SD Department of Human Services

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DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES

Shawnie Rechtenbaugh, Department Secretary

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DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

REHAB SERVICES

GUARDIANSHIP

LONG TERM SERVICES AND SUPPORTS

SERVICE TO THE BLIND

SOUTH DAKOTA DEVELOPMENTAL CENTER

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What is the Supporting Families Community of Practice?

The National Community of Practice for Supporting Families of Individuals of I/DD began in 2012 as a project funded by the Administration for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to build capacity through a community of practice across and within states to create policies, practices and systems to better assist and support families that include a member with I/DD across the lifespan.The first five states to join the National Community of Practice (CoP) for Supporting Families included Connecticut, District of Columbia (DC), Oklahoma, Tennessee, Washington and Missouri. Learn more about how the National Community of Practice here.

In 2016, South Dakota and 11 other states (Alabama, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania) joined the National CoP.

While each state approach varies, all participate with the mutual commitment to support the goals identified in the 2011 Wingspread Family Support Summit which is as follows: The overall goal of supporting families with all of their complexity and diversity, is to maximize their capacity, strengths, and unique abilities so they can best support, nurture, love and facilitate opportunities for the achievement of self-determination, interdependence, productivity, integration, and inclusion in all facets of community life.

South Dakota Supporting Families Community of Practice (CoP) State Team

South Dakota's membership in the National Community of Practice for Supporting Families is made possible by a partnership between the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) and the South Dakota Council for People with Developmental Disabilities. The South Dakota Community of Practice for Supporting Families' is led by the SD CoP State Team, a group comprised of self-advocates, family members, providers, community partners, and state agencies which represent all life stages from birth through aging and end of life. The SD CoP State Team has identified the following priorities:

Establish a self-advocate and family collaborative to create a "hub" for self-advocate and family leadership in South Dakota
Initiate and further develop existing relationships with key state and local partners
Identify opportunities for DDD to achieve strategic goals by leveraging the resources of the National CoP for Supporting Families, the SD CoP State Team, and the Charting the LifeCourse framework.

SD CoP State Team meetings are held the first Wednesday at 12 p.m. CT, every other month (February, April, June, August, October & December). Learn more about the South Dakota Community of Practice by visiting the SD Charting the LifeCourse Facebook page.