Lifespan Respite Care Program Expansion Supplement

We have good news! NC's grant application for one-year funds for additional
respite care services was selected for funding by the U.S. Administration
for Community Living. This will allow us to add additional dollars to our
respite voucher program managed by the NC Respite Care Coalition. We are
excited and grateful for the opportunity to serve new and more family
caregivers than we have been able to previously. We anticipate the
application process for the vouchers will begin in late October/early
November and will operate similarly to how it has in the last three years.
We are trying to reach new and unserved populations with these funds so if
you have referral sources who are not familiar with the purpose and process,
please help us spread the word. The note below is a short article that
hopefully hits the highlights of the program and how readers can join the NC
Respite Care Coalition and find out more about the vouchers as they become
available. If you have listservs, electronic bulletins, etc. that may
benefit from this information please share this with them.

Thank you. We'll have more info as we proceed and look forward to seeing all
who can join us at our next Team meeting on November 18th.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has been awarded
a one-year Lifespan Respite Care Program Expansion Supplement from the U.S.
Administration for Community Living. This one-year grant will provide
approximately 150 respite vouchers to family caregivers of people with
special needs of any age who do not qualify or are on a waiting list for
other publicly-funded respite programs and are determined to be in need of
the service. The grant award is managed by the NC Division of Aging and
Adult Services (DAAS) and is the fifth Lifespan Respite Care Program grant
awarded to DAAS since 2009. The vouchers will be administered by the North
Carolina Respite Care Coalition through a contract with DAAS. More detailed
information and an online application for these $500 consumer-directed
respite vouchers will be available online at
northcarolinarespitecarecoalition.org later this Fall. Membership in the NC
Respite Care Coalition is free and members will receive further information
as it becomes available directly through email. Persons may join the
Coalition through the organization's website. Agencies who work with family
caregivers are encouraged to familiarize themselves with this respite
voucher program and assist family caregivers who may benefit from the
service with the brief application.

An advisory team of more than 50 representatives from NC DHHS divisions,
local and regional providers, family caregivers, and area non-profit
organizations provide counsel and assistance to the DAAS project leadership
team on a variety of activities related to the NC Lifespan Respite Care
Project. In addition to direct respite care, the NC Lifespan Respite Project
seeks to expand and enhance respite services, improve coordination and
dissemination of services, streamline access to programs, and improve
overall quality, utilization and sustainability of respite services across
the lifespan. For more information, contact Alicia Blater, Lifespan Respite
Project Coordinator and Family Caregiver Support Program Consultant at
Alicia.blater@dhhs.nc.gov and 919-855-3413.
For assistance accessing this valuable problem contact
Gail E Sonnesso M.S.QDCS
GEM Adult Day services Inc.
(252) 580-3354
Email: gsonnesso@gmail.com