About Family Support 360° Program

What is the Family Support 360° Program?

Managed by The Arc, the Family Support 360° Program provides family-focused services and support to improve the quality of life for families caring for people with developmental disabilities (autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, epilepsy, for example).  Navigators, or local leaders representative of the communities to which families belong, work with families to identify their unique needs, develop a Family Centered Plan, and ensure families receive the services and support they require.

How does the Family Support 360° Program work?

The Family Support 360° Team

Debi Arrants, Director of Outreach & Advocacy

Employee since 2008

Debi attended Spokane Community College and Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington where she received a Bachelor's degree in Psychology.  Debi started her career in the disability field as a direct care professional and then as a Branch Director of a supported living program in Grandview, Washington.  Debi enjoys time with her family of three grown children and three grandchildren who all live in the Seattle area.

Verónica Guzmán, Outreach and Advisory Coordinator for Family Support 360° Program

Employee since 2009

Originally from Botogá, Colombia, Verónica moved to the U.S. in September 2000 to pursue her undergraduate degree at The University of Chicago where she studied political science and international studies.  Upon graduation, she moved to Washington D.C. to work at the Office of Evaluation and Oversight at the Inter-American Development Bank.  In 2007, she was awarded the Rotary World Peace Fellowship to pursue a Masters degree in Public Policy at The University of California, Berkeley.  During her two years at Berkeley, Verónica worked at UC Berkeley's Human Rights Center on project to reunite families torn apart by the armed conflict in El Salvador.  She also traveled to Uganda to work with CCF Pader Fellowship, a local non-profit that supports war-affected children and families, and to South Africa to work with loveLife, an organization that supports people living with HIV/AIDS.  Verónica loves the outdoors, cooking (and eating), and working with vulnerable populations.

The Family Support 360° Navigators

The Family Support 360° Navigators, or persons uniquely assigned to your family who share your same culture and language, assist individuals with developmental disabilities and their families to identify needs for support, develop a plan of action, and obtain access to relevant supports.

The Navigator's chief priority is to be a guide and advocate for individuals and/or families, and to support them in making their own decisions and achieving self-directed goals.

The Family Support 360° Advisory Committee

The Family Support 360° Advisory Committee provides mentorship to the leadership of the Family Support 360° Program (FS360°).  The Advisory Committee guides the FS360° leaders by providing advice, insight and feedback regarding the program's strategy, implementation and evaluation.  The committee also provides counsel on the opportunities and challenges facing people with developmental disabilities and their families.

The committee meetings are held once a month at The Arc of King County headquarters.  Besides the committee members, the Family Support 360° program's coordinator and the Family Support 360° navigators will also be in attendance at the meetings.

Are you interested in becoming a part of the Family Support 360° Advisory Committee?  If so, let us know by clicking here!