Caregiver Family Advocacy Support Services (CFASS)

What does CFASS stand for and what is the intent of this service?

Caregiver/Family Advocacy and Support Services (CFASS) are short-term interventions to train, coach, and educate the enrolled participant's caregivers and family related to the medical, physical, developmental, or behavioral health condition that otherwise puts a child or youth at risk of hospitalization or institutionalization.

Caregiver/Family Advocacy and Support Services enhance the participant's ability to function as part of a caregiver/family unit and community at-large; and enhance the caregiver/family's ability to care for the participant in the home and/or community and provides the participant, family, caregivers, and collateral contacts (family members, caregivers, and other stakeholders identified on the participant's Plan of Care with techniques and information so that they can better respond to the needs of the participant and reduce the risk of hospitalization or institutionalization.

Participating in community events and integrated interests/occupations are important activities for all participants, including those with disabilities (developmental, physical, and/or behavioral health in origin). Success in these activities is dependent not only on the participant, but on the people who interact with and support the participant in these endeavors. Caregiver/Family Advocacy and Support Services improve the participant's ability to gain from experiences in the community and enables the participant's environment to respond appropriately to the participant's disability and/or healthcare issues.

B. Service Components

Based upon the Caregiver/Family Advocacy and Support Services plan developed by the participant and caregiver/family team, this service provides opportunities to:

• Interact and engage with family/caregivers and participants to offer educational, advocacy, and support resources to develop family/caregivers' ability to independently access community services and activities.

  
  

• Maintain and encourage the caregivers'/families' self-sufficiency in caring for the participant in the home and community.

  
  

• Coach and support follow-up regarding another provider's treatment, counseling, guidance, etc. for the participant, caregivers and other family identified individuals.

  
  

• Educate and train the caregiver/family unit on available tools/strategies so that they might better support the needs of the participant.

  
  

• Educate and train family members or other individuals identified by the family of the participant's chronic condition, medical, developmental, and behavioral needs, so they may assist the family unit and provide support and respite (e.g., training for Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Services (CDPAS)).

  
  

• Provide guidance in the principles of living with participant's chronic condition or illness.

  
  

• Train (one-on-one or group) the participant or the family/caregiver regarding methods and behaviors to enable success in the community; each group must not exceed three eligible children/youth or 12 individuals (children and collaterals).

  
  

• Provide direct training in the community with collateral contacts regarding the participant's disability(ies) and needs related to his or her health care issues.

  
  

• Provide self-advocacy training for the participant and/or family/caregiver, including during community transitions.

  
  

• Attend and support participants and caregivers in meetings with professionals regarding the child's complex needs, such as IEP meetings or medical appointments.

The service can be delivered to multiple family members or other collateral contacts identified for the participant to address the family's needs.