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"The VMRC Newsletter 2024, Issue #4"
Friday, February 2, 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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Devon Homme, Chris Evans and Amy Browning attended a Ceres Town Hall meeting on Special Education. | |
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Case Management Update - Adults
Christine Couch
Interim Executive Director, Director of Consumer Services - Adults
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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!
Modesto and San Andreas days, times, and locations will be released soon!
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Clinical Update
Dr. Claire Lazaro
Clinical Director
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American Heart Month
February is American Health Month. Heart disease is still the leading cause of death in the United States and in the world. It is essential that we take good care of our hearts. When we take care of our heart, we take care of ourselves, and we are healthier together. Look at some ways below on how to take care of our hearts.
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National Cancer Prevention Month
February is also National Cancer Prevention Month. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States and in the world. Some of the ways to prevent or reduce your risk to cancer are similar to maintaining heart health such as eating healthy, getting enough activity or exercise, and having good health habits. Some good health habits include quitting smoking or not starting smoking at all, protecting your skin from the sun, and getting vaccinated against microbes that can cause certain cancers.[1]
[1] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/prevention/index.htm
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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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National Children’s Dental Health Month
February is also National Children’s Dental Health Month. Below is an article from our Dental Coordinator Karissa McGuffin, RDH.
First Dental Visit
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. In February, dental professionals all over the country are raising awareness about the importance of oral health for children. Did you know that children should see the dentist by their first birthday? This visit is mostly to help you and your children become comfortable with visiting the dentist. The visit usually includes an exam of the teeth, jaw and gums. Sometimes they will do a gentle cleaning of your child’s teeth. Because of the size of a child’s mouth and how few teeth they will have at one years old, they will not do x-rays. The dentist should also teach you how to care for your child’s teeth such as how to brush and floss and how to use fluoride to prevent cavities. This is a great time to ask the dentist any questions you may have about your child’s teeth and oral health so don’t be shy! Children should see the dentist every 6 months unless directed otherwise by their dentist.
Fluoride
Fluoride plays a huge role in keeping children’s mouths cavity free! It is a mineral that is naturally found in water sources and minerals. Some counties in California add it to their water, but the counties served by VMRC currently do not. However, it can be found in certain toothpaste, mouth rinses, and other vitamin supplements. The purpose of fluoride is to strengthen the enamel of your teeth. The enamel is the hard, white surface of your teeth. When the enamel of your teeth is really strong, it is unlikely to get cavities. It is important to work with your dentist and medical doctor to make sure your child is getting enough fluoride on their teeth. One great way to make sure your child is receiving enough fluoride is to request fluoride varnish at the dentist. It is a sticky, clear gel that is “painted” on the teeth. It is left there until it naturally is removed through eating or drinking. Fluoride varnish can be placed on your child’s teeth 2-4 times a year.
Sealants
Once your child starts to grow in their adult teeth, their dentist may ask if you want dental sealants. Dental sealants are a thin plastic coating that is put on your child’s teeth. Our back teeth, called molars, often have deep pits and grooves on the chewing surfaces. Food can easily get trapped in those areas and cause cavities. Sealants cover those grooves so food cannot get trapped. Most people are a candidate for dental sealants, but they are most popular for children and teenagers. Medi-Cal and other insurances often cover the cost of sealants in children and young teens. The good news about sealants is that because they are only covering the tooth, there is no drilling or shots involved! It is a quick and painless way to protect your child’s teeth.
Healthy Habits for Children
Keeping your child’s teeth healthy can feel like an impossible task. Here are a few tips you may or may not already know.
- It is important to clean your child’s mouth even before they develop teeth. You can use a soft washcloth with warm water to gently wipe off their gums to remove any leftover milk or debris.
- When your child develops teeth, brush their teeth for them twice a day with a child sized toothbrush with non-fluoridated toothpaste. Use a grain of rice sized amount of toothpaste. At age 3, you can use a toothpaste with fluoride and use a pea sized amount.
- Floss your child’s teeth once a day to remove the food and plaque build up between their teeth.
- Do not let your baby go to sleep with a bottle of milk or juice at night. This is the most common cause of cavities in small children.
- Cavities are contagious! It is easy to spread the germs that causes cavities. Avoid sharing eating utensils and drinks with your child and ask other family members to do the same.
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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
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 281 428 411 222
Passcode: fEcVsj
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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Direct Support Professional Training Year 1 (for Licensed Residential Direct Support Professionals)
IN-PERSON DSP YEAR 1 TRAINING:
February 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 2024
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Location:
San Joaquin County Office of Education
2707 Transworld Drive
Stockton, CA 95206
register at www.dsptrain.org
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The DEI Corner
Mark Crear, Ph.D.,
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager
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FEBRUARY IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH
History Month, or National African American History Month, is an annual celebration of achievements by Black Americans and a time for recognizing the role of African Americans in U.S. history. Every Black History Month has a theme. The 2024 theme, “African Americans and the Arts,” explores the African American influence on visual and performing arts, literature, fashion, folklore, language, film, music, architecture, culinary and other forms of cultural expression. These influences have been led by people of African descent and established the standard for many popular trends around the world.
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Lunar New Year
Year of the Dragon
Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring
and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. It is the most important holiday in China, and it is also widely celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam, and countries with a significant overseas Chinese population.
Commonly known as the Spring Festival in China, Lunar New Year is a fifteen-day celebration marked by many traditions. At home, families decorate windows with red paper cuttings and adorn doors with couplets expressing auspicious wishes for thenew year. Shopping for holiday sundries in open-air markets and cleaning the house are also beloved traditions. The Lunar New Year’s Eve reunion dinner is the highlight that kicks off the holiday, a feast with a spread of symbolic dishes, such as a whole fish representing abundance, that bring good luck and fortune. The fifteenth and final day of the holiday is the Lantern Festival, during which people have tangyuan, or sweet glutinous rice balls, and children carry lanterns around the neighborhood at night to mark the end of the celebration.
In the Chinese zodiac, 2024 is the year of the dragon. Different
regions across Asia celebrate Lunar New year in many ways and may follow a different zodiac. We also acknowledge that many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders do not observe the Chinese/lunar zodiac.
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Parinirvana (Nirvana Day)
Thu Feb 15, 2024
| Parinirvana, also known as Nirvana Day, is celebrated to honor the death of the Buddha in 483 BC. It commemorates his attainment of final Nirvana. The date is based on the Japanese Buddhist calendar. This means that Buddhism has been around for over 2,600 years. It is based on the teachings of Buddha, a Hindu man who was born in present-day Nepal. It is believed that he was from one of the ruling families in the community. | |
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Emergency Services and Response Update
Aaron McDonald,
Emergency Response and Safety Specialist
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This week we continue in 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). This week we will focus on Step 4: learn how to recover. Please check in for the remaining topic in this series next week.
2/9/24 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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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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