Parent / Guardian
Extended Family Teaching Program
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the determination made as to who can receive services in an EFT home?
What are requirements for becoming an Extended Family Teacher?
Extended Family Teachers independently contract with CLO to provide services. What exactly does independent contractor mean?
What are Minimum Contractual Outcomes?
In what ways does CLO monitor program quality?
What happens if an Extended Family Teaching placement does not work out for any reason?
What happens to the personal belongings (like furniture) when my family member/ward’s moves into the Extended Family Teaching home?
What is contributed financially by my family member/ward towards living expenses while s/he lives in an Extended Family Teaching home?
What safeguards are in place regarding my family member/ward's personal finances?
Does the Extended Family Teacher provide both residential and day services?
What respite support is available for Extended Family Teachers to prevent "burnout," and who is with my family member/ward when they need to take a break?
How is the determination made as to who can receive services in an EFT home?
CLO requires that an Extended Family Teacher know and have developed a relationship with any prospective person to be served prior to placement. In many cases, Extended Family Teachers have worked for CLO in other capacities and already have established relationships with persons who could benefit from a small, family-style living environment. A prospective EFT does not have to work at CLO, nor does the consumer have to be currently served by CLO. It may be the case that a person has known a consumer through family or friends and has formed a relationship with them. When such a person decides that an Extended Family Teaching lifestyle is right for them, and a person they would like to support is willing to make the same commitment to this lifestyle, the person's Support Team can begin the process of determining the appropriateness of such a living arrangement for all parties.
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What are requirements for becoming an Extended Family Teacher?
In addition to a relationship with the person to be served, requirements include participating in a placement study, an in-home family interview, home evaluation, completion of minimum training standards, willingness to become certified within 18 months of contract, and successfully passing thorough background checks and screenings (including a general physical exam, drug screening, criminal history check, and checks for any history of abuse, neglect or exploitation). An Extended Family Teacher then must agree to become an independent contractor, and must remain in compliance with all minimum training standards and requirements throughout the extent of their contract.
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Extended Family Teachers independently contract with CLO to provide services. What exactly does independent contractor mean?
An independent contractor is not an employee of CLO, but is an independent party contracting with CLO to provide services. CLO is prepared to provide services under the auspices of Foster Care with the intent to meet the requirements for funding for care that meets the definition of qualified foster care payment. This potentially allows the Foster Family to consider this payment exempt from state and federal taxes. This has all been made possible by Federal legislation passed in 2002, which allows qualified Foster Care payments to be exempt. This of course increases the compensation to EFT's significantly. While EFT's are Independent Contractors, they must adhere to all standard licensing and guidelines and are accountable to meet all critical Quality of Life outcomes as defined in the Minimum Contractual Outcomes (MCOs).
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What are Minimum Contractual Outcomes?
Minimum Contractual Outcomes (MCO) refer to both general and person-specific outcomes that are consistent with CLO's definition of "Quality of Life" for people with and without disabilities. The MCO is an addendum to the contract between CLO and Extended Family Teachers, and specifies the quality outcomes that must be met for the home, person served and their family. The person to be served, his/her family/guardian, the team who supports the person, and the prospective Extended Family Teachers work together to develop, write, and approve the MCO list. The MCOs are then monitored at least quarterly through visits that the CLO representative makes to the home. Satisfactorily achieving the standards described in the MCO is a primary responsibility of EFT's and is required for the continuance of their contract.
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In what ways does CLO monitor program quality?
In addition to the completion of and compliance with the Minimum Contractual Outcomes, all Extended Family Teachers are required by contract to become certified as EFT's. To become certified, the Extended Family Teacher works with a CLO consultant to complete a curriculum that includes training, observation and feedback. Becoming Certified is indicative of the presence of each of CLO’s Quality of Life outcomes in the home and lifestyle of the EFT and consumer(s) served.
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What happens if an Extended Family Teaching placement does not work out for any reason?
First and most important, even if your family member or ward is receiving services in an Extended Family Teaching home, he or she is still considered to be served by CLO, and CLO will continue to serve him/her if the Extended Family Teaching placement should end.
If your family member or ward moves out of a CLO group home, individualized living program home, or other living arrangement to move in to an Extended Family Teaching home, their place in the group home, etc., another individual will most likely move in to their vacated place, so in most cases they would not be able to move back to the same CLO living arrangement they left.
If/when an Extended Family Teaching placement ends, CLO will act to find a living arrangement that best suits the needs and lifestyle preferences of your family member or ward, and you will be involved. CLO may need to make a temporary placement until the most suitable option can be arranged. A temporary placement might include living with another Extended Family Teacher (approved by you, of course), or in another Family Teaching or Individualized Living Program home. It should be noted that EFT's must give at least 90 days (and often much longer) notice, which allows CLO and the person served support team to ensure successful transition planning.
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What happens to the personal belongings (like furniture) when my family member/ward’s moves into the Extended Family Teaching Home?
Like when most people decide to live together and combine households, the Extended Family Teacher(s) and the person they will be serving in their home need to take inventory of what everybody has, determine what is needed to serve the needs of the person and make the household efficient, and make some decisions together. If a person served has some items that the Extended Family Teacher(s) already own (a washer and dryer, for example), all parties, including you, work together to decide what to do. In the washer/dryer example, the ones owned by the person served could be stored, sold to another individual or family, or maybe even donated.
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What is contributed financially by my family member/ward towards living expenses while s/he lives in an Extended Family Teaching home?
A monthly flat fee will be paid to the CLO for the purpose of providing a stipend to the EFT for cover rent, food, transportation and utilities. If your family member or ward does not have enough income to cover the monthly fee, he or she is guaranteed $85 per month for personal spending, and whatever if left is paid to the Extended Family Teacher. Extended Family Teachers understand that if the person they serve in their home does not have enough income to pay the full amount of the monthly flat fee, the difference will not be subsidized by CLO.
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What safeguards are in place regarding my family member/ward's personal finances?
The Extended Family Teacher will assist your family member or ward with managing their money as needed, and you will receive copies of financial reports from the Extended Family Teacher. A member of the CLO finance department will audit your family member/ward's checkbook and personal finances on a monthly or quarterly basis. Additionally the Targeted Case Manager may also preview the finances as well.
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Does the Extended Family Teacher provide both residential and “day” services?
The Extended Family Teaching Model is primarily a residential service model, and CLO's day services program includes a variety of options developed around the interests, preferences, and vocational goals of persons served. In some cases, however, it may be appropriate and even preferable for the Extended Family Teacher(s) to provide the consumer with out-of-home valued activities during the traditional day hours and may do so on a part-time even full time basis in addition to residential services.
The Extended Family Teaching placement committee, your family member/ward's Support Team, and you must first consider your family member/ward's lifestyle preferences, interests, preferences, and vocational goals. If the Extended Family Teachers(s) would like to provide out-of-home valued activities during traditional day time hours and are able to meet the those preferences and goals, all parties work together to determine how these activities are to be provided, tailoring them in such a way that the Extended Family Teacher(s) provides these activities anywhere from one to five days a week.
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What respite support is available for Extended Family Teachers to prevent "burnout," and who is with my family member/ward when they need to take a break?
CLO requires that respite for Extended Family Teachers be part of the contract. During contract development a pre-specified amount of respite will be agreed upon by all members of the individuals support team.
The Extended Family teacher is solely responsible for arranging all respite/relief services. There are two types of respite - paid support and "natural" support. Paid support would be staff members that the Extended Family Teacher either employs or arranges for through CLO. "Natural" supports are people like family, friends and advocates that your family member/ward already knows and trusts, or that the Extended Family Teachers know and trust.
CLO must screen and approve all persons paid to provide respite/relief support, and you must approve of all volunteers, family, friends or other similar people who do not receive pay for providing respite/relief. The Extended Family Teacher(s) must provide any person providing respite/relief with individualized orientation/training.
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