Project Description:
Charting the LifeCourse (CtLC) Family Leadership Collaborative is needed in order for the Maryland
Developmental Disability Administration to better support children and adults with developmental
disabilities and their families across the lifespan. CtLC recognizes that families are the backbone
of Maryland's developmental disabilities service delivery system. Based on the 2013 US Census there
are over 93,000 Marylanders with developmental disabilities. Of this number only 18% (16,772)
receive paid services from DOA, 8% (7,575) are on its wait list receiving case management services,
or Low Intensity Support Services while the remaining 74% (72,000) are not known to the DOA and
supported by families. As a result. the ODA is committed to supporting families with all their
complexity and diversity, in ways that maximize their capacity, strengths and unique abilities so
they can best support, nurture and facilitate the achievement of self-determination,
interdependence, productivity, integration and inclusion in all facets of community life for their
family member. CtLC framework provides a curriculum, universal in application, for children or
adults with developmental disability and families to create a vision for a "Good Life," think
about what they need to know and do, identify how to find or develop supports, and discover what it
takes to live the lives they want utilizing integrated supports and services with an emphasis on
their strengths and assets, relationships, technology, generic community supports as well as
eligibility specific supports and services. CtLC provides organizations, agencies and statewide
systems with the principles and tools to evaluate, develop a vision plan, create and implement
regulation, policy, programs and practices to better support children and adults with DD and
families across the lifespan. It builds the capacity of Family Leaders to spread Charting the
UfeCourse to other self-advocates with developmental disabilities and their families.
