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115th

Community Health

Advisory

Weekly Message from the Executive Director

Tony Anderson

By the Numbers

This week we saw a big drop of about 25% in the reported positive cases of COVID. We reported 48 consumers with positive tests and 26 direct support professionals. This downward trend is a good sign but statewide hospitalization rates continue to gradually increase (this week was 2.9% increase of hospitalizations) and again this week we had two consumers hospitalized due to COVID. One consumer was vaccinated with one booster and the other was a two year old child unable to receive a vaccination.

Office Building Site Status (June 23rd):

San Joaquin 11.7% (down 1 %) – Exceeds 5% - Remote Quarterly Visit Recommended, Masks in the Office required.
Stanislaus 14% (unchanged) - Exceeds 5% - Remote Quarterly Visit Recommended, Masks in the Office required.
Calaveras 11.7% (down 2.3%) – Exceeds 5% - Remote Quarterly Visit Recommended, Masks in the Office required.

Amador is at 7.5% (down 3.7%) and Tuolumne is at 10.3 (down .3%).

International Conference on Self-Directed and Shared Living Arrangements - Save the Date

One of the benefits of working with many of the thought leaders in services and supports and policy for people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in our Partners in Policymaking program is that our advocates are being exposed to all kinds of opportunities to improve our service system and make the community more responsive to the needs of our consumers.

Collen Weick, MN DD Council Executive Director and the founder of Partners in Policymaking who will kickoff the class of 2023 this weekend, just shared with of the following opportunity:

Chris Liuzzo is assisting a group of about 12 people from various countries, including Phoebe Rowell from Shared Lives Plus in the UK and others you do or may know, including Carol Blessing, John O'Brien, Beth Mount, Jack Pearpoint and Lynda Kahn from Inclusion Press, Gord Tulloch and Monique Nelson from Posabilities in BC, Markus Vahala from Helsinki and the Citizen Network, Michael Kendrick and others. Checkout this flyer to participate in this exciting virtual internation al event:

New York Alliance for Inclusion Innovation - HHSL Gathering Event Page

The New York Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation (NY Alliance) and its American and international partners are excited to announce a brand-new event for 2022: Home is the Heart of Shared Living: An International Gathering. The Gathering will take place virtually on November 3 & 4, 2022 via Zoom.

Upcoming Calendar of Important Events

Howard Prep HAL Informational Session (Virtual)

June 24, 2022, 9:30 AM

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 813 5197 1961

Passcode: 480553

California Mentor Family Home Agency Informational Session (Virtual)

June 29, 2022, 9:30 AM

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 821 5693 4857

Passcode: 451938

View our Entire Calendar of Events Here

Clinical Update

Claire Lazaro

Director of Clinical Services

COVID-19 Update

The CDC is now recommending mRNA Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for children 6 months to 5 years old.[1] This is in support of the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

#AskToVax

[1] CDC Newsroom. June 18, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s0618-children-vaccine.html

Here is the link:

Find out why Katie, Josya, Quinn, and Edgar asked to get vaccinated in this

#AskToVax video.

Case Management Update - Children

Tara Sisemore-Hester

Director of Consumer Services - Children

SAVE THE DATE!

The Summer Institute on Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

This annual event is intended to help participants keep pace with the latest in evidence-based treatment and research on neurodevelopmental disabilities and the implications for best practices in prevention, assessment, and treatment. We are excited to offer this inter-disciplinary event, bringing together researchers and self-advocates to share valuable information and personal experience. We welcome all health care professionals, educators, therapists, self-advocates and families/caregivers to this free virtual event.

This year’s Summer Institute is on August 3 from 9:00 a.m. - 1:15 p.m. The theme is We Belong: Preparing for Community Life and Fulfillment After High School.

Event Highlights:

o Keynote Presentation: The Journey to Adulthood for People with Disabilities – An ecological life course perspective

o Two Panel Discussions featuring self-advocates, individuals with disabilities, family members and providers

o Self-Advocacy: From Student Led IEPS to Person Centered Planning

o Living Your Best Life: Personal Experiences, Resources, and Strategies

Registration information coming soon!

https://health.ucdavis.edu/mindinstitute/events/summer-institute.html

He is in the Self-Determination Program. Kion is an independent thinker, sensitive to sound, lights, tastes, and smells. He is persistent, rule bound, and very friendly. Kion is currently on a children’s team in Modesto. Kion started the Self-Determination (SD) program 5/1/22. Kion has begun to attend a home daycare where he gets the opportunity to socialize with typical peers. Through his generic resources his daycare provider is provided training on ways she can handle situations when Kion gets overwhelmed. Kion is also receiving support through his generic resource working on socialization skills with peers.

Implementing Neurodiversity-Affirming Care

for the 0-3 Population ~ 2 Day Event

with Hillary Crow, M.A., CCC-SLP

Tuesday July 12, 2022

Thursday July 14, 2022

1:00pm-3:00pm (PDT)

Virtual Event

Can't attend the event live?

Hillary Crow, M.A., CCC-SLP is an Autistic speech-language pathologist with 8+ years of experience providing services to pediatric clients after graduating from California State University, Long Beach with both her B.A. and M.A. in Communicative Disorders. In addition to her work as a former adjunct lecturer and Graduate Clinic supervisor for the CSULB Department of Speech-Language Pathology,

Hillary has focused on providing client-centered care in a variety of private clinics and elementary school-based settings.

Case Management Update - Adults

Christine Couch

Director of Consumer Services - Adults

Take the Challenge!

Kids and adults of all ages are encouraged to step up their reading game this Summer and submit your reading logs for a chance to win some incredible prizes. The grand prize is a one-night stay and water park passes for a family of 4 at Great Wolf Lodge! So grab a few books and let’s take the Summer Reading Challenge

For more information and to submit reading logs: https://www.ssjcpl.org/programs/sumReading.html

Sonora, CA– The Tuolumne County Adult Literacy Program, based out of the Sonora library branch, is once again open after a two-year COVID-related closure. The program returns with a healthy amount of funding thanks to the Garside family and son Keitaro Matsuda who have insured the program can operate for the foreseeable future.

The purpose of the “Garside Family Adult Literacy Fund” is to help with the fund outreach, program materials, community awareness, and recruiting tutors and students for the library adult literacy programs that exist throughout Tuolumne County. The Garside family works closely with Lynn McCormick, recently retired from the Tuolumne County Public Library, and Darrel Slocum, CEO of the Sonora Area Foundation, to develop the fund that will serve the literacy program. Patricia Garside, a founding tutor, explains more about the program.

“We prefer to call this program Adult Life Literacy. Learning to read, even as an adult, provides the tools for us to continue education into critical skills for everyday life, We teach our students how to navigate social services, gain employment, find stable housing, acquire social knowledge for our many immigrants, learn computer skills and so forth. I’m very proud and gratified to now be meeting the grandchildren of some of my first students and knowing that the adult literacy program was a part of how they came to be.”

Part of the program includes the hiring of Haley Talent who has been added to the library staff as the Literacy Coordinator. If you wish to know more about the program or to become involved in it, contact Haley Tallent at htallent@co.tuolumne.ca.us or by calling 209-694-2727.

https://hello-itsme.com/#about

There is a new website designed for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to help them connect with others through a variety of activities as a way of reducing loneliness and isolation.

New Suicide Prevention Number

Starting July 16, 988 will be used as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if necessary.

The traditional Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available to people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis, even after 988 is launched nationally.

SPOTLIGHT ON Kim Russell

Hi Friends. Meet Kim!! Kim is an independent lady who lives with her family and dogs. It’s important to Kim to attend her program at Open Door Services (ODS) in Modesto. She loves to volunteer at places like McDonalds and PetSmart with her program. She says the staff treat her very nice and she loves them! She has friends at ODS, including some friends that she went to High School with. At ODS Kim works in the student store on Thursdays.

Kim says that she has a few hobbies, like making key chains and bracelets for people, riding her bike in her neighborhood and swimming! She likes to play with the dogs, her sister has 1 dog, Pebbles and her new puppy, Ollie. Kim likes to bowl and is on 2 leagues!! Kim also collects recyclables from her neighborhood and was able to save that money to buy her own iPhone.

Kim worked at Brendan Theater for 20 years but since the pandemic, she hasn’t had the opportunity to go back to work.

You can find Kim Volunteering at the Graffiti USA Classic Car Museum in downtown Modesto on most weekends.

Kim is a good friend, a great bowler, and a very helpful and a dependable person! She has lots of important people in her life, her parents, her sister, the dogs, her friends and staff at ODS, and her service coordinator, Marlene!! A big thank you to Marlene for introducing me to Kim!!

Community Services Update

Brian Bennett

Director of Community Services

HCBS Compliance Assessments – Validation and Remediation Process Announcement

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 2^nd, 2022.

DDS has released a directive to regional centers on the validation and remediation process that our vendors with eligible service codes will need to complete. Emails will be sent to providers to advise whether they are to complete the validation process or the remediation process. Vendors will have 30 days to complete the process that they are assigned to complete. Validation forms and supporting documents are due to VMRC no later than June 30^th, 2022. Remediation plans and supporting documents are due to VMRC no later than July 22^nd, 2022. You have until March 17^th, 2023, to complete the work you outline in your remediation plan including receiving updated IPP information from Service Coordinators.

DDS Assessment Validation and Remediation Forms

VMRC hosted two trainings on the validation and remediation process on May 31^st and June 3^rd, 2022. Providers can access the Power Point Presentation below and includes the updated due date for vendors assigned to remediation:

HCBS Validation and Remediation Training for Vendors

VMRC will also be hosting virtual office hours for our vendors to drop in via Zoom to ask questions related to the validation and remediation process. The three links below will take you to the zoom session.

Monday’s from 2:00-3:30pm through July 18^th

Wednesday’s from 10:00-11:30am through July 20^th

Friday’s from 1:00-2:30pm through July 22nd

Please do not wait to get started on your validation and remediation plans. An email will be sent to providers advising them of what step of the process, validation or remediation, they will be starting on. All documentation must be submitted electronically through email. Paper copies and handwritten documents will not be accepted. Your vendor # must be included in the file name of every document you submit, documents that are not named with the vendor number will be rejected.

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

July 7th, 2022, 1:00pm – 2:00pm

July 12th, 2022, 10:00am – 11:00am

HCBS Trainings for Day Type and Employment Services

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

Electronic Visit Verification (EVV)

DDS is hosting an EVV webinar on June 28, 2022, from 3pm-4pm. The webinar will provide information on resources available to providers and will begin an introduction to the next phase of EVV implementation.

Spanish and ASL interpretation will be provided. For additional accommodations, please email EVV@dds.ca.gov two weeks prior to the webinar.

Please click the link below to register.

DDS is hosting Office Hours during the month of June focused on the topic of how staff/caregivers record visits in CalEVV.

Please join us during any of the designated dates and times below for this topic.

June 21, 2022, from 3:00pm-4:00pm

Join Zoom Meeting (only available at the time/date above)

June 23, 2022, from 5:30pm-6:30pm

Join Zoom Meeting (only available at the time/date above)

June 25, 2022, from 10:00am-11:00am

Join Zoom Meeting (only available at the time/date above)

Office Hours are a time to join a Zoom call to ask questions regarding identified topics. Each Office Hour date, time and topic will be posted to the DDS EVV webpage under the ‘Meetings’ tab, https://www.dds.ca.gov/services/evv/ , and notifications will go out when new dates, times and topics are available. Advanced registration is not required. People may join the link at any time during the call to ask questions and do not need to remain on the call the whole hour.

For questions, please email EVV@dds.ca.gov.

The DDS electronic visit verification (EVV) webpage has been updated to include quick reference guides (QRGs) on how to access recorded trainings on the Sandata website. Trainings are available in English, Spanish and ASL.

Please click this link below to explore the “Resources/Training” tab and to find the QRGs to access training.

Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) - CA Department of Developmental Services

Training for provider agency administrators:

• CalEVV Overview: First time logging in and how to navigate the system

• Entering Data: Entering client and employee records

• Maintaining Visits: Reviewing visits for compliance and clearing exceptions

Training for DSPs/caregivers/staff

• Capturing Visits: Using the mobile app and calling in to record an EVV visit or a group EVV visit

Please notice that VMRC has extended our request for proposal deadlines – see links for VMRC 2021-2022 Community Resource Development Plan projects- each project has $150,000 in startup funds available

Specialized RCFE 2nd RFP

Specialized-Children’s-Children’s-CDRP

North Valley Hills Update

Dena Hernandez, Regional Manager (209) 473-6930

We celebrate the small victories as they happen, and we are excited to share that #AB1663*** continues to move through the Senate. The California State Council on Developmental Disabilities is proud to partner with Brian Maienschein as a co-sponsor of this important piece of legislation.

***This bill improves current conservatorship process. More info: This bill states that a person’s capacity should be assessed with their supports. Courts should not impose a conservatorship just based on how they perform on an isolated test, or what their diagnosis is. It creates a Supported Decision-Making (SDM) Technical Assistance Program, which will be a resource for individuals and organizations to learn more about SDM and get assistance in using it. It creates a conservatorship alternatives program to educate people about options instead of conservatorships, like supported decision making and powers of attorney. It requires that if DDS or a Regional Center is going to become a conservator, they have to go through the same process as anyone else to establish a conservator.

How to connect to SCDD through Social Media

Family Resource Network (FRN) Update

Lisa Culley, Executive Director

Family Resource Network (FRN) is growing! FRN has many new projects that need energetic and empathetic staff! Job openings are for Family Resource Specialists 1 & 2. The Family Resource Specialist positions are a wonderful way for a family member of a person with disabilities to share the information they have learned over the years, and to learn so much more about our community and what it has to offer! Please see the attached flyer and request the job description to learn more about this fantastic opportunity.