DESE/DDS Program

The goal of the DESE/DDS Program is to increase the capacity of families to support their school-aged children by providing a continuum of supports among home, school and the community. The program provides flexibility in the delivery of services, a mechanism to pay for and deliver cost effective family support services, and the provisions necessary to enable a child to remain in their home and community. Each family is assigned a Service Broker who assesses the needs of the family and child, identifies the available natural and generic supports and then assists the family in obtaining the supports. Some examples of assistance include finding respite supports; appropriate community activities; adaptive equipment; and securing specialized medical services, Mass Health and other governmental services.