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104th
Community Health
Advisory
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Weekly Message from the Executive Director
Tony Anderson
By the Numbers
This week we reported four positive cases of COVID-19 among our consumers, which is the first week to week increase since January 12th. There were no cases involving direct support professionals, and among our staff we have a confirmed case and three others with symptoms who haven't tested yet. While our region continues to experience a positivity rate well below the 5% threshold the nearby bay area region is reporting the highest rates in the state. However, even officials in that region are not too concerned at this time given their high level of vaccination rates and low hospitalizations. “Now in this new era we see cases in the community, not much in the hospital, and eerie silence in the ICU,” said Chin-Hong (NBC Bay Area, April 5, 2022).
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Under the Lights
Next Wednesday from 1 pm to 2 pm, Pathpoint, a community provider in Santa Barbara, will be hosting the premiere of Under the Lights. This film is based on Miles Levin's own experience with epilepsy. "To me, this is what it feels like to be a part of an enormous, yet invisible community." This film has won international awards and is helping to raise awareness about Epilepsy.
Harry Bruell, Executive Director of Pathpoint, invites everyone from our community to join them and encourages groups watch and engage in a conversation about Epilepsy.
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Under the Lights | An Epilepsy Short Film | Under the Lights is the story of Sam, a boy with epilepsy, so desperate to feel like a normal kid, he goes to prom knowing that the lights will make him have a seizure. Cinema has historically stigmatized and ignored people with epilepsy. | | | |
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In Case You Missed It Last Week:
We have two opportunities to engage with us and provide feedback. The first is our Transportation Updates meetings that starts next Thursday and the second is our Readers Survey to help us make the Health Advisory even better...
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Case Management Update - Children
Tara Sisemore-Hester
Director of Consumer Services - Children
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April is World Autism Awareness Month!
Autism is celebrated every day by so many people, but April is a special time of the year dedicated to promoting acceptance, celebrating differences, and creating a more inclusive world.
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The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) is hosting a handful of webinars that will focus on Autism and mental health. Through these series, AUCS will help bring to light the importance of mental health parity laws, suicide prevention, support, and social skills development of autistic people.
Some examples of possible topics are Warning Signs of Suicide and Crisis Supports for Autistic People, Building a Lifespan Socialization Curriculum, Building a Sensory Lifestyle, and more. Slide shows are available for reference for the webinars that have already passed & registration for upcoming webinar can be found at https://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=15886&parent=16&parent_title=Home&url=/template/index.cfm? or by scanning the QR code above
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 | Hello everyone. My name is Roxanne. I have an amazing nonverbal Autistic 14-year-old son, Maxwell. I want to let everyone know about my situation with the services I receive for my son! My pediatrician told me about Valley Mountain Regional Center that diagnoses Autism and he gave me a Referral to VMRC on Blue Gum Road in Modesto. All you need is a referral from your pediatrician, and they diagnosed my son with Autism at 2 years old! They enrolled my son into Central Valley Autism program in Modesto Ca. at 2years old. My son learned picture system (PECS) at 2, at 3 years old he learned sign language, and at 7 years old he started speaking words! VMRC is amazing and I have never had to pay for any of my services in 12 years. This organization gave me access to parent workshops, a behavior therapist in my home to teach me how to deal with his meltdowns, eating disorders, and getting him to sleep at night ,they come to my IEP Meetings ,they have shown up to school meetings with me and I would not be where I am without their support and services ...they now offer respite care to me to come babysit for a few hours a week so I can have personal time for myself ...they are Amazing...my Coordinator just said VMRC is now funding after school social and recreation programs if the children are interested in extracurricular and that is Awesome! I hope everyone gets the services they need for their Unique Amazing special needs children. | |
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IDA proudly celebrates Autism Acceptance Month. Be sure to join us next month for our training, “Coaching Families Raising Young Children with Signs of Autism: Naturalistic Approaches" with Sarah Dufek and Aubyn Stahmer. To read about naturalistic approaches check out their blog, Early Intervention for Children with High Likelihood of Autism, on our website.
IDA would also like to sincerely thank Profectum Institute for their generosity in providing a free training to our IDA members, “Growing Development through Relationships: An Introduction to the DIR-FCD Model”. Thank you especially to Caroline Walsh and Marilee Burgeson for the amazing training and giving us so many tools that we can use immediately in our work.
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VMRC will be participating in Amador Child Care Council’s 24th Annual ‘Celebrate Our Children’ event! This year's event will feature exciting activities, lunch, Chewy the Tooth, a Car Seat Check, petting zoo, entertainment, and fluoride varnishes! Admission is free! April 9th 11am – 2pm! | |
Case Management Update - Adults
Christine Couch
Director of Consumer Services - Adults
| If you live in San Joaquin County, there are services available to help you with your electric, gas or propane utility bill payment and home weatherization. Please visit their website at https://www.sjchsa.org/Services/Aging-and-Community-Services/Home-Energy-Assistance-Program-HEAP |  |  | |
Special Olympics Northern California provides free year-round sports, health and leadership programs for more than 28,000 children and adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Our program participants are known as Special Olympics athletes.
Activities and events are held locally in 43 counties throughout the year for ages 6 to 65+. Athletes must be at least 8 years old to compete (6 and 7 may train only). Teams practice 1-2 times per week, typically in the evening or on the weekend, for 6-8 weeks before a regional competition, and schedules vary by county and team. All programs are offered at no cost to athletes or their families. Please check the website, https://www.sonc.org/findprogram
for an Athlete Application and seasonal deadlines, along with information about our four sports seasons. Contact us at letsplay@sonc.org with any questions.
The summer season is starting soon!!
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From the Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools office:
Please register for the upcoming free webinar and Facebook Live event: Suicide Prevention 101 for Parents: Recognizing Signs and What to Do. This free webinar will provide information about suicide prevention for parents, including warning signs for suicide, how to have a conversation with their teen, actions to take if their teen is having suicidal thoughts, and resources. The webinar is provided in partnership with the California Department of Education, the California Mental Health Services Authority, the Directing Change Program, and Teen Line. The webinar is offered in English and Spanish.
April 20, 2022 from 5 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.
https://us02web.zoom.us/.../reg.../WN_MeEZUYOnQueJn2RNILq1zw
| Check out the Center on Transition Innovations for more information about promoting self-direction among people with disabilities and removing barriers to independence in the community. | MaxiAids offers blind, low vision, deaf, hard of hearing, mobility challenged, and other special needs folks the latest gadgets for a more active, independent lifestyle! | |
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Check Out Our Upcoming Transition Fairs!
Click on Each Flyer for Details
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SPOTLIGHT ON Marilyn Pipa
Friends, meet Marilyn. She works at VMRC!! She’s an amazing staff in our Modesto office.
Marilyn has had VMRC services since 2003 and she shared that the services are really helpful. VMRC can connect you with services and supports to learn to be independent and reach your goals.
Marilyn went to her Service Coordinator, Rick Jordan, and told him she wanted an office job. He told her he would make a referral to UCP supported employment program. Ignacio from UCP helped Marilyn with job applications and interviews. He helped her learn the skills she needed. When Marilyn was offered the job at VMRC, UCP helped her with a job coach. The job coach came to work with Marilyn and made sure she understood the job, the tasks and helped her learn the culture at VMRC. Marilyn told me she was a fast learner, so she didn’t need a job coach for very long.
Marilyn wants you to know that right now she continues to work at VMRC and she likes her job. She shared that she started as an office aide part time. Then her job became full time and now she is an Office Technician. Marilyn told me about her job, “I scan documents, take care of the copy machines, take care of the mail and distribute it to all of the staff in the office. I make sure all of the supplies are stocked and I help make sure the inner office mail gets sent. I love my job!! October 17th is my 8-year anniversary.” We are proud of you Marilyn. It’s a privilege to work with you!!
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Marilyn’s advice to all of you looking for jobs!! “Keep trying to get a job, keep putting in applications! Don’t give up – ask for help from your SC or other programs. Don’t worry about your public benefits, there are programs to help you and protect you, so you don’t lose out – DRAIL is a good help with your public benefits.”
Marilyn told me in her free time she enjoys her hobbies, drawing, painting, and she likes to do wood arts and crafts. Marilyn likes to go on vacations. Last year she went to Hawaii. She likes to travel but right now she isn’t traveling as much because she is saving her money to buy her own place! “I’m excited to own my own home one day. This is a goal I’m working on” says Marilyn. Marilyn, we are excited for you and your goals!! Keep up the great work!!
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Meet Angela
Hello, my name is Angela Ramirez and I am a service coordinator on the Enhanced Team. I have been with the Regional Center for 2 years working with the early start team. I started just before the Pandemic began so, it has definitely been a different experience for me. I really miss seeing families in person! I am really excited to be a part of the new enhanced team where we will be providing advocacy, training, collaboration and working to identify barriers our consumers and family’s have accessing services and supports.
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Community Services Update
Brian Bennett
Director of Community Services
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Monthly 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 Session
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88548962379
May 6th 2022, 9-10 am
June 3rd 2022, 9-10 am
July 1st 2022, 9-10 am
August 5th 2022, 9-10 am
October 7th 2022, 9-10 am
November 4th 2022, 9-10 am
December 2nd 2022, 9-10 am
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Upcoming Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Trainings
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
April 14th, 2022, 1:00pm – 2:00pm
May 3rd, 2022, 10:00am – 11:00am
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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VMRC is seeking Qualified Commercial Transportation Service Providers to Submit Letters of Interest
Valley Mountain Regional Center (VMRC) is seeking service providers to operate transportation services and transportation assistant services to serve people with developmental disabilities who reside in the counties of: Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Tuolumne, Amador, Calaveras. Developmental disabilities include intellectual disabilities, epilepsy, autism, and cerebral palsy.
The applicant selected to provide transportation services and transportation assistant services in the VMRC service region will work closely with R&D Transportation services, Inc. (R&D) a full-service transportation broker, who provides scheduling, routing, quality assurance, and oversight of all contract transportation billing invoices.
Transportation services include transporting individuals to and from their place of residence to day programs, generally between the hours from 6:00 am - 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Individuals may need supervision, assistance with wheelchairs, or assistance and monitoring while being transported. Currently, VMRC needs to expand its transportation routes to fulfill emergent service needs for individuals for round-trip travel to/from their respective program activities.
More Information about vendorization may be found on DDS’s website at https://www.dds.ca.gov/rc/vendor-provider/vendorization-process/ under
“Vendorization Process” or under California Code of Regulations, Title 17, and Sections
54310 through 54390, vendor application requirements; Sections 58500 to 58570,
Transportation Services; and Sections 54342(a)(81) and (84).
Interested Commercial Transportation service providers should contact R&D Transportation at
(888) 695-8848 Ext. 242
RFPQuestions@rdtsi.com
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VMRC is hosting a Virtual Direct Support Professionals Advisory Meeting
Date: Friday April 22, 2022
Location: Virtual Zoom Meeting
Time: 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
RSVP: Renae Dominici
rdominici@fcoe.org
(559) 497-3757
For providers who have questions about the DDS rate implementation, please continue to use the dedicated e mail group : Rates@vmrc.net
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Clinical Services Updates
Claire B. Lazaro, MSN, RN, NP, PHN, NP-C
Director of Clinical Services
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Start Your Spring Cleaning with a Dental Cleaning
Dear Partners,
Nothing marks the change of seasons like a good spring cleaning! Remind Medi-Cal members that while they’re organizing their closets and sweeping out the corners, they should also schedule an appointment with their dentist for a dental cleaning. Medi-Cal covers dental check-ups and cleanings once a year for adults, and twice a year for children and teens. Spring break is also the perfect time to encourage members to schedule a dental check-up for children.
You can easily help members in your community find a Medi-Cal dentist by visiting the “Find A Dentist” page on SmileCalifornia.org.
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Medi-Cal Pregnancy Expansion
It is important that Medi-Cal members know that good oral health is important at every stage of life, including during pregnancy. It is recommended to see the dentist for a cleaning and exam before the baby is born. These dental services are covered for Medi-Cal members throughout pregnancy and 12 months postpartum.
Smile, California has a variety of materials about dental care and coverage during and 12 months after pregnancy, including a flyer, brochure, video, and PowerPoint presentation. All of these materials are available in English and Spanish. Share these resources with Medi-Cal members to promote that visiting the dentist during pregnancy is important and beneficial for them and their baby. Click the links below to download the materials.
English
Spanish
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Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment (KOHA) Reminder
California law requires that children have a dental check-up by May 31 in either kindergarten or first grade, whichever is their first year in public school. Poor oral health can affect a child’s attendance, grades, and overall performance in school. The KOHA helps ensure children are healthy and ready for a successful school year.
This assessment is important to help parents and guardians learn about their child’s oral health and to refer children and families to a dental home. Once a Medi-Cal member finds a dental home, they can schedule their first dental visit. Medi-Cal covers two dental visits per year for children and teens up to age 21.
Download the Smile, California KOHA flyer below to help address questions about the assessment and to promote Medi-Cal dental services for children.
Chinese
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Share with Us on Social
Don’t forget to let us know how you use the Smile, California materials by tagging us on Facebook and Instagram. Use the hashtags #SmileCalifornia for the chance to be featured on the Smile, California Facebook or Instagram accounts.
Keep Smiling!
The Smile, California Team
Let Medi-Cal members know that they can get the latest program updates in English and Spanish through Member Bulletins! Members can access the bulletins under the Latest News section on SmileCalifornia.org and Últimas noticias section on SonrieCalifornia.org
Help members feel comfortable visiting the dentist during the COVID-19 pandemic by sharing the Smile, California What You Should Know About Returning to the Dentist During COVID-19 flyer and video available in English and Spanish.
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North Valley Hills Update
Dena Hernandez, Regional Manager (209) 473-6930
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Dear Community Partners,
Please join this exciting conversation this week during a very important event co-sponsored by the State Council on Developmental Disabilities.
FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2022:
Session two of the SB 639 stakeholder workgroup will take place on Friday, April 8, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. PDT.
For this second round, we continue the conversation about how California will shift from sheltered workshops and increase competitive integrated employment (CIE) opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).
We will introduce the stakeholder members, examine best practices, review community member concerns, determine a timeline, discuss expectations, and identify workgroup member information and resources.
Meeting materials and agenda:
SB639 Home | SCDD (ca.gov)
Zoom:
Meeting link:
Please Note: This stakeholder workgroup includes members from various state agencies, community service providers, and people who have intellectual/developmental disabilities. The public may listen to the meeting and participate in the question-and-answer portion.
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How to connect to SCDD through Social Media | |
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Self-Advocacy Council 6 (SAC6)
Come learn about SCAM Awareness
WHEN: Friday, April 22, 2022
TIME: 11:00 AM -12:15 PM
WHERE: ZOOM - computer, tablet, cell phone
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 823 7769 3250
Passcode: 017615
PDF Version of the SAC6 Flyer Here
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Family Resource Network (FRN) Update
Lisa Culley, Executive Director
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Building Bridges: Transitioning Your Child from the Early Start Program
Is your child turning 3 soon? Join FRN for a parent workshop on Building Bridges: Transitioning Your Child From the Early Start Program! Learn about the process of advocacy, what's happening during the months leading up to your child's 3rd birthday, the Individual Education Plan (IEP) process, and ongoing services available through VMRC. You will walk away from this training with knowledge that will give you a great foundation for the next stage of parenting your child with special needs. Attendees will receive a Building Bridges workbook to complete as you prepare for your child's transition. Spanish interpretation will be available. Register by clicking the link on the flyer, calling the FRN office at 209-472-3674 or by email at FRNfamilies@frcn.org
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FRN is excited to join with Lead4Tomorrow to present Family Hui-a Family Strengthening Program in San Joaquin County for families raising children with special needs and disabilities. A Hui (hoo’ee) is a group of people with common goals and interests.
The Family Hui Program provides time to meet others who are on similar journeys through:
• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Trauma-Informed Peer-led Parenting Group
• Positive Parenting / Child-rearing Framework (Ages 0-5)
• Community Building with Leadership and Advocacy Skills
• Strengthening Families to Forge Resiliency
• Creating Safe, Nurturing Environments for Children and Families
• Sessions will start online, with the potential to transition to in-person meetings.
You will join 7-9 other families as you work through the sessions. Stipends and goody bags will be provided to families participating and completing the first Family Hui. You will receive valuable resources and a great toolkit of supplies and skills to strengthen and grow your family. Please click for more information or to complete the registration. You will be contacted as we schedule and plan the sessions.
English - https://forms.gle/1NQAUDAv12DM5iwy6
Spanish - https://forms.gle/5gkgqQzbq2mYbXvg7
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Local County, State and National Public Health Resources | | | | |
