Supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families through collaboration, shared learning, and person-centered approaches to building a good life.
Virginia joined the Community of Practice for Supporting Families in 2019, bringing together state agencies, advocacy organizations, and community partners to strengthen supports for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.
Led by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) and its partners, Virginia’s Community of Practice focuses on family engagement, accessible information, and coordinated systems that help individuals and families plan for and achieve their vision of a good life.
Virginia’s Community of Practice is focused on strengthening collaboration among organizations, improving access to information and services, and ensuring that individuals and families have a meaningful voice in shaping the supports they receive.
Through shared learning, family engagement, and coordinated planning, partners work to identify common priorities, improve service navigation, and align initiatives with the needs of individuals and families.
The Community of Practice also supports the integration of Charting the LifeCourse principles into planning and service delivery, emphasizing the importance of supporting individuals within the context of their families and communities.
Virginia’s Community of Practice brings together organizations with shared goals to strengthen family supports and improve systems across the state.
Teri Morgan
Executive Director
Virginia Board for People with Disabilities
Teri.Morgan@vbpd.virginia.gov
Deanna L. Parker, MPA
Director, Community Network Supports
Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services
Deanna.parker@dbhds.virginia.gov
Ronnitta Clements
Community Resource Consultant, Individual & Family Team Lead
Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services
Ronnitta.clements@dbhds.virginia.gov
Barry Seaver
Community Resource Consultant
Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services
barry.seaver@dbhds.virginia.gov
Beth Pleinka-Bateman
Community Resource Consultant
Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services
Beth.Pleinka-bateman@dbhds.virginia.gov
Parthy Dinora
Executive Director, Parent
VCU Partnership for People with Disabilities
padinora@vcu.edu
Dana Yarbrough
Associate Director, Parent
VCU Partnership for People with Disabilities
dvyarbrough@vcu.edu
Tonya Milling
Executive Director
The Arc of Virginia
tmilling@thearcofva.org
Robin Church
Director of New Path Family Support Network
The Arc of Virginia
rchurch@thearcofva.org
Lauren Gerken
Director of Information and Resources
The Arc of Virginia
lgerken@thearcofva.org
Lead Facilitator
Individual and Family Support Program Manager
Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services
heather.hines@dbhds.virginia.gov
Co-Facilitator
Acting Assistant Commissioner of Developmental Services
Office of Provider Network Supports, Director
Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services
eric.william@dbhds.virginia.gov
Virginia’s Community of Practice has supported efforts to strengthen family engagement, improve access to information, and incorporate person-centered approaches into statewide initiatives.
Virginia has added plain-language learning objectives to state employee work profiles to strengthen communication skills and improve how materials are developed for individuals and families.
This effort is intended to make information easier to understand, more accessible, and more useful for people navigating developmental disability services and supports.
Virginia has integrated person-centered concepts into its Individual Support Plan (ISP), helping align service planning with individual preferences, goals, and desired life experiences.
The state also began developing a family planning guide focused on helping individuals and families think about what a good life means to them and identify the supports needed to achieve it.
Virginia has advanced several initiatives to make information and supports easier for individuals and families to navigate.
Key accomplishments include:
In 2024, Virginia worked with national consultants and Individual and Family Support Program (IFSP) Councils to develop regional work plans.
These efforts focused on:
Virginia’s Community of Practice has brought together partners to identify shared priorities, strengthen family engagement, and coordinate efforts across organizations.
Through this collaboration, partners have explored opportunities to align their work, support self-advocacy, and ensure that individuals and families remain central to systems improvement.
Virginia offers several resources to help individuals and families explore available supports, navigate services, and plan for the future.
