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136th

Community Health

Advisory

Weekly Message from the Executive Director

Tony Anderson

By the Numbers

Last week we experienced over a 100% increase in COVID cases. We reported 40 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities tested positive for COVID and ten more direct support professionals also came down with COVID. In addition we have seen a steep uptick in cold and flu. Take care of yourselves and if you find yourself in an environment that makes you feel your health is at risk please don't let anyone try to stop you or embarrass you from wearing a mask or doing anything else that you now know to be good health precautions. Have a great week.

The Frontline Initiative and our Direct Support Professional Workforce

This article below in the Frontline Initiative, "There Isn't a Day I Don’t Experience Discrimination and Racism" is a must read by long time advocate Chester Finn. Chester takes the readers on a journey of his life in the South and later in New York and his fight against ableism and racism. One lesson he shares in confronting racism is that you got to confront it head on and bring on allies. He says, "it doesn’t help anyone if you don’t speak up for yourself to the right people. It’s your life, and if you won’t speak up for yourself, who will?” Click on his story below...

This week I got the opportunity to join direct support professionals (DSPs) and government officials and other advocates on the Disability Thrive Initiative in talking about the new resources available in the state budget to address some of the barriers DSPs face in their careers. DDS mapped out the incentives for providers and DSPs for career development, I talked about the investments for service coordinators and the parallel of the DDS budget initiatives and the president's 2017 report on the "workforce crisis", and DSPs gave their personal experiences they face in careers in support of people with disabilities. On Friday Nov 18th at noon I'll be joining the group for a final "Lunch and Learn" discussion on zoom you're all welcome to join us. As soon as you can please subscribe to the country's premiere publication for DSPs, The Frontline Initiative, it's in English and Spanish and very well written by DSPs and advocates across the country.

There Isn't a Day I Don't Experience Discrimination and Racism by Chester Finn

I was born at my grandmother's house in Alabama, and I arrived a couple of months early. I weighed 1 lb. They put me in a basket and took me to the hospital. I wasn't expected to live more than a few days. Today I am 67 years old.

Subscribe to Frontline Initiative

A biannual publication covering the issues important to direct support professionals and supervisors who support people with intellectual, developmental, and other disabilities in a variety of community settings. Each feature issue contains resources, perspectives, and strategies to advance the profession of direct support.

Spanish Language Frontline Initiative

Your Opinion is Needed

Vote for the New Name for the Health Advisory

Performance Contract English Survey

Contrato de desempeño Encuesta

Clinical Update

Dr. Claire Lazaro

Clinical Director

Mental Health and Well-being in the Workplace

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the U.S. Surgeon General has released a framework that will help our workers called Mental health and Well-being in the Workplace.[1] This acknowledges the fact that our workplace is a significant part of our lives.¹ And we have to take care of ourselves, physically and mentally.¹ About 76% of U.S. workers reported at least one symptom of a mental health condition.[2] While 84% said their workplace conditions had contributed to at least one mental health challenge.² Let us help create a mentally healthy workplace for each other.

[1] Office of the Surgeon General. https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/workplace-well-being/index.html

[2] Mindshare Partners. https://www.mindsharepartners.org/mentalhealthatworkreport-2021

Case Management Update - Children

Tara Sisemore-Hester

Director of Consumer Services - Children

A directive regarding Self-Determination Program Financial Management Services Payments and Notifications can be found on the Department’s website at Program Directives - CA Department of Developmental Services . This directive is available in other languages on DDS Website.

Correspondence outlining the services available to potential Self-Determination Program (SDP) participants and their families who have completed an SDP orientation and who are transitioning to enrollment in the SDP can be found at Person Centered Planning and Self Directed Supports Guidance (ca.gov). The translated versions of this letter is now available on the DDS website.

Correspondence outlining the services available to potential Self-Determination Program (SDP) participants and their families who have completed an SDP orientation and who are transitioning to enrollment in the SDP can be found at Person Centered Planning and Self Directed Supports Guidance (ca.gov). The translated versions of this letter is now available on our website.

The reimbursement rates for Self-Directed Support Services can be found on the department’s website at Reimbursement Rates - CA Department of Developmental Services.

IDA 8th Annual Policy 2023 Update

Monday January 23, 2023

8:30am-12:30pm

Virtual Event

Join us to hear and discuss current policies and regulations that providers need to know in 2023 at the Federal, State and Local Levels

New Presenters Added

Ryan Anderson, Principal Fiscal & Policy Analyst - CA. Legislative Analyst Office

Sharing updates CA. Budget- Department of Developmental Services

For Ryan Anderson's bio click here

Sara Cortez, Senior Fiscal & Policy Analyst, Legislative Analyst's Office

Sharing updates on special education, preschool and nutrition issue

For Sara Cortez's bio click here

Heather Calomese, State Director of Special Education, CA Department of Education | What's Going on at CA Department of Education: California Preschool, Transition, Part C and Low Incidence services in Special Education

For Heather Calomese's bio click here

Topics to be addressed

· The New Congress: Federal Update and What We Can Expect for Young Children and their Families

· CA Early Start - Part C - What's ahead for 2023?

· Implementation of CA Master Plan on Early Learning and Care

· CA Budget- Department of Developmental Services, California Department of Education, California Department of Social Services, and relevant legislation

· ECE California Legislative Landscape

Presenters

Sharon Walsh

Governmental Relations Consultant

Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC)

“The New Congress: Federal Update and What Can We Expect for Young Children and their Families”

This session will review the activities of the last 117^th Congress as well as plans for the new Congress convening in January 2023. This will include a discussion on funding, possible bills under consideration and federal policy activities related to young children and their families.

Sharon Walsh currently provides consultation to state and local agencies on the implementation of Part C and Part B of IDEA She works as a consultant on the federally funded Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA) and the Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems (DaSy). Sharon also serves as the Governmental Relations Consultant for the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC) and the IDEA Infant and Toddler Coordinators Association (ITCA), which is the national association representing the state Part C lead agencies.

For Sharon Walsh's bio click here

Maricris Acon

Deputy Director of the Federal Programs Division at the Department of Developmental Services |CA Early Start - Part C - What's ahead for 2023

Focus: Early Start Update

For Maricris Acon's bio click here

James Moses

Regional Director for the Child Care Resource Center (CCRC)

Focus: ECE California Legislative Landscape.

For James Moses's bio click here

Non-Member: $75

IDA Agency/Individual Member: $50

(discount rate if registering 3 or more, email Jennie at mail@idaofcal.org)

IDA Parent/Student/New Clinician Member: $40

ADA Requests: Contact IDA @ mail@idaofcal.org

with ADA request by December 29, 2022

Case Management Update - Adults

Christine Couch

Director of Consumer Services - Adults

https://nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/about/

What started at the turn of the century as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S., has resulted in a whole month being designated for that purpose.

One of the very proponents of an American Indian Day was Dr. Arthur C. Parker, a Seneca Indian, who was the director of the Museum of Arts and Science in Rochester, N.Y. He persuaded the Boy Scouts of America to set aside a day for the “First Americans” and for three years they adopted such a day. In 1915, the annual Congress of the American Indian Association meeting in Lawrence, Kans., formally approved a plan concerning American Indian Day. It directed its president, Rev. Sherman Coolidge, an Arapahoe, to call upon the country to observe such a day. Coolidge issued a proclamation on Sept. 28, 1915, which declared the second Saturday of each May as an American Indian Day and contained the first formal appeal for recognition of Indians as citizens.

The year before this proclamation was issued, Red Fox James, a Blackfoot Indian, rode horseback from state to state seeking approval for a day to honor Indians. On December 14, 1915, he presented the endorsements of 24 state governments at the White House. There is no record, however, of such a national day being proclaimed.

The first American Indian Day in a state was declared on the second Saturday in May 1916 by the governor of New York. Several states celebrate the fourth Friday in September. In Illinois, for example, legislators enacted such a day in 1919. Presently, several states have designated Columbus Day as Native American Day, but it continues to be a day we observe without any recognition as a national legal holiday.

In 1990 President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November 1990 “National American Indian Heritage Month.” Similar proclamations, under variants on the name (including “Native American Heritage Month” and “National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month”) have been issued each year since 1994.

Understanding Atypical Brain Development: Insights from Eye Tracking and Neuroimaging

UC Davis MIND Institute

There is much information that can be gained about the developing brain both by methods that directly assess brain activity during stimulus observation (for example, MRI and EEG techniques) but also by methods that indirectly assess brain activity by tracking visual attention (using infrared eye tracking). In this talk, Rivera will give specific examples of ways in which both techniques have been used in both typically and atypically developing populations to shed light on differences in the way the external world is being perceived and processed by the human brain. Examples will come from studies that her team has conducted in both autism and the fragile X spectrum of involvement. Future directions and potential avenues for intervention will also be discussed.

Presented by Susan Rivera, Ph.D., from the University of Maryland

This presentation will be in person and Live on Facebook.

Federal Student Loan Debt Relief

Plan Explained

Webinar

Tuesday, November 15th

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

The Student Loan Debt Relief Application is OPEN!

This one-time program will cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt for borrowers making less than $125,000 or $250,000 for households.

Now's the time to act before student loan payments restart. The application is simple, however, determining if your loans are eligible can be overwhelming.

THE APPLICATION

Please join us for a one-hour webinar where we will provide valuable information to individuals with student loan debt, their families, and supporting professionals on how to receive loan debt relief from the program.

This webinar will cover:

· What the program means to you

· Which loans are eligible

· Where to find the application

· How to submit your application

· How to identify and report scams

You will need to register in advance for this webinar. To register, click below:

IMPORTANT: After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

This webinar will be recorded, and the recording will be sent out after the event via email to all who register.

If you have any questions or need assistance with registering, please contact PATF at 484-674-0506 or communications@patf.us.

Electric Car Sharing Service Comes to Stockton

We're excited to introduce Míocar, an affordable electric car-sharing service expanding to the city of Stockton.

The San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG) writes that the Stockton Mobility Collective project will provide affordable access to all-electric vehicles at accessible locations in the Stockton area. The Stockton Mobility Collective is funded by a Sustainable Transportation Equity Project (STEP) Implementation Grant from the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

Míocar is available to all Stockton-area residents aged 21 and older who have a valid driver’s license and a relatively good driving record. A one-time $20 sign-up fee is required. Renting a Míocar electric vehicle will cost $4 an hour, or $35 per day on weekdays and $45 on weekends, which starts Fridays at 6 p.m. and end on Sundays at midnight. Míocar members can drive up to 150 miles at no extra charge, after this limit it will cost 35 cents per mile.

Electric vehicles can be reserved through the Míocar app or by signing up and filling out the online application form.

Sharing the Harvest Community Event

The Amelia Ann Adams Whole Life Center will be hosting Sharing the Harvest: A Day of Thanksgiving. Saturday, November 19, 2022, from 12:00 – 4:00pm at 822 N Commerce St. Stockton. There will be free food, music, COVID testing, COVID vaccination and boosters, and much more! Thanksgiving baskets to the first 40 families! Learn More

RSVP NOW

- FREE TO ATTEND -

Open to allies, parents, educators, professionals, and the community at large.

A study by the National Alliance on Mental Health found that 64% of people with mental health issues report that the holiday season can be a lonely or stressful time for them, filled with added anxiety and/or depression. The Help Group’s December webcast, “Supporting the Mental Well-being of Young People During the Holidays” on Wednesday, December 7th at 10am PT will focus on how families and professionals can address the stressors that many young people experience at this time of year, particularly those with mental health challenges.

Guest speakers Dr. Lucia Babayants, Registered Psychological Associate at The Help Group and Professor at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and Rosalinda Sanchez, LMFT PIER Program Coordinator and Therapist at The Help Group will offer simple, yet powerful, practices that can help parents, allies, or professionals promote mental wellness and ease the anxiety and depression felt by young people during the holiday season.

RSVP NOW

Having issues registering?

Please contact Melissa for assistance at 818-947-5542 or mshapin@thehelpgroup.org.

ABOUT THE HELP GROUP

The Help Group is the largest, most innovative and comprehensive nonprofit of its kind serving children, adolescents and young adults with special needs related to autism spectrum disorder, learning disabilities, ADHD, developmental delays, abuse and emotional challenges through its wide range of specialized education, therapy and outreach programs.

To learn more about our programs and services, please visit...

www.thehelpgroup.org | www.LuminaCounselingLA.com

Community Services Update

Brian Bennett

Director of Community Services

VMRC has Released a Request for Proposal for Social Recreation in Partnership with DDS

RFP in PDF Here

VMRC will host its second Informational Session for interested providers in Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus Counites on December 9^thfrom 3-4 via Microsoft Teams

Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 219 139 813 29

Passcode: xkMsmS

North Valley Hills Update

Dena Hernandez, Regional Manager (209) 473-6930

From our partners- Disability Rights CA:

The special education system can be overwhelming and confusing for many parents and advocates of children with disabilities. That’s why DRC offers the Special Education Rights and Responsibilities (SERR) Manual to help you navigate the education services available for your child.

We’re now excited to share that the full 16-chapter SERR Manual is newly updated and available in 5 different languages! Simply select your preferred language from a drop-down menu at the top of the screen.

Chapter 1 offers a broad explanation of relevant and fundamental concepts and requirements of the law, and Chapters 2-16 offers detailed information on specific topics.

Find the full SERR Manual here: https://serr.disabilityrightsca.org/

Safety for All: Meeting on Law Enforcement & the Disability Community

You are invited to a Safety for All Coalition meeting about Law Enforcement and the Disability Community on Wednesday, December 7 from 7:00-8:30 pm!

Join us online to learn about the Safety for All Coalition and its work to improve interactions between police and people with disabilities in Santa Clara County and beyond.

Give input on the coalition’s direction and priorities for 2023 and find out how you can get involved!

Live transcript will be provided. ASL, Spanish, and Vietnamese interpretation may be requested on the registration form by 11/30.

You can register for the event and read about the Safety for All Coalition here: https://www.php.com/event/safety-for-all/.

Family Resource Network (FRN) Update

Lisa Culley, Executive Director

Family Resource Network is hosting a Holiday Drive Thru on Saturday, December 3, 2022, from 11am-1pm. Join us as we celebrate the holidays with a bag of goodies and activities for the family! Please RSVP to the FRN office at 209-472-3674 or FRNfamilies@frcn.org. This event is open to families of children with special needs and disabilities living in San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne Counties.