Riverside Family Support Program

The primary goal of Family Support is to enable people with disabilities to stay together with their families and to be welcomed, contributing members in their community. Family Support services help parents and caregivers to provide assistance in their own home for a child or relative with a developmental disability. Funding for the program is provided by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Retardation (DMR). Our goal is to provide the particular resources necessary to support each family’s efforts.

Who is eligible?

Riverside Family Support services are available to any family that has a member living in the home who is eligible for services through the Massachusetts Department of Mental Retardation.

The cities and towns we serve are:

Our Services

• Information & referral- We offer access to information on other services in the community.

• Lending library- We have a library of books, CD’s, DVD’s, and software covering a wide variety of topics, including how to deal with difficult behaviors, sensory integration, parent and sibling issues, social skills, etc.

• Flexible funding- This service enables families to tailor services and supports to their unique needs, such as the purchase of adaptive equipment, recreational activities, membership fees, specialized nutrition, vehicle modifications, etc. within the DMR Family Support guidelines.

• Respite- Provides temporary relief to families/ caregivers of individuals with developmental disabilities and may provide skill training to the individual. Respite services may be delivered either in-home or out-of-home.

• Parent/ Caregiver workshops- We offer a variety of workshops throughout the year.

• Kids’ newsletter- Our quarterly newsletter is created by parents for parents of children under 18 with a developmental disability. It is filled with parent stories, useful information, resources, and activities.

• Gym & Swim- In conjunction with Tufts University, the Gym & Swim program helps provide a physical and social outlet for developmentally disabled children ages 6 to 12 years old. 

• “Respitality”- We are able to offer families caring for family members with developmental disabilities a much needed break. Examples of some of the respitality services that have been offered include a free one-night stay at the Doubletree Guest Suites in Waltham, gift certificates for local restaurants and special event tickets.

• Recreational and therapeutic groups- Recreational and therapeutic groups are run at different times during the year. Examples of groups we have offered include Social Clubs, Music Therapy, Art Therapy, and Cooking Class.

• Life Skills- Training classes offered to individuals who are transitioning into adult DMR services or, ultimately, into an independent living arrangement. The classes meet for 2 hours once per week for forty weeks. The curriculum includes Social Skills, Phone Skills, Money Management, Grocery Shopping, Cooking, Nutrition, Household Chores, Hygiene, Home Safety, Community Safety, and Laundry Skills. Instructors use a variety of materials to teach the classes of 8 to 15 students. The small student to instructor ratio allows for the opportunity to provide individualized attention as needed. A multi modal teaching approach is used. Our teaching tools include role-play, cards/ games, computer software, board games, and video/ DVD, to reinforce curriculum topics. The curriculum is also enriched by several field trips. These include trips to the grocery store and the laundromat. The program is free to DMR eligible individuals living in the Metro North Area. A fee of $10.00 per class is charged to those individuals living outside of the Metro North Area.

• Parent Advisory Committee - The Parent Advisory Committee serves in an advisory capacity to the Metro North and Central Middlesex Family Support Programs. The Committee members are people who have a family member with a developmental disability. The Committee serves as an educational resource to other families, service providers, and the community at large.