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110th
Community Health
Advisory
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Weekly Message from the Executive Director
Tony Anderson
By the Numbers
This week we reported our worst week since the first week in March. We saw an increase of over threefold. We reported 17 consumers and 14 direct support professionals, and a couple of our staff at VMRC all tested positive this week. Local health officials are anticipating another two to three weeks of increases before the trend tops out and numbers start declining again. Health officials now recommend eligible candidates for the boosters should take their next booster if they are in the high risk categories (if you're over 50 years old, you're living with someone with vulnerable health conditions, or you have a vulnerable health condition yourself). Consumers and families continue to ask when they will be able to return to receiving services like they did before COVID. Some of the factors getting in the way of returning to full service includes:
- Continued difficulties with transportation services to day programs, though much progress has been made and new providers have come on board, a long waiting list still persists and the rate of getting new drivers for our commercial transportation providers remains very slow.
- Licensing requirements for day programs such as physical distancing rules, vaccinations, and or mask wearing are a challenge for many providers. This prevents them from fully opening even if they did have the needed staff.
- Workforce capacity in the community day programs continue to be a major barrier as they struggle to hire direct support professionals to accommodate the needs of their consumers.
Please know our providers are busy everyday to address these and other problems to fully re-establish our robust service network in our region.
Office Building Site Status:
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San Joaquin – Change - Exceeds 5% - Remote Quarterly Face to Face Recommended, Masks in the Office required.
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Stanislaus – Change - Exceeds 5% - Remote Quarterly Face to Face Recommended, Masks in the Office required.
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Calaveras – Change - Exceeds 5% - Remote Quarterly Face to Face Recommended, Masks in the Office required.
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Last Week to Apply for the Board of Director's Committee on Diversity, Equity, Belonging, and Inclusion
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CalMatters Publishes a Story on the Need for Sedation and Surgical Dentistry
This week CalMatters, a nonpartisan and nonprofit news source for healthcare and other quality of life issues, published an important story focused on the lack of hospital dentistry or surgery center dentistry. The story follows the struggles of Namirah Jones, a 19 year old woman with autism and intellectual disability, and the severe challenges she and her family have faced in trying to get appropriate oral healthcare.
The story includes interviews with the Valley Dental Coordinator, Karissa McGuffin and Executive Director, Tony Anderson. This is a must read story plus the governor's budget includes an allocation for start-up funds for five pilot clinics throughout the state.
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'Like torture': For Californians with special needs, getting to see a dentist can take years | Update: This story was updated May 17, 2022 to reflect the most recent percentage of dentists in the state who accept Medi-Cal. The first time Namirah Jones visited the dentist at age 5, her meltdown brought the office to a halt. Her mother, Mia Costley, her grandmother and a dental assistant held her down while she screamed. | | | |
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Valley Mountain Regional Center
Communitàs Award* 2022
The VMRC Communitàs Award is given annually to an individual or organization that has demonstrated a sustained and meaningful commitment on either a volunteer or professional basis, to the principle that people with developmental disabilities should live and work as full-fledged members of their home communities.
In order to be eligible, an individual or organization must be physically present in VMRC’s five-county service area and providing support to one or more VMRC consumers during the year preceding the award. For-profit businesses and organizations as well as not-for-profit entities are eligible. Current VMRC employees are not eligible to receive this award.
Nomination forms should be completed by any interested person, including VMRC board members and employees, electronically through the below link. Completed nominations must be submitted by Friday, June 3, 2022. Incomplete forms will not be considered.
Criteria
The organization/individual:
1. Clearly stands out among organizations, volunteers, professionals in the field of developmental disabilities.
2. Demonstrates long-term and sincere commitment to supporting people in real homes, real neighborhoods, and real jobs.
3. Has an impressive record of achievement in helping people become more independent and active participants in their home communities.
The VMRC Communitàs Award will be given only when in the judgment of the VMRC Executive Committee a worthy person or organization has been nominated, but no more often than annually, and presented at the VMRC Board Annual Meeting.
The VMRC Executive Committee will select an appropriate trophy or plaque for presentation and the awardee’s name and the year will be inscribed on a permanent plaque to be maintained in the board room at the VMRC’s Stockton office.
Previous recipients of the Communitàs Award: Bill Ramos (2003), Ann Cirimele (2004), Heather Brooks (2005), Donald Roberts (2006), Howard Cohen (2007), Elbert Simpson (2008), Floyd Bohnett (2009), Dr. Popplewell (2010), Dick Jacobs (2011), Krisi Franzone (2012), and Brad Putz (2013), Doreen Bestolarides, RN (2014), David Simerley (2016), Paul Billodeau (2017), Gina Berlin (2018), Janice Leary (2019).
*A Latin term meaning a relationship among equals that transcends artificial divisions based on status, age, disability or other considerations. It implies openness and lack of pretension.
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Case Management Update - Children
Tara Sisemore-Hester
Director of Consumer Services - Children
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Contact the Governor, and your Legislators ASAP
The Governor's May Revise indicates changes in Early Start eligibility to 25%, not 33%. This is a positive step for many families and children in California to access Early Start services. However, the May Revise left out any funding for 2022 as part of moving the rate model finding sooner than later. Like many workforce areas, Early Intervention is struggling with recruiting and retaining staff.
IDA is organizing visits to communicate these needs to our Governor and our legislators. As an IDA member, you will be contacted shortly about joining this effort.
In the meantime, IDA is joining its partners in the Lanterman Coalition with outreaching via social media, etc. with these critical measures. Take a look and make a video, send a text, and post on Facebook......all very easy!
Thank you for taking a moment to speak up and add your voice to this critical conversation.
Here is the link to SHARE YOUR STORY:
Here is links to Lanterman social media:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
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Registration is now available for the
Early Start Partners Virtual Symposium 2022!
Dates: June 7th and 9th, 2022
Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Location: A computer, tablet or mobile device near you!
Join other Early Start partners, including service coordinators, service providers, and family support professionals, on a unique event platform! Here we’ll gather to explore a comprehensive, real-time professional development and networking opportunity, unlike any other, for the entire Early Start community!
Be sure to register for the ESPS Virtual Symposium today!
Download the 2022 ESPS Brochure for a detailed event and session schedule
KEYNOTES
Advancing Cultural Humility through Effective Dialogue – David Campt and Allison Mahaley, The Dialogue Company
Part C Federal Policy Updates – Sharon Walsh, Sharon Walsh Incorporated
Concurrent Session Topics
· Services for children with multiple disabilities
· Supporting families experiencing homelessness
· Language development
· Supporting parents with developmental delays or disabilities
· Coaching strategies
…and more!
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Case Management Update - Adults
Christine Couch
Director of Consumer Services - Adults
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The San Joaquin County Public Health Services invites you to Brotherhood Park Resource Fair!! Reinvent South Stockton on Saturday, May 21st for family fun at Williams Brotherhood Park! RSSC, @balloonsovebullets, and many other orgs will be hosting numerous activities for people of all ages!
Wanna destress? Participate in the rock painting activity!
Sailor at heart? Row with @deltascullng!
Have hoop dreams? Sign your team up for the @bucketsover bullets tourney!
There will be prizes, free fruits and vegetables, lunch, and information regarding various community programs! Free rapid tests, masks, and health screenings will also be available!
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SPOTLIGHT ON the Young Adult Program!!
Check out YAP's 2022 Vocational Life Skills Challenge and Open House from May 6, 2022 in a special episode!
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https://youtu.be/zGFJ7HZqCtU
Stockton USD's Young Adult Program delivers a unique news program, dedicated to sharing weekly news stories to spark your interest and keep you informed.
Created & Produced by Stephen Torres-Esquer https://www.MrStephenOnline.com
To donate to the Young Adult Program for students with disabilities, ages 18-22, visit our website at www.StocktonUSD.net/YAP
A thank you to Steve Bartles, Program Specialist at the Young Adult/(WOW) World of Work Program for sharing the video!!
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May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and it’s the perfect time to discover some new stories about Asian people, places, food and culture. The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America's history and are instrumental in its future success. Check out the webpage for events, including poems, meditations, films and other cultural nutrients for time like this! https://asianpacificheritage.gov/ |  | The S Vision 2032 community online survey is open! This is an improvement step (perhaps the most important) to help shape public transit in the region for the next DECADE! Make sure your input is included! Do you think we need a new route somewhere? A new bus stop? The survey will be open until June 10. Participants can be entered to win prizes! www.TheSVision2032Survey.com | |
Community Services Update
Brian Bennett
Director of Community Services
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VMRC’s Clinical Pharmacist, Dr. Bill Kehoe, William A. Kehoe, Pharm.D., MA, FCCP recently developed a training on smoking cessation. This short, narrated Power Point will provide you with some ideas of what you can do for consumers who would like to stop smoking. This will be available on VMRC’s Website soon.
You can download the module from the Dropbox link below. Once you download it run it in Power Point in Presentation mode. The slides and narration will run automatically. Here is the link:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/26y9vgk0d0gg2s2/Smoking%20Cessation%20for%20VMRC%20Staff.pptx?dl=0
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Family Home Agency (FHA) Spotlight - CA Mentor
SPOTLIGHT ON Anita Clevenger
I had the pleasure of interviewing Anita for this week’s Spotlight On article.
Anita has been living in Ione with her Mentor Provider, Susan, for a little over 4 years now. Anita likes to play scrabble, listen to Christian music, do arts and crafts projects, go shopping at the Jackson Interfaith Thrift Store, listen to Susan read her favorite book The Tale of Peter Rabbit, and watch her favorite movie “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” She also enjoys having picnics with her neighbor in their yard and going to the local park in Ione which is within walking distance from her home.
Anita takes the bus to her day program The Community Compass (TCC) in Jackson and on the weekend when she is not going to her program, she is glad to be able to sleep in. Sometimes Anita goes out to lunch with her friend and former TCC staff, Vicki. Anita said she has been going to TCC for 4 years and really enjoys the program and the Zumba classes. Anita also enjoys singing and her favorite songs to sing are “Lean on Me” and “You Are My Sunshine.”
When I asked Anita about her home and what she likes about it, she answered that she likes Susan’s cooking, and her favorite foods are chicken, hot dogs, noodles, and fried rice. She said that for Mother’s Day, she and Susan had sparkling apple cider, veggies with shrimp and chicken adobo. Anita told me that Susan helps her to keep a positive outlook on her life and learn about how to work together as a team. Susan said that in her local Ione community she participates in the Walk for the Troops event and recently volunteered at the food bank. She is looking forward to going to camp this summer and told me that the last time she went to camp she got to go up in a hot air balloon which made her feel brave.
Anita shared that some of her goals are to take photos with her camera and do more hand sewing. I asked Anita if she had any advice to give to people that receive VMRC services, and she said, “make sure you communicate and ask questions.” Anita said she is looking forward to seeing this article about her in the Health Advisory and she will be putting it into her scrapbook binder.
Thanks, Anita, for sharing your story!
Linda DeLaurenti, FHA Coordinator
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Home and Community Based Services (HCBS)
VMRC needs your input on the implementation of the HCBS Final Settings Rule and Person-Centered Practices! Please share your feedback with us through our new survey. This survey is open to all VMRC stakeholders, including persons served and their families, vendors, and their staff, VMRC staff, VMRC Board Members and local advocacy groups. DDS has offered a new HCBS grant funding opportunity meant to encourage HCBS and Person-Centered Planning implementation for our catchment area and your input is vital to the planning process for this grant opportunity!
VMRC's HCBS/PCP Grant Funding Survey
Additional information about the HCBS Final Settings Rule can be accessed here:
VMRC's HCBS Page
California Department of Developmental Services - HCBS Page
HCBS Advocacy Coalition
HCBS Compliance Assessment Information
DDS in cooperation with Regional Centers is preparing for the implementation of the HCBS Final Settings Rule by assessing vendor settings that provide services to more than one individual in the same setting. This includes providers of residential, day program and employment programs. Between January and August of 2020 vendors were asked to complete an HCBS compliance self-survey. Then in 2021 DDS contracted with Public Consulting Group (PCG) to complete a full HCBS assessment for a representative sample of regional center vendors. VMRC had 60 providers who received this full assessment. Those reports have been received back from DDS and were emailed to providers on May 2nd, 2022. DDS is expected to release a directive in the coming months to regional centers on the remediation process that our vendors with these eligible service codes will need to complete. Once that directive is received, VMRC will disseminate it to our vendors.
COMPLIANCE DATA
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Upcoming Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Trainings for Vendors
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 17th, 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 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
May 17th, 2022, 1:00pm – 2:00pm
June 7th, 2022, 10:00am - 11:00am
June 16th, 2022, 1:00pm – 2:00pm
July 7th, 2022, 1:00pm – 2:00pm
July 12th, 2022, 10:00am – 11:00am
HCBS Trainings for Day Type and Employment Services
May 4th, 2022, 3:00pm – 4:00pm
June 7th, 2022, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
July 12th, 2022, 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Contact Anna Sims, SCSL, HCBS Program Evaluator with questions: (209) 955-3353, asims@vmrc.net
HCBS for Residential Providers April through July
HCBS for Day Program and Employment Providers May through July
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Statewide Children's Residential Program Provider Meetings
PDF LINK
The CRP Provider Meetings will be held via ZOOM on May 26, 2022. There are two different meetings, one for Congregate Care Providers and another for FFA's/Adoption Agencies.
If you have agency leadership or are a direct care staff, we encourage you to attend. Please follow the steps on the attached flyer to register.
For additional information or instructions reach out to your local Regional Office or me at Litzy.Rosas@dss.ca.gov.
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Save the Date!
June 6, 2022, from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Clinical Update
Claire B. Lazaro, MSN, RN, NP, PHN, NP-C
Director of Clinical Services
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Mental Health Awareness Month
In recognition of May as Mental Health Awareness Month, here are some mental health tips from our staff psychologist.
Your Mental Health is Your SUPERPOWER by Dr. Roxann Wright, PsyD
What is a superpower? A superpower is an ability that enables a person to have an uncommon and powerful influence. That influence is not just on other people but on ourselves!
There are 6 mental health superpowers and each one is a skill that you can develop in different ways that will benefit how you approach every day. Many of you will have these already in your toolbelt!
● Being VULNERABLE – When you let your guard down, you give room to let good things in. Why is this a superpower? Vulnerability fosters good emotional and mental health. It is also a sign of courage. We become more resilient and braver when we embrace who we truly are and what we are feeling. Lastly, being vulnerable can help us foster better connections and relationships with others. Vulnerability is about rejecting this idea and finding strength in being honest about how you feel. If you're struggling in life, it's a much better demonstration of your strength of character to ask for help than it is to pretend you can manage on your own. Vulnerability is an act of courage because you merge with your authentic self, instead of hiding behind a facade to appease others.
Some examples of being vulnerable are to ask for help when you need it. Another way to be vulnerable is being yourself and being authentic in your interactions with others.
· SETTING BOUNDARIES- When your peace escapes you, it’s time to look at the boundaries that need to be set with yourself and with other people. What are some ways to set boundaries? Learning to say no and that you don’t need to explain yourself to others. Don’t be afraid to hold other people accountable by speaking up when others have crossed a line. Communicate your boundaries to others. Making sure you value your time and your worth. Your time in the most sacred commodity and your worth is rooted in knowing the difference between what you are getting and what you deserve. SELF-CARE is another way we set boundaries! When your need to protect your mental health by taking care of yourself is a strength.
· TEAMWORK!! Working with others is a superpower, and having your contributions valued by yourself and others is great for your mental health. We are stronger as a team in life and find greater fulfillment by working with others. Your superpower is your contribution, whatever your role or job is, you do it better than anyone else and your help your team by sharing your skills.
· RESILIENCE is celebrating those small victories and another superpower! Resilience is the capacity to adapt successfully in the presence of risk and adversity. Resilient people bounce back (and often forward) from setbacks, trauma, and high stress. Resilience helps you weather life's storms. We have to cultivate our calm and each day is a new chance to make a difference. Resilience is a precious skill. Three advantages of people who cultivate resilience are a belief they can influence life events, a tendency to find meaning and purpose in life’s turmoil, and a conviction they can learn from positive and negative experiences.
· BEING A HELPER- Whether you volunteer, work in the helping professions, or just like to perform random acts of kindness towards others; being a helper is a superpower. Successful givers get to the top without cutting others down, find ways of expanding the pie that benefit themselves and the people around them.
· COMPASSION and GRATITUDE- Compassion always brings out the innate desire to care and to help others in need. It encourages random acts of kindness towards others. We've always heard that burnout crushes compassion. It's probably more likely that those people with low compassion, those are the ones that are predisposed to burnout. That human connection — and specifically a compassionate connection — can actually build resilience and resistance to burnout (Stephen Trzeciak).
Gratitude is an attitude that helps us see and celebrate all the good around us. It's being thankful for what we do have instead of focusing on what we don't have. When you share your gratitude, you can make yourself and others happier. Gratitude is fertilizer for the mind, spreading connections and improving its function in nearly every realm of experience (Robert Emmons).
JUST REMEMBER YOU CAN BE A SUPERHERO TODAY AND EVERYDAY WHEN YOU ADVOCATE FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH!
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North Valley Hills Update
Dena Hernandez, Regional Manager (209) 473-6930
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Congratulations to our 2020 CHOICES t-shirt, poster &
video contest winners!
FINALLY celebrated at the CHOICES 2022 Conference!!
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How to connect to SCDD through Social Media | | |
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Family Resource Network (FRN) Update
Lisa Culley, Executive Director
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Family Resource Network (FRN) continues to lend tablets to those who need them to attend virtual appointments, day program classes, Early Start visits, or other needs. If you do not have internet in the home, FRN can also assist you to order and will pay for monthly internet service charges. If you would like to borrow a tablet or sign up for internet services, please call the FRN office at 209-472-3674 or complete the online form at: https://forms.gle/aQ4YVyr3z35p8a629 | |
Local County, State and National Public Health Resources | | | | |
