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Family Health Support Project
Mission:
The Family Health
Support Project collaborates with families and health care providers to deepen
understanding of, and promote identification with, people needing specialized
health and developmental services as well as personal support.
We accomplish
this by:
- Listening
to families and sharing stories
- Helping
families to advocate for themselves and their loved ones
- Connecting
families to others in their home cities and towns, leading to rich and full
participation in community life
- Educating
health care providers
Principles:
- The Family
Health Support Project is primarily focused on people needing specialized
health and developmental services, as well as personal support.
- The Family
Health Support Project operates within the UMASS/Memorial Medical Center.
- Services are
offered on a strictly voluntary basis. Families can terminate participation
in the project at any time.
- Family Health
Supporters have personal experience with people needing specialized health
and developmental services, as well as personal support. Families and health
care supporters can identify with one another as having similar experiences,
challenges, and vulnerabilities.
- Family Health
Supporters seek to understand the situation of people served by listening to
their stories and concerns, and by taking time to get to know them. Visits
usually take place at the clinics, though Family Health Supporters may visit
at home, in the hospital, and in the community as well.
- Family Health
Supporters are full participatory members of the health care team, bringing
with them the personal experience necessary to better insure the practice of
Family Centered Care and Social Role Valorization Theory.
- Education
efforts for health care providers focuses on bringing the unique expertise
of family members of people needing specialized health and developmental
services, as well as personal support, to medical decision making.
- Family Health
Supporters have training in Family Centered Care, Social Role Valorization,
Advocacy, Family Support, and Leadership Development.
- As a joint effort between UMASS/Memorial and the Department of Mental Retardation, representatives of both entities are responsible for project operations and development including: training and supervision of Family Health Supporters, insuring funding, disseminating information on the project, as well as education of the public.
- Co-directors: Colleen Ryan (DMR) & Martin Young (UMMHC)
- Family Health Supporters: Cheryl Leatham and Yvette Rodriquez
- Consultants: Andre Blanchet (SCSC) & Deborah Reidy (Cornerstone)
(508) 856-4474
