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"The VMRC Newsletter 2024, Issue #5"
Friday, February 9, 2024
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Direct Support Professionals (DSP’s) assist hundreds of thousands of Californians with developmental disabilities to work and live as independently as possible. Current workforce shortages impact the ability for these services and supports to be truly individualized. | |
DSPCollaborative is an initiative by two neighboring regional centers and their service providers to promote employment in the developmental disabilities field. Valley Mountain Regional Center and Alta California Regional Center have partnered our service provider community to promote DSP Jobs! This is a free service for job seekers and for service providers. If you are a VMRC service provider, please consider posting your employment needs here!
https://dspcollaborative.org/
This is a FREE job posting site!
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For job seekers: https://dspcollaborative.org/for-job-seekers/
Select the job that is right for you by location (by county)
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For Providers: https://dspcollaborative.org/for-providers/
The DSP Collaborative is a DSP recruitment effort that combines a multi-media advertising project to brand the term DSP with an on-line DSP Collaborative job site that connects potential employees with subscribing DD provider employers.
The DSP Collaborative website was launched in direct response to the number one challenge facing California’s Developmental Disabilities System – the workforce crisis.
Providers are experiencing record high staff vacancies and employee turnover. In addition, the federal Department of Labor projects that direct care will be the number one job in demand during the next twenty years, resulting in a challenge of significant proportions.
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VMRC Executive Committee Meeting (Hybrid)
Wednesday, February 14, 2024, 6:30 PM
702 N. Aurora Street, Stockton, CA 95202, Cohen Board Room
Click Here for Virtual Information
VMRC Board of Directors Meeting (Hybrid)
Wednesday, February 28, 2024, 6:00 PM
702 N. Aurora Street, Stockton, CA 95202, Cohen Board Room
Click Here for Virtual Information
VMRC Purchase of Services (POS) Public Presentation and Meeting (Hybrid)
Monday, March 11, 2024, 4:00 PM
702 N. Aurora Street, Stockton, CA 95202, Cohen Board Room
Click Here for Virtual Information
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All VMRC Offices Will be Closed for the Following Holidays in February:
Monday, February 12, 2024 - Lincoln's Birthday
Monday, February 19, 2024 - Presidents Day
After Hours Response Team
Valley Mountain Regional Center has an after hours response team for emergency calls when the office is closed for the evenings, weekends, holidays, and training days. One way to reach the after hours team member just call the regular phone line and select the option for the “After Hours” response team. During office closures we use a custom automated message that allows you to leave a message for your service coordinator or an option to select forwarding your call to the After Hours Response team member.
VMRC After hours Response Team can also be reached directly at (209) 955-3255. When contacting After Hours you can leave a Voicemail or Text Message. Include your name, consumer’s name, Service Coordinator’s name, reason you’re calling, a number where you can be reached and whether you require a call back. Calls will be returned within 60 minutes of receiving the message.
After Hours Response Team Page
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Case Management Update - Children
Tara Sisemore-Hester
Director of Consumer Services - Children
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You are invited to join us for this free webinar for parents and caregivers
of children with autism. Register today by clicking the link below!
Teaching Young Learners to Advocate for Their Wants and Needs
Thursday, February 22, 2024
5:15pm - 6:30pm ET
Presented by Willow Hozella, Ph.D., BCBA
This is the fifth of a 10 month webinar series provided virtually by experts at the National Autism Center at May Institute. Please stay tuned for future webinars.
ABOUT THIS WEBINAR: Learning to express one's wants and needs appropriately is a critical skill for all people so they can advocate for themselves. This training will provide examples of methods to teach children to ask for what they want and discuss basic principles and procedures for teaching children to make requests. It will include techniques to establish motivation, teach new requests, address what to do when a request is inaccurate or takes the form of problem behavior, and develop a broad range of effective requesting behaviors.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER: Willow Hozella, Ph.D., BCBA
Divisional Director of Clinical Services and Training
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Once you register, you will receive an email to confirm your attendance
and more information about the training.
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Case Management Update - Adults
Christine Couch
Interim Executive Director, Director of Consumer Services - Adults
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Come out and meet Hidden Talents Artistry on February 21st!
Hidden Talents Artistry will be hosting an open house style meet and greet. Find out if Hidden Talents Artistry is a good fit for your family. Learn about their vision from their directors and what Hidden Talents Artistry will be able to bring to the San Joaquin County community. Explore the opportunities for volunteer events. They look forward to meeting you and hearing your ideas and needs to help build our future.
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Direct Service Professional (DSP) Training Stipend Program for DSPs supporting participants in the Self Determination Program
The Department of Developmental Services issued a directive September 12, 2023 (see attached) regarding the SDP training stipend program. The intent is to enhance the quality of services received by consumers by providing trainings to the direct services professionals working with consumers. The SDP Training Stipend Program is time-limited, and all the trainings must be completed by June 30, 2024.
DSPs, including some frontline supervisors and clinical staff, who meet the following are eligible for the training stipend:
• Work as a paid DSP an average of 10 hours or
more per week;
• Perform direct support tasks like skills
development, guidance, and personal
assistance to individuals served by a regional
center as a regular part of their job duties;
• Spend at least 50% of work hours doing direct
support tasks; and
• Are employed by a regional center vendor, or
by a participant in the Self-Determination
Program.
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Save the Date for our Stockton Transition Fair!
San Andreas day, time, and location will be released soon!
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Save the Date for our Modesto Transition Fair! | |
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Clinical Update
Dr. Claire Lazaro
Clinical Director
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VMRC Family Wellness Pilot Project: Helping Families Thrive Together | |
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The Family Wellness Pilot Project (FWPP) is funded by the Department of Developmental Services through the American Rescue Plan Act. Valley Mountain Regional Center is one of two regional centers in the state with the ability to offer FREE family counseling to families of children with VMRC services ages 0-5. The therapy sessions are offered both in person and virtually, based on family preference. We try very hard to offer time slots outside of typical business hours, and on Saturdays. The intention of this project is to help families through the very difficult first few years of your child getting a diagnosis of developmental disability. While the therapy is available because the family has a child with the regional center, the topics of discussion and goals created in therapy are not limited to issues surrounding the child’s disability. FWPP’s primary goal is to invest in a healthier family, creating healthier familial relationships, and building better tools of communications amongst family members. It also aims to help families deal with the added stress associated with having a child with special needs. Families can be referred to the project not only by their service coordinator, and any partnering agencies, but they can also self-refer by emailing FamilyWellness@vmrc.net. Following the referral, families are quickly contacted by a member of the FWPP team who will help the family identify their needs, and match them to a therapist or counselor.
To date, FWPP has been able to serve nearly 70 families and have had very positive feedback on how the therapy has gone. Families have shared how helpful it has been to them. Please note that the FWPP understands that each family has a different dynamic and needs. Not every family has every family member willing to participate, and we are willing to meet each family where they are on their journey.
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FREE Mental Health Services!
Yes, CalHope, which is now Soluna, offers FREE mental health services for 13- 25-year-old individuals. This is available in California. Here is the website: https://calhopeyouth.org/
https://solunaapp.com/
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Special Olympics WALKING CLUB
Special Olympics Northern California (SONC) is forming a FREE Walking Club team that meets at 9:30AM on Sundays at Woodward Park -(710 E Woodward Rd. Manteca, CA). This team is open to the community (meaning you don't need to be a registered athlete to participate).
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Promoting Positive Mental Health in Autism
FREE Conference on Autism for parents, advocates, and community.
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Family Wellness Brunch at Modesto!
It’s that time of the year again for Family Wellness Brunch at our Modesto office! You learn from other parents, a keynote speaker, and community resources, with free brunch, coffee, and childcare. We have been doing this quarterly and this is the 4th. It will be on March 2nd, Saturday, from 10 am to 1 pm. Click the QR code on the flyer below to register. Hope to see you there!
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Community Services Update
Brian Bennett, Director of Community Services
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January 2024 Minimum Wage Increase Notice
Effective January 1, 2024, the minimum wage in California will increase based on the number of employees an employer has. Many vendors may be eligible to request a rate increase in order to adjust employees’ pay to comply with the new minimum wage. Please use this link to access the directive and associated forms https://www.vmrc.net/service-providers-vendors/
You can also view the information on the DDS website:
https://www.dds.ca.gov/rc/vendor-provider/minimum-wage-2024/
All rate adjustments must be submitted to VMRC no later than March 1, 2024. Should you have any questions about this notice, please contact Erica Lamb in Resource Development, via email rates@vmrc.net or phone (209) 955-3395.
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VMRC’s Community Services team will continue to host Monthly provider information sessions for ALL VMRC Service Providers on the fourth Friday of each month using Microsoft Teams from 9-10 am
New link for Friday Info sessions for Service Providers
02-23-2024
03-29-2024
04-26-2024
05-24-2024
06-28-2024
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 278 540 293 000
Passcode: 9MYRrw
These sessions are great opportunities for direct support professionals, Administrators, Directors and all persons providing supports to persons supported by VMRC to learn about important changes, projects and to ask questions from the Quality Assurance and Resource Development team. We welcome topics and subject matter suggestions! E mail Brian directly if you would like to hear about a specific topic bbennett@vmrc.net
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Emergency Services and Response Update
Aaron McDonald,
Emergency Response and Safety Specialist
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This week we conclude our series of First Aid For Your Mind. So often in emergency preparedness & disaster planning, we focus on the physical things we can do & the plan we can make to respond that we seldom stop and think about the impact planning for these occurrences can have on our mental health & well-being. With that idea in mind, Listos California has developed resources to help us all build our mental first aid kits. So far, we have covered Step 1: Know your signs of stress (1/12/24), Step 2: Learn what helps you feel better (1/19/24), Step 3: get help when you need it (1/26/24), Step 4: learn how to recover (2/2/24) This week we conclude with Step 5: Help others in need.
Natural disasters can negatively impact mental health. To help Californians better understand what we each can do to strengthen ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities, Listos California has created a First Aid Kit for Your Mind with five simple steps for protecting your mental well-being and helping others do the same, along with resources for when you need more support.
We know Californians from diverse backgrounds may experience different or disproportionate stressors, or encounter stigmatization when seeking mental health care. Please visit
https://www.listoscalifornia.org/community-projects/mental-health/
to find a list of resources geared specifically for your community. Click on the plus sign next to Mental Health Resources Just For You to expand the menu.
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Registration is OPEN for CHOICES on Friday, April 12, 2024! | |
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North Valley Hills Update
Dena Hernandez, Regional Manager (209) 473-6930
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“For those of you just starting out, it can help to talk with friends and family about what you like to do. It doesn’t have to necessarily be about what job you like to do. Sometimes, even general conversations can help you figure out what you might be interested in.” — John Robinson
You can read more about John’s journey and hear about the experiences of other self-advocates at SCDD’s Storytellers Page:
https://scdd.ca.gov/scdd-communications-blog/
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Family Resource Network (FRN) Update
Lisa Culley, Executive Director
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Family Resource Network (FRN) is hosting our 24th annual Mother's Retreat on Saturday, February 24, 2024. Spend a child free Saturday with women who understand what is is to be a parent of a child with disabilities, make some friends, celebrate the joys and struggles of raising your child, and learn about resources that are available to help you along the way. The day is filled with fun, laughter, comfort, and maybe a few tears. Leave feeling refreshed and motivated by the group of women you spent your day with, and part of a larger community of support.
Registration is required, and spaces are limited. See the flyer for details and registration form, and please call the FRN office at 209-472-3674 if you have any questions.
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