JFSA helps families navigate the often complex healthcare and social services systems to access necessary services and supports for a loved-one today and in the future.
JFSA’s Family Advocacy Program recognizes the challenges faced by families and works to ensure they do not have to manage them alone. Our professional staff helps families take advantage of opportunities they may qualify for and provides tools to help them plan for their loved ones’s future.
Education
JFSA assists families with a special needs child in navigating the K-12 educational system and ensures that children receive the appropriate support and resources they need to succeed. We work in collaboration with educators, psychologists, and other professionals to develop a comprehensive understanding of the child’s abilities and challenges and ensure that individual education plans (IEP) are tailored to meet the unique educational requirements of the child.
Advocacy
Advocacy for persons with developmental disabilities encompasses a range of activities aimed at promoting their rights, inclusion, and well-being. These activities are essential in ensuring that individuals with developmental disabilities or mental illness have the same opportunities and protections as everyone else. Services range from obtaining government benefits, coordinating long-term and lifetime planning, nursing home and assisted living applications and visits and HUD and Section 8 housing applications.
Lifetime Planning
The need for lifetime assistance is a number one concern for many families who care for a loved one with developmental disabilities or mental health. The objectives of a lifetime plan are to enable adults to live their lives safely, securely and as independently as possible. This plan is aimed at ensuring your loved one will be provided for legally, financially, emotionally and socially for a lifetime.
Special Needs Trusts
JFSA serves as an approved liaison with the Community Fund Ohio, an organization that develops trust vehicles, education, and related service that enable individuals with disabilities to use private funds to enhance their quality of life while attempting to safeguard their eligibility for government benefits. A special needs trust safeguards your loved one’s eligibility for government benefits. Trusts can be funded at any time and used for expenses not provided for under government programs. JFSA staff can act as a designated advocate.
Master Trust
Can be made revocable or irrevocable $15,000 minimum needed to establish the fund Can only be funded with monies from others (not the disabled) After the death of the beneficiary, any balance in the trust can be gifted to another beneficiary
Pooled Medicaid Payback Trust
Irrevocable trust $5,000 minimum needed to establish a fund and access monies Can be funded by any individual at any time Upon beneficiary’s death, balance in the trust is designated to the Jewish Federation of Cleveland to provide financial support for those who lack the means to have their own trust
Roll-In Payback Trust
Irrevocable trust $750 minimum required to establish fund $5,000 balance required to access monies for supplemental items or services Designed for adults with a disability who are able to contribute small amounts of money to the trust.
Services are funded by:
The Irving B. Fine Trust | Distributions from Pooled Disability trust funds
JFSA helps individuals and families with