I would like clarification of the role of the Service Broker and how it would differ from the role of the Service Facilitator. I know what a Service Facilitator is, because we have one, but the materials provided do not clearly explain how life with a Service Broker would differ from life with a Service Facilitator.

If a Service Broker is what I think it is, the Service Broker model would work for my family, but I fear that other families would suffer from a reduced level of support.

The importance of the Service Facilitator role varies with the quality of the other support provided to the individual. The Service Facilitator can identify gaps in the services provided to individuals with disabilities.

The Fairfax County Community Services Board provides my family with an excellent Service Coordinator, and my wife and I are actively involved in our daughter’s support. These circumstances may reduce the need for a Service Facilitator, but I am concerned that our situation may represent something close to a best-case scenario.

I would love to see a model where we could receive support for our annual recertification without requiring monthly check-ins with a Service Facilitator, which seem redundant with our quarterly check-ins with our Service Coordinator, but I would not want to see an environment where individuals who receive less support from their Support Coordinators no longer receive needed  support and oversight.

All of this is further complicated by the fact that Virginia’s support models vary widely from county to county.

What we really need is a comprehensive end-to-end review of the current system looking to provide consistent support across the Commonwealth while seeking opportunities to streamline processes and improve support across the board.