1. (a) The secretary of family and social services shall administer the family support program to produce a state plan, based on limits of appropriations, to promote the statewide availability of services.

2. (b) The state plan required by subsection (a) must include the following objectives:

   1. (1) Implementing a fair, swift, and convenient process for determination of family eligibility.
   2. (2) Assuring that all organizations implementing individualized support services will incorporate a family focus in providing family support programs.
   3. (3) Using existing local organizations as the single point of entry for families seeking services.
   4. (4) Using existing public and private local organizations, including the county step ahead councils, parent advisory groups, and natural and informal networks of family and friends, to carry out the daily operations of the family support program.
   5. (5) Providing a method for contracting with agencies, grantees, or vendors to provide individualized support services, especially in regions of Indiana that are inadequately served.
   6. (6) Developing a method for providing technical assistance to agencies and organizations, including consumer groups, that are developing or offering individualized support services to assure the coordination of publicly funded programs and generic services and to assure that other publicly funded programs and agencies are not supplanted.
   7. (7) Using available state, regional, and local media to support outreach to families.
   8. (8) Providing due process hearings on eligibility and other decisions affecting services.
   9. (9) Exploring sources of and opportunities for federal participation in and funding of services for families of persons with disabilities and persons with disabilities.
   10. (10) Giving priority to programs preventing and ameliorating the impact of disabilities on families.

As added by P.L.272-1999, SEC.26.