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Eighty-Fifth

Community Health

Advisory Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Weekly Message from the Executive Director

By the Numbers

This week we reported a decrease of positive covid-19 tests with 23 positive tests for consumers, and 8 positive tests for direct support professionals. A third of the consumers were small children under the vaccination age, half are consumers living with their families, and only one was hospitalized (not vaccinated). This week three out of our five counties reported decreases in their positivity rates:

· San Joaquin 4.9% (.03% decrease),

· Amador 4.2% (.8% decrease),

· Calaveras 7.9% (2.7% decrease),

· Stanislaus 7.7% (.3% increase), and

· Tuolumne 10.4% (increase of .8%).

Rapid Changes in Your VMRC

This week we announced openings for an Emergency Services Coordinator, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialist, an Intake Coordinator, Senior Service Coordinators, and several Service Coordinators and Early Start Service Coordinators. Over the next couple of weeks we'll also be recruiting for Enhance Caseload Services Coordinators and several more Service Coordinators to help with the increases in consumers due to the provisional eligibility new rules. Our Human Resources department has been amazing, hiring about 12 new employees over the past two weeks, but we continue to see early retirements and resignations because of family demands and the new vaccination requirements. The good news is we have hired more than we lost and we're in the process with 12 more candidates, but the bad news is we're just barely ahead by about four people now.

We Are Creating New Exciting Services That Our Community Has Been Needing for a Long Time Like:

· an improved coordinated emergency response system,

· cultural and linguistic competence and in supporting and providing services for our deaf and hard of hearing community,

· a better bridge to supporting little kids transitioning from Early Start,

· enhanced service coordination for families who aren't accessing needed services due to language and cultural barriers,

· intensive supports for all the new people accessing our Self-Determination and Participant Choice Services,

· as well as continuing to find new and better ways to support our 16,000 consumers and families in our region.

What's a Participant Choice Specialist (download DDS guidance)

Yesterday we received some guidance from the Department of Developmental Services on one of the new positions called, Participant Choice Specialist. Our regional center will receive money for expert staff in self-determination and participant choice services (PCS) to help our service coordinators to connect consumers and families to these program. Those familiar with the VMRC program over the past few years know that our team has been helping participants with all parts of Self-Determination. While they will not carry a caseload they will be training and informing all of our staff, consumers, providers, families, and our SDP advisory committee about the SDP and the PCS. Our team will do outreach and training on all participant-directed service options, including SDP. Finally, this position will complete a review of participant budgets which exceed a specified threshold to identify additional training, program guidance, and verification of compliance with state and federal requirements and work with eligible consumers and their families to apply for Medi-Cal.

Tony Anderson

Executive Director

Case Management Update - Children

Five Principles of Self Determination

Freedom- To have the same rights as everyone else. The freedom to establish where you want to live, with whom you want to live and decide how your time will be occupied.

Authority-You have a budget to control; you decide what to spend money On, what is needed for your support to reach your goals.

Support-This means you do not receive “supervision” or “staffing”. Rather you may see companionship for support and hire providers to provide you assistance.

Responsibility-This is the wise use of public tax payer money and to be accountable for your budget and spending plan.

Confirmation-You are the important part of making your own decisions. You will choose the services and supports that will help you reach your goals that are in the IPP. “NOTHING ABOUT ME WITHOUT ME”

Early Start

Developmental Milestones Checklists for Babies and Young Children

CDC’s Milestone Tracker App | CDC Milestones matter! Track your child’s milestones from age 2 months to 5 years with CDC’s easy-to-use illustrated checklists; get tips from CDC for encouraging your child’s development; and find out what to do if you are ever concerned about how your child is developing.

This set of age-based handouts includes a “What to Expect” chart for each age range, frequently asked questions, a research summary, and information about common parenting challenges for each age and stage.

This checklist is developed by Pathways.org. It lists the milestone checklist by age and within four topics: motor, sensory, communication, and feeding.

Stanford’s quick reference of developmental milestones is sorted by age and topics based on gross motor, fine motor, communication/social, and cognitive/adaptive development from birth to 5 years.

The Whole Child has created a guide that shows the ages by which most young children develop certain abilities. Information is sorted by Physical, Language, Social and Emotional categories.

Help Me Grow Minnesota has created a site that explains how babies develop at their own pace and each milestone shows a range of skills that is typically seen in infant development. The site explains how babies may not meet every milestone but can still be progressing normally. The milestone tracker comes in different languages.

Healthychildren.org by the American Academy of Pediatrics lists 10 Physical, Social, Emotional & Cognitive Milestones to Watch for as the child grows.

John Hopkins developmental milestones provides parents and caregivers examples of how they can support their child’s learning, development and emotional security with lots of positive interaction and age-appropriate activities that practice specific skills.

From Our Friends at the Infant Development Association

Join us for our final

Coach2Coach:

November 12, 2021

12:30-2:00pm

This event marks our final Coach2Coach workshop for 2021. We

will be watching a recent home-visit of a child who we saw in November 2020 in

order to compare all the growth that's occurred (for the child, caregiver, and

his ECSE)! We will also have multiple caregivers joining us to discuss their

own experiences with coaching in early intervention.

These workshops describe and present evidence and demonstrations for using best

practices in early intervention, more specifically: using everyday activities

and routines as a context for family-centered early intervention. Participants

gain an understanding of how to implement coaching strategies and

routines-based practices into their virtual and in-person home-visits through

video modeling of real home-visits, reflection, and problem solving.

Outcomes:

1. Identify caregiver, professional, and child strengths during home visits.

2. Understand caregivers’ perspectives on embedded coaching.

3. Consider broader early intervention outcomes related to increasing caregivers' confidence and competence.

IDA member: $30

Non IDA member: $40

CE Hours: IDA -Nursing/PT/Speech and Language | 1.5 hours $15

Tara Sisemore-Hester

Director of Consumer Services - Children

Case Management Update - Adults

SPOTLIGHT ON Family Resource Network

In honor of National Family Caregivers Month, let’s meet Family Resource Network (FRN). FRN serves families raising children, ages birth to 22 years, with special needs and disabilities. FRN is the family resource center for the VMRC catchment area, and serves families in Amador, Calaveras, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne Counties. There are no income limits or eligibility requirements to receive FRN services. FRN serves families whose children have any type of special need, medical diagnosis, or learning difference. FRN also serves the professionals who work with special needs children.

What is Family Resource Network?

An opportunity for parents to benefit from the support and understanding of other parents who have gone through similar experiences.

A parent directed resource center for families of special needs infants and children.

A place to call or visit when you need to talk with a parent who will truly listen because they, too, have "been there."

A resource library of books and other items to help families better understand disabilities and the system that provides support.

A place to meet trained parents who can sensitively and confidentially answer your questions and help you find the answers you need.

An opportunity to participate in the community wide, interagency group coordinating services for infants and toddlers with special needs and their families.

A place for training to understand the systems, services and rights of children with special needs and their families.

FRN creates a community allowing parents and professionals to share, experience emotional support and be appreciated. Caregivers play the most important and expert role in the lives of their family members.

If you are interested in connecting with FRN:

Family Resource Network

5250 Claremont Avenue, Suite 148

Stockton, CA 95207

(209) 472-3674 or

(800) 847-3030 (5 county service area)

Fax (209) 472-3673

frnfamilies@frcn.org

We're proud to recognize November as National Family Caregivers Month - a time to celebrate the contributions of caregivers and provide them with tools that they need. There are over 53 million Americans who are unpaid caregivers to family, friends, and neighbors. Caregiving can often have a significant impact on the life of the caregiver in more ways than one. It can make maintaining your physical and mental health more difficult and may put a strain on work and social life. It’s important for caregivers to take care of their own mental health. If you are a caregiver struggling with your own mental health, visit mhascreening.org to take a free, anonymous, and confidential screen.

National Core Indicators or NCI is a way the state and regional centers learn about our service system. The State Council on Developmental Disabilities may send you an Adult Family Survey, Family/Guardian Survey or Child Family Survey. Each year, NCI asks people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families about the services they get and how they feel about them. NCI uses surveys so that the same questions can be asked to a large group. Please fill out the survey and return it, your input helps us see what we are doing well and helps us improve services! For more information, https://www.dds.ca.gov/rc/nci/

JBallelos Community Integration Program (JBCIP) Halloween Costume Awards

Did you know? Practicing gratitude can have health benefits like boosting your emotional well-being, helping with stress, and improving heart health. Get started this National Gratitude Month and learn more from National Institutes of Health (NIH): https://bit.ly/3pUMbXr.

Dave Vodden took pictures at the Stockton Young Adult Program, celebrating their door decorating contest. Pictured is Tayna (teacher), Steve Bartles, Katie and Gina. Thank you to Dave, Katie and Gina for helping with the judging!!

Emergency Rental Assistance Programs for families in San Joaquin County are still available. These resources are to help prevent evictions for families who experienced financial hardship due to COVID-19. The City of Stockton’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program will also help pay for utilities and relocation costs. Call 209-644-2690.

Families may also call 211 to get connected to housing and homelessness prevention resources available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or they can text their zip code to 898211 to speak to a 211 Information & Referral Call Specialist.

ERAP Flyer San Joaquin County

ERAP Flyer City of Stockton

Christine Couch (she, her, hers)

Director of Consumer Services - Adults

Community Services Training Opportunities and Service Provider Information

Training Opportunities

Weekly Community Services Department Provider Informational Session

Please join VMRC staff and other partner agencies via ZOOM every Friday morning at 9:00 AM! Question and Answer session and opportunities to hear about important vendor changes!

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 961 6884 2952

https://zoom.us/j/96168842952

________________________________________________________________________

Resource Development News

VMRC is excited to announce that the Community Services/ Resource Development Department will be adding the position of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community Services Specialist to our team. The official Job Description will be posted Monday November 1^st ; internally for current VMRC staff and externally for applicants at large.

Since this is a new and unique position, VMRC will be hosting an informational session on Friday November 5^th , 2021 from 1:00-2:30 via Zoom. The position will have the primary responsibility of supporting the regional center to expand deaf resources and will ensure that VMRC will successfully address systematic discrimination against deaf people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities who may have been denied accommodations needed for effective communication, such as interpreters, staff fluent in American Sign Language (ASL), or communication devices.

Please SAVE THE DATE

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87079693220

Meeting ID: 870 7969 3220

Current Residential Services Needs

For interested/ qualified persons who would like to provide Children’s Residential Services, please see the VMRC website for a Letter of Intent (LOI)

https://www.vmrc.net/letter-of-intent/

Our need for high quality Children’s Residential Services is a priority. If you have the qualifications to provide residential Small Family Home or Group Home services, please see the specific needs below and contact Robert Fernandez at rfernandez@vmrc.net for a Letter of Intent (LOI). Please contact Robert or Brian L. Bennett at bbennett@vmrc.net if you have questions related to providing Children’s Residential Services.

Current NEEDS INCLUDE: All Counties (Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne)

· 4 Bed Group Home* for females with moderate to severe behaviors and some medical need (Ambulatory & Non-Ambulatory)

· 4 Bed Group Home* for males with moderate to severe behavior deficits and/or moderate medical support needs.

· 4 Bed Group Home* for male or female children with mild to moderate behavior and medical support needs (Ambulatory & Non-Ambulatory).

· 4 Bed Small Family Home(SFH)** for male or female children with mild to moderate behavior and medical support needs (Ambulatory & Non-Ambulatory)

Click the link to see VMRC’s proposed Community Placement Plan / Community Resource Development Plan 2021-2022

https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.145.151/znc.7f6.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Website-CPP-CRDP-Plan-21-22.pdf

Brian L. Bennett

Director Of Community Services

PDF Version of Flyer Here

90th ANNUAL CAPITOL TREE LIGHTING – REQUEST FOR ORNAMENTS

For more than two decades, individuals who have a developmental disability have created ornaments used to decorate the Christmas tree at the State Capitol. The Department of Developmental Services (DDS) has been asked again to participate in the official State Capitol Tree Lighting Ceremony, and we are requesting ornaments from the community.

As in previous years, a child with a developmental disability will participate in an evening ceremony with Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom. The tree lighting ceremony will take place the first week of December.

All ornaments must be received at DDS headquarters by Friday, November 12, 2021. Enclosed are guidelines and suggestions for ornaments and a shipping form that must be included with ornaments.

If you have questions, please contact Amy Wall at (916) 869-8833 or amy.wall@dds.ca.gov.