NMI gets $1.25M grant for family service centers

The U.S. Administration on Developmental Disabilities has awarded the Commonwealth $1.25 million for the next five years in support of establishing family service centers within the NMI.

According to Developmental Disabilities Council executive director Thomas J. Camacho, the Commonwealth will be getting funds under the Family Support 360 Implementation grant beginning Fiscal Year 2005 up to FY 2009, with $250,000 to be awarded each year.

Camacho said he learned of the approval while attending the recent National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities membership meeting and conference in Lexington, Kentucky.

He said that because the Commonwealth was awarded $100,000 through the Family Support grant in 2003, it was eligible to compete with 31 other states for the newly acquired grant. Only states and U.S. territories that were awarded the Family Support grant were eligible to apply.

Camacho said the Commonwealth was the only U.S. territory that applied.

He said that for CDD to “fully pursue a successful program,” it will collaborate with partners, including the Hawaii Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Services and the newly formed CNMI Association of Families with Disabilities. CDD will forge a memorandum of agreement or contract with the two agencies.

“The overall goal of the project is to implement the plan for creating three family service centers in the CNMI beginning with one center on Saipan during the first fiscal year of the project, a Tinian-based center in 2006, and Rota in 2007,” he said in a statement.

Camacho said the FSC will support information, referral, and coordination needs of individuals with disabilities and their families in the Commonwealth. Family organizations and service agencies will collaborate to create the centers “as designed in the planning stage of the process of this grant.”

“Using a model of providing a system navigator, the center will provide comprehensive and integrated family support services to at least 50 families over each year of the project,” Camacho said. “Navigator’s primary job is to coordinate services for families, given appropriate family consents, sharing relevant information about families to streamline services.”

Camacho said the council, in partnership with Real Choice Program One-Stop Resource and Information and the Disability and Aging One Stop Centers, will develop a comprehensive one-stop web-based resource and data bank center for families to access information, supports, and services. The NMC University Center will also assist with additional financial support.

“Training will be provided for staff members, family members, and service providers on issues related to family support, and a system of ongoing evaluation and monitoring of [FSC] activities will ensure continuous improvement,” he said. “To start off the service for the first year, FSC will concentrate but not limit to employment, transportation, and assistive technology services to those 50 families.”

Also, the grant allows the council to hire a family support project coordinator who will be based at the CDD office; two part-time FSC navigators to be chosen under contract with the CNMI Association of Families with Disabilities; lease of space for the operation of FSC and purchase of one accessible mini-van for the FSC staff’s use.

CDD chair Mariano K. Camacho credited the CNMI Interagency Leadership Council, the CNMI Association of Families with Disabilities, and the Hawaii Center of Disability Studies for “their assistance, support, and commitment,” as well as the CDD staff “for their diligent works toward the development of this grant.”

In July, Gov. Juan N. Babauta designated CDD to be the lead agency responsible for coordinating the implementation of the grant for the next five years.

For more information, call Rosemary Camacho at 664-7000 or email at fsp@cnmiddcouncil.org.