Innovative Strategies for Working across State Programs Providing Respite Services in Massachusetts

This presentation was part of the Lifespan Respite Track at the 2021 Virtual International Short Break Association Conference cohosted by ARCH

Presenters

Leanne Winchester, Massachusetts Lifespan Respite Program and University of Massachusetts Medical School Commonwealth Medicine, MA, USA
Amy Nazaire, Massachusetts Lifespan Respite Coalition and Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services, MA, USA

Family caregivers provide critical supports to care recipients across the lifespan. Respite can benefit caregivers who are burdened by the challenges they face in this role. However, long-term services and supports provided by state agencies primarily focus on the needs of care recipients. This presentation will describe how the Massachusetts Lifespan Respite Program, through an Advanced Lifespan Respite Grant, leveraged the experience and expertise across state agencies and community partners in a strategic way to increase the capacity to serve individuals eligible for state agency services and the wider constituency of caregivers who would benefit from respite. A discussion of collaboration theory and the rubric used to measure collaboration, as well as the process collaborators used to define a common vision was held.