The Arc Hamilton County Supports Covenant of Support

A Covenant of Support is formed when friends and family members make a commitment to be involved in the life of an individual with a developmental disability.  It is an innovative and vital advocacy/support process which more thoroughly connects a person with a developmental disability to his or her world.  It involves volunteers, family, neighbors, and friends all working to reduce or eliminate the isolation of an individual with disabilities from the community and to make unannounced visits to prevent abuse and neglect.  The reasons an individual with developmental disabilities would want a Covenant of Support group would be to feel safer, to not be lonely, to count on family and friends to come to see the individual, to help the individual’s friendships last and grow and to encourage the individual’s friends to get to know each other.

The following points describe the Covenants of Support process:

• The Covenant of Support concept and process were developed in 1998 by people with disabilities, family members, and professionals
• Anyone can have a Covenant of Support
• The individual for whom the Covenant is developed is its core member.
• The primary goal of a Covenant of Support is to insure that the core member has a caring, committed group of friends and family members whose voluntary involvement makes his/her life richer and safer.
• One member of the Covenant is identified as the coordinator to assist the core member.
• Covenant relationships are reciprocal. Members can count on each other as a source of friendship and support.
• All members of the Covenant meet together at least 2 times per year to renew their commitment, and schedule specific times for each member to spend with the core member.
• Though not members of the Covenant, direct support staff know about and respect Covenant relationships.
• Those who have Covenants greatly value them.

Important Things to Remember as You Get Started!

1. Deciding whether or not to have a Covenant of Support is the choice of the individual (core member) for and with whom the Covenant is formed.  Individuals may ask for and need input from family members, friends, and/or others with whom they are familiar.
2. Other Covenant members are chosen by the individual with input, if needed, from family members, friends and/or others chosen by or familiar with the individual.
   1. Members of the Covenant cannot include those who are paid and providing direct services to the individual.
   2. A membership list is maintained and distributed to Covenant members and service providers.
   3. Adding or removing a member should follow the process developed by the individual’s Covenant.
3. One member of the Covenant of Support is the coordinator who leads the Covenant, schedules and facilitates the meetings.
4. The Covenant of Support meets routinely (frequency to be decided by the individual’s Covenant) to share information, plan and renew its commitment.
5. A minimum number of times (to be decided by the individual’s Covenant) for Covenant members to visit is scheduled, recorded on a calendar and distributed to all members.
6. Only Covenant members know when (dates/times) they are scheduled to visit.
7. Covenant members are not limited to what is scheduled.  As individual relationships grow, both the individual and Covenant members may desire further interaction.
8. Covenant friendships are formed expecting them to be reciprocal; each member’s life is enriched as they build upon one another’s gifts and talents.
9. Covenant members are friends who, when visiting, interact, care and keenly observe to enrich the life of the individual and insure that needs are being met and wishes are being honored.
10. The protocol for addressing concerns about the care, safety and well being of the individual is determined by Covenant members.
11. Annually, the Covenant of Support monitors its adherence to best practice and revisits the individual’s desire to have a Covenant.
12. The Covenant of Support is a part of the individual’s My Plan or any other written service plans and is explained to all service providers in order to build a collaborative, respectful rapport.
13. The Covenant conducts a “How we are doing?” evaluation at six, twelve, eighteen and 24 months, etc. which covers all aspects and components of the Covenants of Supports process. 
     
       For more information or to schedule a presentation please contact Patty McMahon at 821-2113 ext 113 or   This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it