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Eighty-Eighth

Community Health

Advisory Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Weekly Message from the Executive Director

By the Numbers

Since we took the week off from the Health Advisory last week, I'm reporting numbers from November 22 through December 1st. During this time, we reported 10 positive cases for consumers and five positive cases for direct support professionals, half were vaccinated and half were not. While this is a dramatic decrease from the previous weeks throughout October and November, we sadly learned of the passing of three of our consumers who tested positive in September and October (one case was a breakthrough case). On Wednesday of this week the state's mandated requirement for all VMRC employees to be vaccinated finally ended. All our staff either were vaccinated (340) or filed a declination because of a personally held religious belief. In total 89% are vaccinated and 11% are not vaccinated and will be testing for COVID-19 every week.

Herd Immunity?

California is reporting 67.5% fully vaccinated and 72% have had at least one shot and VMRC is now reporting 89% vaccinated. Dr. Anthony Fauci was quoted last December saying about 85% of Americans will need to be vaccinated to bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control." (Los Angeles Times). While herd immunity is different for each virus and the immunity estimates have changed from early projections of 60 - 70% most now believe the immunity will be more like 85% (Yale Medicine). As of last Tuesday, here are the current positivity rates compared to last review on October 25, 2021, which dictates our progress in the plan to reopen our buildings to the public:

· Amador: Positivity is 3.2% (down from 5% positivity rate)

· Calaveras Positivity is 5.3% (same as October 25, 2021)

· San Joaquin: Positivity is 4% (down from 4.3% positivity rate)

· Stanislaus: Positivity is 5.2% (down from 5.9% positivity rate)

· Tuolumne Positivity is 5.8% (down from 7.3% positivity rate)

Are You Interested?

We have had a great experience working with our partner Safeway (Alberstson's) Pharmacy to provide a safe environment for our consumers and families and staff to get their vaccinations for COVI-19 and the Flu. Safeway has agreed to help us put together another vaccine clinic for young children 5-11 and all other ages as well as a bolster. Before moving forward with this major commitment we'd like to know if our community is interested. So far, we've only received four responses to our survey. If you would like VMRC and Safeway to provide a drive through vaccination clinic, please let us know by clicking here to answer a few questions:

Click Here to Take our Survey

Join Us in Website Improvements

In December we will be working on our website to test out the links and make sure the information is still easy to use and up to date. Later today we’ll be hosting a Zoom session for our community to log in and review the “Consumers” tab and later the “Outreach” tab from 12 pm to 5 pm. We’ll continue to offer these sessions each week on Friday at the same time. To participate click here:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88114644777?pwd=WVlHQVo1akxMb2lmOWhNS2kxQi9PQT09&from=addon

Meeting ID: 881 1464 4777

Tony Anderson

Executive Director

Case Management Update - Children

Participant-Directed Services

Participant-Directed Services offer flexibility to support consumers and their families. Participant-Directed Services offers more control over how and by whom some Individual Program Plan (IPP) services are provided. The consumer or family choose who to hire, schedule when the person works, supervise their work, and gives options to minimize risk to COVID-19. Participant-Directed Services is available to individuals who live in their home, their family’s home, and some community living arrangements.

Participant-Directed Service types include:

Respite
Day care
Non-medical transportation
Nursing
Community-based training services

Temporary Participant-Directed Services Types during the COVID-19 State of Emergency:

Personal assistance
Independent living skills
Supported employment services

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Early Start

Check out “The Story of Max” an automated video about Early Start services! https://youtu.be/A6qbB-uK02Q

An Early Start professional development opportunity: The Department of Developmental Services and the California Department of Education are pleased to announce the launch of a NEW professional development resource: Transition from Early Start is a free, self-paced online course focused on the process for children with disabilities who are transitioning out of Early Start to school services at age three. This course features 10 modules that focus on state and federal regulations governing the transition process, strategies for supporting families throughout their child’s transition, and the roles and responsibilities of Early Start regional center (RC) service coordinators, local educational agency (LEA) staff, family support personnel, and parents.

Topics covered in this course include:

the family experience
options after Early Start
timelines and referrals
the transition conference
transition planning
eligibility and planning for services provided under Part B of the Individual with Disabilities Education Act
eligibility and planning for services provided under the Lanterman Act
information on community resources, and roles and responsibilities

We encourage all Early Start RC and LEA service coordinators, managers, and other interested staff to participate. No pre-registration is required. Simply log in or sign up on CPEI Online (cpeionline.net) and visit https://www.cpeionline.net/course/view.php?id=121.

SATURDAY MORNING LISTEN

Join us to chat about the importance of the work that we do and ways to support our children, families, and ourselves.

· Come 15 minutes early (8:45) to visit and learn more about IDA

· There will be a theme to discuss for most of the hour

· We will reserve part of the hour for open sharing

· We will divide into breakout groups if more than 12 people attend

· We will set the next months theme at the end of our hour

December theme:

How do we support parents and caregivers in preparing for family gatherings? Join us as we discuss ideas, strategies and tools for providers to use when supporting parents and caregivers as they prepare for future family gatherings.

See you on December 4th. Please bring your friends and colleagues too!

Saturday December 4, 2021

9:00am - 10:00am

NO FEE

You will receive your ZOOM Link in your confirmation once you register.

In January 2022 Saturday Morning LISTEN will return and be scheduled monthly on the 4th Saturday of each month.

Infant Development Association | www.idaofcal.org

‌

Emergent Literacy, It's Never Too Early To Start: Meaningful Ideas for Children with Multi-sensory Needs

Thursday Evening December 16, 2021

7:00pm - 8:30pm

Virtual Event

with

Julie Maier, Educational Specialist

California Deafblind Services &

Tracey Tasker, M.A., CCC-SLP

Can't attend the event live?

Did you know that emergent literacy starts right after birth? Join us to learn all about emergent literacy and add some tools to your therapy toolbox. We will share research about how emergent literacy develops and provide ideas and resources that you can implement tomorrow with your families. Find out specifically how to introduce emergent literacy to children with mulit-sensory impairments.

Participants will:

· Understand the development of the building blocks of emergent literacy (print awareness, phonological awareness, comprehension, vocabulary).

· Understand the connection between communication and literacy and be able to identify multiple avenues to promote emergent literacy skills in daily activities at school and home.

· Learn why it is never too early to start working on emergent literacy with respect to early brain development and reading outcomes for children with learning disabilities.

· Identify and discuss additional modifications and instructional methodologies needed by children with multi-sensory impairments.

· Learn about several meaningful, engaging literacy activities and available resources to support assessment, curricular planning, and literacy instruction for children with multi-sensory impairments and pre-symbolic communication skills.

· Learn about strategies to engage children who aren’t interested in engaging with books.

· Review research on whether you should use ebooks and audiobooks with young children.

Julie Maier has worked as an Educational Specialist for California Deafblind Services for 10 years and has been involved in the field of special education since 1987, including as a faculty member in the Special Education Department at San Francisco State University since 1999.

Julie has presented on a variety of topics at many state, national, and international conferences. She has presented national webinars on the topics of literacy for students who are deafblind, the role of an educational intervener, and similarities between deafblindness and autism spectrum disorders. She has written or co-authored numerous published articles on assessment, self-determination, literacy for students who are deafblind, autism and deafblindness, social supports for students with disabilities, and collaborative teaming.

Tracey Tasker holds a B.A. in English and Economics and an MBA (Rutgers University) and an MA in Speech-Language Pathology (Montclair State University). Tracey originally worked in the business world but made a mid-life career switch to speech-language pathology after her two sets of twins all received early intervention. Tracey has been providing early intervention speech-language services to families for over ten years. Tracey has published an article in the Hanen Centre newsletter on eBooks and is certified in the I’m Ready Early Literacy training program by Hanen. Tracey is co-chair of the IDA Membership Outreach, Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Non-Member: $50

IDA Agency/Individual Member: $35

IDA Parent/Student/New Clinician Member: $25

IDA CE Hours: Nursing, PT, Speech and Language $15

CDI CE Hours: LCSW, LMFT, LEP, LPCC

(you will be invoiced) you must attend LIVE in order to receive CDI CE hours

ADA Requests: Contact IDA @ mail@idaofcal.org

with ADA request by December 2^nd

Limited number of scholarships available

Tara Sisemore-Hester

Director of Consumer Services - Children

National Core Indicators (NCI)

Each year, NCI asks people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families about services they get and how they feel about them. NCI uses surveys so that the same questions can be asked to a large group. The NCI Child Family Surveys are mailed to families in many states.

The Child Family Survey is a survey that is mailed to families with children ages 3-18 old living with them or who receive at least one service from a regional center, in addition to case management. The survey is mailed to all available and valid family addresses who meet the criteria. Participation is voluntary and confidential. The survey asks families about information and planning/ access and community connection; choice and control; and family involvement.

The questions on the Child Family Survey are answered by someone who loves with a child who gets services from the state (like a parent or other family member). In California, all families who have a child with IDD in the home who gets regional center supports, are asked to do this survey.

Valley Mountain Regional Center will be presenting the results of this survey from the 2018-1019 fiscal year at our December 22nd Board Meeting, at 6:00 PM, via Zoom Video Conference. Public attendance is encouraged, and public comment related to the survey results will be hear.

VMRC Board of Directors Meeting

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

6:00 PM - Via Zoom Video Confer

Click Here to Join

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82056138937?pwd=VmhTMHRoeEh4L1dTSDdpVktvZ2dQZz09

Webinar ID: 820 5613 8937

Passcode: 009232

Case Management Update - Adults

Housing Authority of the County of San Joaquin

HACSJ ANNOUNCES OPENING OF THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM AND PUBLIC HOUSING WAITING LISTS

The Housing Authority County of San Joaquin (HACSJ) will open its waiting list through a lottery system for the Housing Voucher Program and other affordable housing programs beginning on December 10, 2021, at 8:00 AM and closing on December 24, 2021, at 5:00 PM.

Applications will be accepted online only. To update your application or file a new application,

https://cdngeneral.rentcafe.com/dmslivecafe/3/565608/Updating_Application.pdf

For more information,

https://cdngeneral.rentcafe.com/dmslivecafe/3/565608/Waiting_List_Ad_English.pdf

If you’re someone with an intellectual or developmental disability who has received the COVID-19 vaccine, ASAN wants to hear from you! They are looking for stories for their upcoming video campaign. Interested in sharing your story? Go here for details: https://autisticadvocacy.org/…/vaccine-storytelling-project/

Do you know about the Ice Cream Company in Modesto? Did you know they are a nonprofit called Enrich and Employ? Enrich and Employ is a local nonprofit that works to remove barriers to employment by providing job skills training in a functioning restaurant. People with special needs, those who have completed an addiction recovery program and English language learners can have a difficult time getting an interview with a sparse resume. Enrich & Employ trains them for different types of positions that they can then add to their resume.

Training all happens at the ice cream and sandwich shop, Ice Cream Company, that has been in Century Center (2401 East Orangeburg Suite #650 in Modesto) for over forty years. This is so exciting, as it strengthens our community! There are several ways that you can partner with them, and all donations are tax-deductible.

SPOTLIGHT ON the Self Advocacy Council 6!!

The SAC6 was created in May 1992 by consumers at an area self-advocacy meeting and serves Area 6 — Amador, Calaveras, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne counties. Two representatives from each self-advocacy chapter in Area 6 can serve on the SAC6 board. Area 6 has representatives on the Valley Mountain Regional Center Board, the State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD) North Valley Hills Office, the Statewide Self-Advocacy Network (SSAN), and the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC).

The mission of the SAC6 is:

Learn about issues that impact the lives of people with developmental disabilities.

Tell the self-advocacy groups about important issues.

Find out what the self-advocacy groups think about important issues.

Find out what self-advocates want in their lives.

Talk to people who make decisions for people with developmental disabilities, including VMRC and Area Board, and tell them what advocates want.

Help the self-advocacy movement grow!

You can check out SAC6 every Friday on a Zoom Chat. Today the Zoom Chat is about the new Ombudsperson for Self Determination; an update about VMRC and a Mental Health Tip of the Day. Check it out!!

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87535653331?pwd=bVh2LzV0Q1VyNG1aSkJZcEZmNEp4dz09

Meeting ID: 875 3565 3331

Passcode: 920284

You must enter the Passcode

OR you can call in:

TOLL FREE NUMBER TO CALL IN-

888 475 4499 US Toll-free

877 853 5257 US Toll-free

Christine Couch (she, her, hers)

Director of Consumer Services - Adults

Clinical Update

Get Vaccinated or Get Your Booster!

With the knowledge of a new SARS-CoV-2 variant, the Omicron variant,[1] the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that all individuals 18 years of age and older receive a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine 6 months after the 2-dose vaccine (Moderna or Pfizer) or 2 months after the 1-dose vaccine (J&J).[2] With the documentation of the first case of omicron variant in the US, specifically here in California,[3] the more health experts are encouraging everyone to get vaccinated or get your booster shots. Here in California, everyone 18 years and older can get the booster shot.

With the spread of the Omicron variant around the world, Moderna has started testing to see how effective their vaccine is against this variant.[4]

With a lot of questions in people’s minds about the new variant, experts at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health put together a short explanation for the general public.[5]^,^[6] See below.

[1] World Health Organization (WHO). November 28, 2021. https://www.who.int/news/item/28-11-2021-update-on-omicron

[2] CDC. November 29. 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s1129-booster-recommendations.html

[3] CNN. December 1, 2021. https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/01/health/us-omicron-variant-confirmed-case/index.html

[4] Moderna. November 26, 2021. https://investors.modernatx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/moderna-announces-strategy-address-omicron-b11529-sars-cov-2

[5] Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. November 30, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/JohnsHopkinsSPH/photos/pcb.10158308857971245/10158308741806245/?type=3&theater

[6] Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. November 30, 2021. https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2021/the-omicron-variant-of-covid-19-a-qa-with-virologist-andrew-pekosz

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

Director of Clinical Services

Please continue to stay safe and healthy.

Community Services Training Opportunities and Service Provider Information

Training Opportunities

Weekly Community Services Department Provider Informational Session

Please join VMRC staff and other partner agencies via ZOOM every Friday morning at 9:00 AM! Question and Answer session and opportunities to hear about important vendor changes!

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 961 6884 2952

https://zoom.us/j/96168842952

Request for Proposal (RFP) Center for START Services

VMRC is seeking a qualified service provider to implement the START Services model to consumers 6 yrs. of age and older. This is a crisis support service model, for all five counties (Amador, Tuolumne, Calaveras, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus)

VMRC and the Center for Start Services will host an informational session for interested providers via zoom on Friday December 3^rd from 1-2 (see link for RFP and zoom session information)

https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.145.151/znc.7f6.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/RFP-VMRC-Start-CDRP-2021-22.pdf

Training Opportunities: Special Incident Reporting

VMRC’s Quality Assurance Department is offering Vendor SIR Training on Tuesday, December 7^th from 9:30-12 p.m. via Zoom. Registration through Constant Contact with valid e-mail address. CEUs available upon successful completion of test. Hope to see you there!

PDF Version of Flyer Here

Community Care Licensing Provider Information Notice PIN 21-49-ASC

https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/CCLD/PINs/2021/ASC/PIN-21-49-ASC.pdf

Brian L. Bennett

Director Of Community Services

DDS Wellness Toolkit!

The DDS Wellness Toolkit is a new section of the DDS website focused on providing information and tools related to health and safety for self-advocates, direct support professionals, and vendors or providers. New topics, tools, and information will be added on an ongoing basis.

This bulletin covers the topic of Posey beds. Posey beds are a behavioral restraint device used in some hospitals to prevent patients from exiting a hospital bed unassisted. While their use is indicated for some individuals, they can also pose risks. This bulletin provides relevant health and safety information as part of DDS’s ongoing effort to improve our collective management of risks to the wellness of the individuals that we serve.

Posey Beds in Hospitals