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Family support is the support of families with a member with a
disability Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be Cognitive disability, cognitive, Developmental disability, dev ...
, which may include a child, an adult, or even the parent in the family. In the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, family support includes "unpaid" or "informal" support by neighbors, families, and friends, "paid services" through specialist agencies providing an array of services termed "family support services", school or parent services for
special needs In clinical diagnostic and functional development, special needs (or additional needs) refers to individuals who require assistance for disabilities that may be medical, mental, or psychological. Guidelines for clinical diagnosis are given in ...
such as
respite care __NOTOC__ Respite care is planned or emergency temporary care provided to caregivers of a child or adult. Respite programs provide planned short-term and time-limited breaks for families and other unpaid caregivers of children with a developmenta ...
, specialized child care or peer companions, or cash subsidies,
tax deduction Tax deduction is a reduction of income that is able to be taxed and is commonly a result of expenses, particularly those incurred to produce additional income. Tax deductions are a form of tax incentives, along with exemptions and tax credits. T ...
s or other financial subsidies. Family support has been extended to different population groups in the US and worldwide. Family support services are currently a "community services and funding" stream in New York and the US which has had variable "application" based on disability groups, administrating agencies, and even, regulatory and
legislative intent In law, the legislative intent of the legislature in enacting legislation may sometimes be considered by the judiciary to interpret the law (see judicial interpretation). The judiciary may attempt to assess legislative intent where legislation ...
.


History

The late 1970s and early 1980s are considered pivotal times for the development of respite and family support services, particularly through the demands and initiatives of parents of children with disabilities.Taylor, S., Racino, Julie Ann, Knoll, J. & Lutfiyya, Z. (1987). "The nonrestrictive environment: On community integration for persons with the most severe disabilities." Syracuse, NY: Human Policy Press. These initiatives occurred throughout the US concurrent with the formation of activist parent groups in the 1970s, for example, in the state of
New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
.
Foster care Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home ( residential child care community, treatment center, etc.), or private home of a state-certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent" or with a family ...
, which involved "substitute care" from birth families, preceded this organization of parents nationally, and together with
group home A group home, congregate living facility, or care home (the latter especially in British English and Australian English) is a residence model of medical care for those with complex health needs. Traditionally, the model has been used for children ...
s was considered the primary form of community residential services in the US. However, by the 1990s, family support had become an established service reported regularly in the field of
intellectual An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and reflection about the reality of society, and who proposes solutions for the normative problems of society. Coming from the world of culture, either as a creator or a ...
and
developmental disabilities Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...
, and part of the States' and local service systems in the US. Family support services were considered one of the better ways of supporting families and their children, including "building on natural supports" and encouraging the integration of children in the community.Taylor, S., Bogdan, R., & Racino, Julie Ann (1991)
"Life in the community: Case studies of organizations supporting people with disabilities."
Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.


Family models and services

By the early 1980s, states such as New York had established family support programs and agencies, New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, and "model programs" were identified nationally which served children and their families in the community (e.g., MacComb-Oakland, Michigan, Dane, LaCrosse, and Columbia counties, Wisconsin). New models of family support services were initiated, including professional models which involved both traditional respites for the families (i.e., the opportunity for a break from the stress of caring for children with "
special needs In clinical diagnostic and functional development, special needs (or additional needs) refers to individuals who require assistance for disabilities that may be medical, mental, or psychological. Guidelines for clinical diagnosis are given in ...
") and individual recreation opportunities in generic agencies/sites for the son or daughter (versus traditional in-home babysitting child care). Professional parents sought to have respite places available in group homes (e.g., a friend of the home), to develop small group respite settings, to hold parent-to-parent support groups and meetings, to establish councils, and to have cash subsidies to meet the extra expenses of raising a "disabled child" (e.g., Exceptional Family Resources,
Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffa ...
, 1985). By 1983, the State of New York had funded three major demonstration grants and then Governor Mario Cuomo and his wife
Matilda Matilda or Mathilda may refer to: Animals * Matilda (chicken) (1990–2006), World's Oldest Living Chicken record holder * Matilda (horse) (1824–1846), British Thoroughbred racehorse * Matilda, a dog of the professional wrestling tag-team The ...
held the first Family Support Conference in Albany, New York.Racino, Julie Ann (2000). ''Personnel preparation in disability and community life: Toward universal approaches to support.'' Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publishers. New York State indeed by 1988 reported $16,536,000 in discrete family support initiatives which did not include new agency family/cash subsidy demonstrations funded later in 1989–1990 in the state. or agency cash subsidies included as part of family support demonstration programs (e.g., recreation/respite in generic agencies). In the public policy arena, the respite was often explored in the context of child care for children with disabilities, and additional expenses of raising a child with a disability as especially critical in low income-families.


Promotion on behalf of families

In 1985,
Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
's Center o
Human Policy
was awarded a three-year Community Integration Project from the
Federal Government A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...
(National Institute on Disability Research and Rehabilitation) to work with states and communities in the US. The project, based on a national search conducted by the '
Wisconsin Developmental Disabilities Council
'', identified state cash subsidy programs in 21 states in the US. The project, together with a new national Center on Community Integration, prepared information on family support for distribution, including a news bulletin on family support based on the project's research studies, an article on the case for family support for families, bibliographic references, innovative agencies and organizations, and an introduction to family support issues, such as family-centered supports, individualized and flexible supports, empowering families, use of natural, community supports, and permanency planning.


Family counseling


The purpose of family counseling

There are some great goals and things that can happen through family counseling or therapy, you can grow your family relationships, enhance communication in the family, talk through problems that create tension in the family, and more.  There are many reasons why a family might start seeking help as well, you could be having trouble communicating and connecting with a child, a new adjustment to the family, or divorce.  There are some things families tend to go to counseling for, is coping with a family member that might be suffering from mental health issues, addiction, and the emotions that come with these changes.


What happens during a session

For the first session, there is the consultation, in which the therapist, psychologist, or clinical social worker, will ask about why you are seeking help, get to know you, what you want out of these sessions, and let you ask any question they might have for them.  For other sessions though, you will have discussions, develop skills and abilities to problem solve, and express feelings and thoughts in a productive manner. You will explore ways in which your family works, rules, and behaviors, that will help combat conflict. You will also strengthen one another, build trust, and confide in one another.


What to expect

When doing these family sessions, you need to make sure the appropriate people are in attendance, those that are directly involved in the issue that you are going to this counseling for.  Family helps with coping strategies and working through problems and issues that occur during your life, which counseling can help enhance.  Sessions can be a bit time-consuming, 50 min to an hour, and the number of sessions may vary, depending on your issue, and how well the sessions go, so no two family sessions will be the same amount of time, activities, and conversations. The sessions are often times short-term, you won't be in therapy for long periods of time.  The amount of time that will be dedicated to these family therapy sessions is decided by the psychologist, clinical social worker, or therapist that is working with you.  It doesn't immediately fix your issues, but when you stick with it, there has been a lot of positive feedback which has helped in learning great skills, and problem-solving.


Basis in theories

Family support is based in part on
theories A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may be ...
related to families, particularly family systems theory,
ecological Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...
and support theories, community support theories, life-span and
life course theories The life course approach, also known as the life course perspective or life course theory, refers to an approach developed in the 1960s for analyzing people's lives within structural, social, and cultural contexts. The origins of this approach can b ...
, family psycho-social theories, family empowerment theory, the work-home resources model, and
positivistic Positivism is an empiricist philosophical theory that holds that all genuine knowledge is either true by definition or positive—meaning ''a posteriori'' facts derived by reason and logic from sensory experience.John J. Macionis, Linda M. G ...
theories, such as the sociology of acceptance. In relation to services, basic policy concepts have included family-centeredness, capacity-based services, empowerment and participatory decision-making, and individualized (and appropriate) services, among others. Between the 1970s and 1990s, family support was developed in the context of
community integration Community integration, while diversely defined, is a term encompassing the full participation of all people in community life. It has specifically referred to the integration of people with disabilities into US society from the local to the nation ...
,Racino, Julie Ann. (2011/2012). ''Outcomes of technical assistance in community integration in states in the US: A retrospective and prospective on the Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers.'' Rome, NY. building on the quarter-century work on the physical and social integration of families and their children. It differs from other models of family support developed in the context of employment programs, housing programs, nutrition, transportation, health care, or city emergency programs. These included: the Family Support Services of West Hawaii (including community and economic development activities), Family Support Services, Family Support Services of Amarillo (including employee assistance and family therapy), Family Support Services of Southeastern Pennsylvania (e.g., child welfare and early intervention), City of Chicago Family and Support Services (e.g., domestic violence, senior services). (brief web review, 2011).


Growth in the US

By the 1990s, family support had gained great popularity in the field of
intellectual disabilities Intellectual disability (ID), also known as general learning disability in the United Kingdom and formerly mental retardation,Rosa's Law, Pub. L. 111-256124 Stat. 2643(2010). is a generalized neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by signific ...
, especially since 80-90% of children with disabilities continue to live with their families even today. Yet, the
Human Services Research Institute National Core Indicators (NCI) is a collaborative effort between the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) and the Human Services Research Institute (HSRI) in the United States. The purpose of the ...
determined that only 1.5% of the state budget for developmental disabilities services was used to support these families as of 1990. By 2006, family support spending was reported to be $2,305,149,428 in the US, yet, in FY 2006, it remained at only 5% of total intellectual and developmental disabilities spending of $43.84 billion. In the US, the costs of "family care" for intellectual and developmental disabilities have been studied, including direct financial costs met by families, indirect and opportunity costs, and indirect psychological costs. In related fields, though, family support is still often considered to be "unpaid", "voluntary support" by family members, family-to-family training programs, and
self-help Self-help or self-improvement is a self-guided improvement''APA Dictionary of Physicology'', 1st ed., Gary R. VandenBos, ed., Washington: American Psychological Association, 2007.—economically, intellectually, or emotionally—often with a subst ...
groups, often near forms of family interventions by professionals (e.g., behavioral training, clinical assessments,
vocational training Vocational education is education that prepares people to work as a technician or to take up employment in a skilled craft or trade as a tradesperson or artisan. Vocational Education can also be seen as that type of education given to an ind ...
,
family therapy Family therapy (also referred to as family counseling, family systems therapy, marriage and family therapy, couple and family therapy) is a branch of psychology and clinical social work that works with families and couples in intimate relationsh ...
, clinical community re-entry) in
traumatic brain injury A traumatic brain injury (TBI), also known as an intracranial injury, is an injury to the brain caused by an external force. TBI can be classified based on severity (ranging from mild traumatic brain injury TBI/concussionto severe traumatic b ...
. and in adult mental health. In children's mental health, family support and advocacy organizations are viewed to be increasing at the systems and policy levels, with the late 1980s formation of the Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health and the reformation of the
National Alliance on Mental Illness The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is a United States-based nonprofit organization originally founded as a grassroots group by family members of people diagnosed with mental illness. NAMI identifies its mission as "providing advoc ...
, a strong parent organization from the late 1970s. Family support services today are viewed as important for families with individuals with diverse disabilities (e.g., motor-neuron disease,
AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
,
epilepsy Epilepsy is a group of non-communicable neurological disorders characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures can vary from brief and nearly undetectable periods to long periods of vigorous shaking due to abnormal electrical ...
cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be problems with sensa ...
,
autism The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
)with a greater emphasis on choice in support services (e.g., counseling, training and information, respite).


As a parent-professional field

As family support would be considered a parent-professional field, the research studies documented diverse disabilities (e.g.,
epilepsy Epilepsy is a group of non-communicable neurological disorders characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures can vary from brief and nearly undetectable periods to long periods of vigorous shaking due to abnormal electrical ...
,
sickle cell anemia Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of blood disorders typically inherited from a person's parents. The most common type is known as sickle cell anaemia. It results in an abnormality in the oxygen-carrying protein haemoglobin found in red blo ...
,
hearing Hearing, or auditory perception, is the ability to perceive sounds In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psycholog ...
/
visual The visual system comprises the sensory organ (the eye) and parts of the central nervous system (the retina containing photoreceptor cells, the optic nerve, the optic tract and the visual cortex) which gives organisms the sense of sight (the ...
impairment,
spina bifida Spina bifida (Latin for 'split spine'; SB) is a birth defect in which there is incomplete closing of the spine and the membranes around the spinal cord during early development in pregnancy. There are three main types: spina bifida occulta, men ...
,
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
,
learning disability Learning disability, learning disorder, or learning difficulty (British English) is a condition in the brain that causes difficulties comprehending or processing information and can be caused by several different factors. Given the "difficult ...
), household incomes, level of assistance by daily living activities, behavioral and medical needs,
insurance Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to hedge ...
coverage, daily routines, the impact of disability on the household, services for specialized needs, and so forth. The field then was challenged in the 1990s to broaden approaches to families, including gendered caring, inner-city population groups, rural areas of the country, a "whatever it takes approach", and over-professionalized approaches to people's homes. This was followed by a national research study on these organizations supporting families in the community and those supporting adults with disabilities to live in their own homes., two major national and international comprehensive reform efforts in community living.
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, MD: Paul H. Brookes. In addition, governmental policy today appears to continue to encourage adults with disabilities to live at home with parents or
caregivers A caregiver or carer is a paid or unpaid member of a person's social network who helps them with activities of daily living. Since they have no specific professional training, they are often described as informal caregivers. Caregivers most commo ...
(2011); thus, family support funds are usually designated for families with children and adults living at home, including in families with aging parents. However, family supports are also integral to
adoptive Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...
and foster families and may take the form of in-home aides or home assistance, provision of equipment, respite and home adaptations, and shared care options between birth and foster parents/families.


As a caregiving model

In line with the parent-professional partnerships of the 1980s and 1990s, the
Oregon Research Institute The Oregon Research Institute is an American psychology research institute in Eugene, Oregon. It manages the International Personality Item Pool The International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) is a public domain collection of items for use in pers ...
published a book on ''Support for caregiving families''. The book included the progressive professional stances on family stress and support,(For critique, see Racino & Heumann.) Value-based services based on the Center on Human Policy's statement in support for children and their families (1987), the role of parents in quality services,
coping skills Coping refers to conscious strategies used to reduce unpleasant emotions. Coping strategies can be cognitions or behaviours and can be individual or social. Theories of coping Hundreds of coping strategies have been proposed in an attempt to ...
(often addressed by behavioral or skills training), human development and informal support, and family life cycles, including infants and early intervention, school-aged children (school programs), transition to adulthood (and supported employment), and eco-behavioral/clinical treatment of families (stronger in fields such as
mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...
), among others. Family support and aging, a major concern in the 2000s due to the aging population in the US, was also the focus of service reform in the 1990s. For example, 700,000 people with
developmental disabilities Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...
live with one or more parents over the age of 65.


As a model of community services

As deinstitutionalization policies in the US moved toward the development of community services, community parents also became more interested in "out-of-home placements" (e.g., small group homes) of their children (e.g., children moving from the parental home and beginning adult lives). This approach is valued internationally as one way for adults to attain adult status, especially in Western countries. In states like New York and Connecticut, this resulted in tension between "institutional" and "community parents" vying for limited public funds, and between providers of services for funding (e.g., state institutions and private, non-profit community sectors). However, as states began to close institutions, funding was often available primarily to relocate those individuals living in institutional care or those at risk of
institutionalization In sociology, institutionalisation (or institutionalization) is the process of embedding some conception (for example a belief, norm, social role, particular value or mode of behavior) within an organization, social system, or society as a who ...
(e.g., home and community-based
Medicaid Medicaid in the United States is a federal and state program that helps with healthcare costs for some people with limited income and resources. Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, including nursing home care and pers ...
waiver, HCBS). For example, "15 states financed 90% or more of their family support services with
Medicaid Medicaid in the United States is a federal and state program that helps with healthcare costs for some people with limited income and resources. Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, including nursing home care and pers ...
HCBS; 11 states financed their family support activities through state funding. Since family support was recommended for children, options such as foster care (new models for adults and children)often included family support services, families on waiting lists were offered family support services, and a broader range of types of services was developed in different states (e.g., Wisconsin's menu of services).


New and traditional population groups

In the 2000s, "new population groups" in family support, as part of family support theories in the US and worldwide, included: * Multicultural and transnational families, * Families which include a member who is
gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...
,
lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...
,
transsexual Transsexual people experience a gender identity that is inconsistent with their assigned sex, and desire to permanently transition to the sex or gender with which they identify, usually seeking medical assistance (including sex reassignment ...
, or
bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
* Youth with disabilities, * The aging population in the US, * Youth in mental health, * Families with a member with a
brain injury An injury is any physiological damage to living tissue caused by immediate physical stress. An injury can occur intentionally or unintentionally and may be caused by blunt trauma, penetrating trauma, burning, toxic exposure, asphyxiation, or o ...
, and * Parents with intellectual and other disabilities, among others.


Adolescent mothers and single parent families

Traditional groups known to be at risk of adolescent mothers were sometimes involved in social support and adolescent theories, as part of adolescent pregnancies and mothering research. At-risk families with intellectual disabilities also may be single mothers and early recommendations were for additional support options such as boarding nearby to family, modifying apartment programs to allow children, and increasing family support services in private homes. Critical are personal and family values, empowerment of families and home visitors, parent-child activities, and cluster groups (e.g., neighborhood improvement,
natural childbirth Natural childbirth is childbirth without routine medical interventions, particularly anesthesia. Natural childbirth arose in opposition to the techno-medical model of childbirth that has recently gained popularity in industrialized societies. Natur ...
groups, toddler playgroups, team group support), among others (e.g., Cochran, et al., 1984).


Multicultural and transnational families

In addition, the needs of multicultural families, based on changing US demographics, also resulted in greater attention to the major minority groups, including
African-Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...
,
Asian Americans Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants). Although this term had historically been used for all the indigenous people ...
, native Indian Americans, and Hispanic/Latino Americans. Original approaches involved services to Native Americans on reservations (often
poverty Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse social, economic, and political causes and effects. When evaluating poverty in ...
) or as "assimilation into white society" in contrast to approaches involving housing integration of "diverse populations" (e.g., Asian Americans) in
mixed-income housing The definition of mixed-income housing is broad and encompasses many types of dwellings and neighborhoods. Following Brophy and Smith, the following will discuss “non-organic” examples of mixed-income housing, meaning “a deliberate effort to ...
in small cities. Today (2012), the American Indians, for example, own and operate
casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...
gambling in the US and obtain funds for their own social services. In addition, new transnational families, who may be separated from their families by international migration, form part of the new face of families in the US as does the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender activist populations.


Youth with disabilities

Youth with disabilities became an emerging "age group" in the late 1980s and 1990s as family approaches (often parent-based) competed with approaches based more on the desires of youth with disabilities. For example, personal assistance approaches based on diverse lifestyles and hiring of aides by service users became a popular way of thinking about services. In addition, major federal initiatives in transition planning in the US resulted in a variety of approaches to moving from child-centered to adult services, based in part, upon theories of adolescent development. Today,
self-advocacy The term self-advocacy, which means speaking up for oneself and one's interests, is used as a name for civil rights movements and mutual aid networks for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The term arose in the broader civil ...
has grown worldwide and youth, in particular, have sought their own voices and futures.


Aging population

The changing demographics of aging in the US have been well documented in diverse fields with its public-facing the need to revamp the nation's Social Security system. The latter can no longer, as developed in the
Depression Era The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagion ...
, financially support the growing aging population which outstrips the younger generation paying into the system. For example, "between 2010 and 2030, the number of people aged 65 and older is projected to increase by 76%, while the number of workers supporting the system is projected to increase by 8%". The elder population also is living longer, expected to have a marked increase in the people living over the age of 80, involving an increase in "disabilities" such as dementia (e.g., Public Broadcasting, 2011), affecting social security disability benefits, and also the discovery of older adults with lifelong disabilities in "community-dwelling" two-generation families.


Youth, children and adults in mental health

Instead of family support in the field of
mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...
, parent organizations have formed state and national chapters independent of their children (e.g.,
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is a United States-based nonprofit organization originally founded as a grassroots group by family members of people diagnosed with mental illness. NAMI identifies its mission as "providing advocacy ...
). In addition, community agencies often have developed parent education programs (which remains government-funded program in the US), and family therapists and counselors (often in private practice) tend to work with the whole family. Personal assistance and independent living approaches tend to begin with the desires and wishes of the youth or adult, and less often, the children; these approaches in mental health remain relatively uncommon though psychosocial approaches have some similarities. While housing and support and employment support have been transferred across fields, greater reluctance exists in the field of mental health for "family support" (often starting with parental concerns) who often bill the parents as secondary service recipients. In
psychiatric rehabilitation Psychiatric rehabilitation, also known as psych social rehabilitation, and sometimes simplified to psych rehab by providers, is the process of restoration of community functioning and well-being of an individual diagnosed in mental health or emotio ...
, "families are a major resource impacting rehabilitation outcome" (families as allies) with 50-60% returning home from hospitals in the US (Anthony, et al., 2002, p. 185). Extended families are viewed as critical worldwide, and many approaches are categorized as "family management" (e.g., information, treatments, family management), family interventions, or " psychoeducational" (Ibid, 2002). However, leading national research centers in the US examined state service systems and recommended prevention and family support for children in mental health and their families. Such "ecologically-grounded models" which are expected to improve or "mediate child and parent outcomes" have often been the first targeted in difficult economic times; the "full-fledged family support movement" of community-based agencies was reported in 1992 as "struggling to operationalize a new set of services and a new way of doing business with families".


Parents with intellectual disabilities

By the 2000s, internationally, the support of parents who themselves have intellectual disabilities moved to new prominence with extensive, multi-decade research after initial programs and studies in the US as early as the late 1980s and 1990s. In addition, traditional parent training programs moved to community building and parents/mothers with physical disabilities also prominently advocated for better lifestyles for themselves and their children, included as part of a new US National Resource Center for Parents with Disabilities. (April 1998). Through the Looking Glass administered the 5-year center on behalf of the "8 million American families in which one or both parents has a disability."


Families with a member with a brain injury

In 2015, partially as a result of the
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
and Afghanistan wars,
veterans A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that h ...
are returning home with head and brain injuries and then returning from hospital and rehabilitation to spouses and family. Common may be a referral to a support group for the spouse or caregiver who may experience "caregiver stress" and "burden of care", the result of inadequate community services in homes and for families. In addition, brain or head injuries can be caused by vehicular accidents,
sports injuries Sports injuries are injuries that occur during sport, athletic activities, or exercising. In the United States, there are approximately 30 million teenagers and children who participate in some form of organized sport. Of those, about three mi ...
, falls or accidents,
war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
and
terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
, and related medical conditions (e.g.,
brain tumor A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and seconda ...
,
stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...
). Family support in these fields often refers to support groups or direct support from the family and neighbors to the individual with the brain injury or the rehabilitation or hospital program as the family support.


US policy goals

In the National Goals and Research for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, support of families and family life across the lifespan was considered one of the major goals of the extensive work group of leaders in that field (e.g.,
Ann Turnbull Ann Turnbull (born 1943) is a British writer of fiction for children and young adults. Her work includes a novel, set in a Midlands mining town during the Great Depression of the 1930s which is about a young girl named Mary Dyer, and '' No Sh ...
, Rud Turnbull, John Agosta, Elizabeth Erwin, Glenn Fujuira, George Singer, and Leslie Sodak, among others). The overarching goal was: To support the caregiving efforts and enhance the quality of life of all families so that families will remain the core unit of American society. The five subgoals include: *Goal A: To ensure family-professional partnerships in research, policy-making, and the planning and delivery of supports and services so that families control their own destinies with due regard to the autonomy of adult family members with disabilities to control their own lives. *Goal B: To ensure that families fully participate in communities of their choice through comprehensive, inclusive, neighborhood-based, and culturally responsive supports, and services. *Goal C: To ensure that services and supports for all families are available, accessible, appropriate, affordable and accountable. *Goal D: To ensure that sufficient public and private funding will be available to implement these goals and that all families will participate in directing the use of public funds authorized and appropriated for their benefits. *Goal E: To ensure that families and professionals have full access to state-of-the-art knowledge and best practices and that they will collaborate in using knowledge and practices. (p. 221). Such efforts are critical as the US has often been criticized for having a lack of a coherent family policy for all its people (e.g., health care, housing, employment, leisure, community, and economic development).


International

Family support is indeed an international initiative with 1994 the International Year of the Family as proclaimed by the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
. Helle Mittler, from Great Britain, reported on the TASK Force of the
International League of Societies for Persons with Mental Handicaps International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...
which highlighted Face to Face in the United Kingdom, Young
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
Women's Association Comprehensive Programme in Jordan, Service Brokerage in Canada, Swasahaya Sumachaya, Mysore, and Karnataka Parents' Association in India, Market Place Support Group in Côte d'Ivoire, Africa, Brothers and Sisters Groups in Nicaragua and India, Fathers' group in the United Kingdom, and Parents and Professionals Learning Together in Bangladesh and Pakistan. In 2012, the international community is on individual and family life quality, family support is a long-term service and supports (LTSS) in the US in communities and a new chapter, "Family theories, family support and family studies" will be released in 2014.Racino, Julie Ann. (2015). Family theory, family support and family studies. ''Public Administration and Disability: Community Services Administration in the US.'' Boca Raton FL: CRC Press.
ISSN An International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is an eight-digit serial number used to uniquely identify a serial publication, such as a magazine. The ISSN is especially helpful in distinguishing between serials with the same title. ISSNs ...
146657982X
OCLC OCLC, Inc., doing business as OCLC, See also: is an American nonprofit cooperative organization "that provides shared technology services, original research, and community programs for its membership and the library community at large". It was ...
899156066


Resources on families and family support

* Beach Center on Families and Disability * Center on Human Policy, Syracuse University * Human Services Research Institute, Oregon and Massachusetts * Administration on Children and Families, Washington, DC * Arc-US and local Chapters * Exceptional Family Resources, Syracuse, New York * National Institute on Disability Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), US Department of Education * PACER, the state of Minnesota, Parents of Children with Emotional and Behavioral Needs * United Cerebral Palsy-US and local Chapters * Urie Bronfenbrenner Translational Center, Cornell University * New York State Association of Community Residence Administrators, Family Support Programs * Portland, Oregon Research Center on Children with Emotional and Behavioral Needs * Early Intervention Programs, NYS Department of Public Health * Neighborhood, Family, and Community Centers * Community and Policy Studies, Family courses * Rehabilitation Research and Training Center Networks * State Centers on Excellence in Disabilities * American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities * Parent Training Center Network, US * Parent Network on Disabilities * National Alliance of Families of Children with Mental Illness * Psychiatric Survivors' and Independent Living Networks * Through the Looking Glass * National Council on Disability


References

{{reflist, 2 * https://www.usa.gov/disability-services Family Social security in the United States Social care in the United States