Ninety-Forth

Community Health

Advisory Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Weekly Message from the Executive Director

Tony Anderson



By the Numbers

This was a hard week for us at VMRC. We reported the most positive cases ever with 168 people with disabilities and 102 direct support professionals. Sadly we also learned of a COVID-19 death of one of our consumers who passed away just a few days before Christmas. Our hearts go out to their family and friends and all the provider staff and regional center staff who experience trauma with this loss. This omicron variant of COVID-19 seems to be everywhere and so many of us are living through these times not realizing the impact it's having on us, especially those of us in the field and profession of caring and those caring for loved ones. This week during our All Staff we were fortunate to be joined by Dr. David Demetral. PhD, LCSW, who is one of those cherished professionals we have in our community who has a way of guiding us through those hard times in life and with authentic caring and observation he facilitated a much needed session on Compassion Fatigue, Vicarious Trauma, and Burnout. I know it doesn't sound like an uplifting topic, but trust me he lifted spirits and helped us process many of these feelings we all deal with. This Ted Talk video below is a good overview of the themes he helped us navigate and I encourage you to check it out.

VMRC Drive Through Testing Clinic for Our Community

We are hosting a testing clinic at our Stockton and Modesto offices on January 31^st and February 2^nd which is open to our staff, consumers, families, and providers. Drive through clinics are helpful because none of us should have to go indoor settings to get tested especially when we're not feeling well, especially if we have any of the listed COVID-19 symptoms. Our Clinical Director, Claire, our nurse Angela, and our contract nurse Daphine (she does weekly testing of VMRC staff) will be doing the tests and we can process about 150 tests total. If you and or your family needs a test, please register using the link for the clinic you will attend and please complete the consent form for yourself (if needed) and anyone else with you. 

Monday, 12 pm to 4 pm, January 31, 2022, 702 N. Aurora St., Stockton Clinic: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KPXQ9YD

Wednesday, 9 am to 1 pm, February 2, 2022, 1820 Blue Gum Avenue, Modesto Clinic: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/88RVMFR

Consent Form in both English and Spanish: Download Here

Adults and Natural Supports

This week Kelli Sanderson, Professor of Special Education at Cal State Long Beach, asked if we would help with a study that is seeking parents of adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities to participate in an online survey and/or interview available in English and Spanish. The purpose of this study is to learn more about how adults with IDD use natural supports to meet their daily needs. After reviewing the University's approval for the project we agreed to forward to our community as we find the goals of effort to be important and compelling. If you are a parent of and adult with intellectual or developmental disabilities we encourage you to take this 20 minute survey. All survey participants will receive a free caregiver resource. See the flyer here:

Guidance to Regional Centers and Community Service providers Extending the Deadline for Mandatory Boosters for Employees

The California Department of Public Health released an addendum to the mandatory Booster shots for staff in regional centers and community providers that extend the deadline for compliance to March 1, 2022. The previous date was February 1, 2022 which was coming upon us quickly. According to our current count at VMRC we were on track to lose dozens of valuable employees so this was a much needed extension for us.

This amendment is helpful because many staff were unable to get their boosters timely as the COVID infection rate prevented them from accessing these booster vaccinations. DDS says this one "applies to regional center staff and provider": Order of the State Public Health Officer Adult Care Facilities and Direct Care Worker Vaccine Requirement

Autistic Self-Advocacy Network

ASAN’s equity plan, available in formal language, plain language, & Easy Read, shares steps they will take to listen to the community, create an anti-racist work culture, focus on advocacy that benefits the multiply marginalized community members, & more. https://autisticadvocacy.org/2021equitystrategic/

Resources for Independence Central Valley,

Fair Housing Facts: People with disabilities may request a reasonable accommodation, an adjustment in policies or practices necessary to afford a person with a disability equal opportunity to use and enjoy the dwelling. #FairHousingFacts

El Concilio Cinco de Mayo Multicultural Festival 

Are you a vendor, crafter or creative maker? School, nonprofit, or community provider? Apply today to be a part of the Cinco de Mayo Multicultural Festival happening Sunday, May 1st from 9AM to 6PM with El Concilio. With annual attendance well over 11,000, we expect 2022 to be the biggest festival ever! For applications and more information call us at 209-337-7515.

ADRC Mother Lode

Area 12 Agency on Aging and Disability Resources Agency for Independent Living (DRAIL) have partnered to develop an Aging and Disability Resource Connection, ADRC of the Mother Lode’s online directory is available 24/7 to help you find services and programs for older people and all people with disabilities living in Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, and Tuolumne Counties.

Start a new search at: https://adrcofthemotherlode.myresourcedirectory.com/

10 Tips for Finding the Right Transition Program

If you want to find options for post-secondary transition programs for students with disabilities, here are some tips for getting started in your research.

Finding the transition program that best meets the needs of your student with a disability will yield significant results. Students who graduate from a post-secondary program have better employment outcomes and quality of life than students who do not seek this type of challenge.

But you may be wondering: How do I find these programs?

When compared to the number of colleges or universities, transition programs are relatively scarce. While there are dozens of colleges and universities in every state, post-secondary transition programs are not available in every state.

One type of college-based transition program is a Comprehensive Transition and Post-Secondary (CTP) program. This type of program is relatively new, having been created with the passage of the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008. Since 2012, Institutions of Higher Education were able to create CTPs for approval by the U.S. Department of Education.

SPOTLIGHT on ...

Do you want to share your story? Do you know someone we should celebrate and learn more about? Please call me, 209-955-3615 or email me your information or your friends information, ccouch@vmrc.net

Community Services Updates

Brian Bennett

Director of Community Services

(Resource Development and Quality Assurance)

Request for Proposal Coming Soon for VMRC’s Virtual Dental Home (VDH)

Difficulties accessing dental services has been a long-standing problem for the Valley Mountain Regional Center (VMRC) and for children and adults that it serves. There are very few dentists willing to accept patients with developmental disabilities. This is exasperated by the fact that many VMRC consumers have Denti-Cal coverage which most dentists do not accept as a form of payment. In addition, many dentists feel they are not adequately trained to serve this population. 

VMRC plans to improve access to oral health services and improve oral health for children and adults that it serves by the securing of qualified Dentist’s and/ or Hygienists to implement the Virtual Dental Home (VDH) model. The VDH model of support is designed to offer customizable oral health supports for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities who reside in licensed support settings in VMRC’s five county catchment area (Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus Counties).

Services will be authorized under Service Codes 115, 117 and 715. VMRC and Dr. Paul Glassman will be hosting information sessions during the month of February to provide specific rate information.  

Community Services Training Opportunities and Service Provider Information

Weekly Community Services Department Provider Informational Session

Info-Sessions will occur 1x per Month on the FIRST FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH

Zoom Link to upcoming Monthly Sessions:

February 4^th 2022, 9-10 am                       

March 4^th 2022, 9-10 am                 

April 1 2022, 9-10 am                        

May 6^th 2022, 9-10 am  

June 3^rd 2022, 9-10 am  

July 1^st 2022, 9-10 am   

August 5^th 2022, 9-10 am    

October 7^th 2022, 9-10 am  

November 4^th 2022, 9-10 am  

December 2^nd 2022, 9-10 am  

Zoom Link to upcoming Monthly Sessions

January 2022 Minimum Wage Increase Notice

Effective January 1, 2022, 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 see the attached directive from the Department of Developmental Services for information on how to submit a request to VMRC.  See the VMRC “About US- Announcements” page for the worksheet specific to your services. https://www.vmrc.net/in-case-you-missed-it/

All rate adjustments must be submitted to VMRC no later than March 1, 2022. Should you have any questions about this notice, please contact Corina Ramirez in Resource Development, via email CRamirez@vmrc.net or phone (209) 955-3398.

Minimum Wage Letter

Upcoming Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Training Opportunities

The HCBS Final Settings Rule applies to all vendors who provide services in a setting that serves more than one regional center consumer. The intent of the Final Settings Rule is to ensure that people with developmental disabilities receive services that integrate them fully into the community to the same degree as people without developmental disabilities. It ensures quality of life! They also ensure that the residential settings that services are received in are home environments rather than institutional environments. All settings must optimize and enhance choice rather than regimenting it. The HCBS Final Settings Rule protects consumers rights including the right to privacy, dignity, respect and freedom from coercion and restraint. The Final Settings Rule goes into effect March 17^th, 2023, all providers with the service codes listed below, must be compliant by that date.

VMRC will continue hosting trainings for Residential Providers, Day Type Services Providers and Employment Services Providers. Service providers under the following service codes are strongly encouraged to sign up for one of the trainings provided. It takes time and effort to implement these requirements. Eligible service codes are Residential: 096, 113, 904, 905, 915, 910, 920; Employment Services: 950 and 954; Day Type Services: 028, 055, 063, 475, 505, 510, 515, 855

The attached flyers (insert here) have registration links on them for the following trainings. You must register to take the training. Once you have registered you will receive a link for the zoom session on the date you have chosen. For attendance purposes please have each staff taking the training register with their own contact information including their email address. Any last-minute changes to the scheduled trainings will be communicated to the registered individuals by email at the email address they have provided.

HCBS Trainings for Residential Providers

January 28^th, 2022, 1:00pm – 2:00pm

February 10^th, 2022, 9:00am – 10:00am

February 15^th, 2022, 2:00pm – 3:00pm

March 17^th, 2022, 1:00pm – 2:00pm

March 22^nd, 2022, 10:00am – 11:00am

HCBS Trainings for Day Type and Employment Services

February 8^th, 2022, 3:00pm – 4:00pm

March 15^th, 2022, 3:00pm – 4:00pm

HCBS for Day Program and Employment Providers January through March 2022

HCBS for Residential Providers January through March 2022

Clinical Services Updates

Claire B. Lazaro, MSN, RN, NP, PHN, NP-C

Director of Clinical Services

What is Long COVID? Information from Johns Hopkins Medicine Health.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) calls this Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC).1 Some call it Post-COVID Syndrome, long COVID, or long-term COVID.1 And people who experience this are called “long haulers.”1 This is the result of long-term effects of COVID-19. People who have had COVID-19, be it mild, moderate or even asymptomatic, could have lingering, debilitating symptoms past the acute phase of the illness. Because COVID-19 affect the lungs, heart, nervous system, kidneys, liver and other organs of the body, Long COVID could cause a variety of long-term symptoms such as fatigue, cough, shortness of breath, joint pain, chest pain, cognitive problems like brain fog, difficulty concentrating, insomnia, muscle pain, headache, dizziness, rapid heart rate, palpitations, intermittent fever, kidney problems, loss of sense of taste or smell, or a strange change in sense of smell or taste, diabetes, and mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, & post-traumatic stress disorder.1 

The challenging part is the fact that it can happen to children, teenagers, and adults.1 Individuals who were previously healthy with no previous illness or medical conditions can have it too, similarly, those with previous conditions could possibly have it as well.1 Health experts are unsure how long this long COVID could last.1 “The best way to avoid post-COVID-19 complications is to prevent infection with the coronavirus in the first place. Practicing coronavirus precautions and getting a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it is available to you are effective ways to avoid getting COVID-19. Understanding the seriousness of COVID-19 and its potential for long-term, debilitating symptoms is good motivation for protecting yourself and others…”

[1] Johns Hopkins Medicine. December 8, 2021. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/covid-long-haulers-long-term-effects-of-covid19

Vaccines Work!!!

The CDC has released a multi-state study done from August 2021 to January 2022 that has shown that vaccination and boosters prevented COVID-19 related emergency room and urgent care visits during the Delta and Omicron predominant periods, 94% and 82% respectively.[1] The booster also prevented COVID-19 associated hospitalizations during Delta and Omicron period, 94% and 90% respectively.²

Furthermore, a recent prospective study (they follow the participants from day of trial until they reach a set endpoint) of couples trying to get pregnant, that the COVID-19 vaccines are not linked to male or female infertility.[3]

[1] CDC. January 21, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7104e3.htm

[2] American Journal of Epidemiology. January 20, 2022. https://academic.oup.com/aje/advance-article/doi/10.1093/aje/kwac011/6511811

[1] American Journal of Epidemiology. January 20, 2022. https://academic.oup.com/aje/advance-article/doi/10.1093/aje/kwac011/6511811

What's the News on Omicron

The CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report has shown that based on the data of their 3 surveillance systems with large health care database, the Omicron would appear to cause less severe disease than prior pandemic peaks.[1] This is due to lesser emergency room visits, hospital admissions, length of hospital stay and death during the Omicron period compared to previous periods.⁴ This does not mean that the Omicron variant does not cause severe disease. It still does and we should continue to get vaccinated/boosted, and practice all the safety precautions of masking, distancing, and hand washing.

[1] CDC MMWR. January 25, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7104e4.htm

Especially now that there is a subvariant of Omicron that has been found. It is the Omicron subvariant BA.2 that has been found to spread in India, South Africa, United Kingdom and Denmark.[1] Scientists are studying this and as of now, there is no indication that it could cause more severe disease or spread rapidly compared to the original Omicron strain.[2] There have been some that called it “stealth omicron” because it does not have the usual s-gene that PCR tests use to detect the Omicron, but it can still be detected by the usual test kits (PCR and antigen home kit) that are FDA approved as a COVID-19 infection.[3] Scientists and health experts are continuing to study more about Omicron and its sub-lineages. We, the public, can help by making sure everyone is vaccinated/boosted, wearing masks especially in public indoor places, practicing 6-feet physical distancing, and proper hand washing.

We are still in this together!

[1] World Health Organization (WHO). January 21, 2022. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/2022-01-21-global-technical-brief-and-priority-action-on-omicron-sars-cov-2-variant.pdf?sfvrsn=f3ac8bc3_5&download=true

[2] CNN Health. January 27, 2022. https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/27/health/omicron-sublineage-ba2/index.html

[3] NBC News Coronavirus. January 27, 2022. https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/know-ba2-newest-covid-omicron-variant-rcna13784

Case Management Update - Children

Tara Sisemore-Hester

Director of Consumer Services - Children

North Valley Hills Update

Dena Hernandez, Regional Manager (209) 473-6930

Ever wonder what the State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD) Does in California? 

SCDD North Valley Hills is one of 12 regional offices and has a Headquarters in Sacramento in California. Our regional office covers Amador, Calaveras, San Joaquin, Stanislaus & Tuolumne Counties.

SCDD held their state meeting on January 25, 2022. SCDD Executive Director- Aaron Carruthers and our Governor Appointee from our region- Dr. Kilolo Brodie- chair of the State Plan Committee- gave an overview of the State Plan Activities SCDD did in California for the last 5 years!  You can check it out https://scdd.ca.gov/councilmeetings/.

Interested in applying to be on SCDD or on our Regional Advisory Committee (RAC)? You can complete an on-line application or call 209-473-6930 if you would like help to turn in an application.

How to connect to SCDD through Social Media

Self-Advocacy Council 6 (SAC6)

Weekly Virtual Chat

Meet the SCDD Self-Determination Manager



WHEN: Friday, January 28, 2021

TIME: 11:00 AM -12:15 PM

WHERE: ZOOM - computer, tablet, cell phone

Come and meet the NEW SCDD Self-Determination Manager, Joseph Hernandez.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86124958598? pwd=cnZBSnBSQTY0QVhhSUVVTXZxTGU2Zz09

Meeting ID: 861 2495 8598 Passcode: 575429 You must enter the Passcode OR you can call in: TOLL FREE NUMBER TO CALL IN888 475 4499 US Toll-free 877 853 5257 US Toll-free

Also–VMRC Update by Tony Anderson & Mental Health Tip of the Day by Dr. Dave & Peter Hackett

PDF Version of the SAC6 Flyer Here

PDF Version of the SAC6 Flyer for February 11, 2022

Family Resource Network (FRN) Update

Lisa Culley, Executive Director

Family Resource Network is Hiring



Are you a parent or other family member of someone with special needs or disabilities? We need you! Family Resource Network (FRN) is recruiting staff for current and upcoming projects. The current need is for Spanish speaking Family Resource Specialists, who provide information, education and parent-to-parent support to other parents of children with special needs or disabilities. Ideal candidates will have experience with IEPs, the Regional Center system and other services within the community. Please see flyer for additional information, and how to apply. Share your knowledge with others and join a great team of family advocates!   

Many Thanks,

Lisa