan that prioritizes the individual's transition to person-centered, community-based living arrangements.

According to Janks, the community liaisons are critical to the success of this project. They work with the individuals and their families to design comprehensive support plans that address all aspects of daily life, including safety concerns and for the needs of direct care staff. "The community liaisons are experienced in educating and providing people with resources and supports that work in collaboration to assure that people with disabilities are getting what they need to be successful," Janks said.

The MFSI program is open to Michigan citizens living with developmental disabilities, including youth residing in privately licensed facilities, and adults residing in licensed or unlicensed group settings who desire living arrangements that provide more choice and control.

For more information about the Michigan Family Support Initiative, visit http://www.ddi.wayne.edu/mfsi.php, or call Elizabeth Janks or Angela Martin, DDI community support specialist, at 888]978]4334 (toll free). You may also email questions to E.Janks@wayne.edu or Angela.Martin@wayne.edu.

About the Developmental Disabilities Institute

The Developmental Disabilities Institute (DDI) is located on the campus of Wayne State University in the heart of Midtown Detroit. DDI is Michigan's University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) and is part of a nationwide network dedicated to the development of inclusive communities, the enhancement of the quality of life of people with disabilities, and the enrichment of the field of disability research and service.

About Wayne State University

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering more than 400 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 32,000 students.