120th

Community Health

Advisory

Weekly Message from the Executive Director

Tony Anderson



By the Numbers



This week we reported 51 positive cases (increase of nine) for people with disabilities and 21 (increase of 2) direct support professionals. This represents an 18% decrease in positive cases compared to last week. The best news for the week is that every county except for Amador County saw a decrease in the positivity rate and most importantly there were no hospitalizations and no deaths.

Office Building Site Status (July 28th):

• San Joaquin 14.5% (down .6%) – Exceeds 5% - Remote Quarterly Visit Recommended, Masks in the Office required.
• Stanislaus 18.5% (down 1.2%) - Exceeds 5% - Remote Quarterly Visit Recommended, Masks in the Office required.
• Calaveras 16.6% (down 1%) – Exceeds 5% - Remote Quarterly Visit Recommended, Masks in the Office required.

Amador is at 7.4% (up 1.1%) and Tuolumne is at 20.7% (down 2.7%).

Four of the 87 Statute Changes Impacting our Community

This month started the many new changes (87 different statute changes) to the laws that impact the service system for people with developmental disabilities and their families and providers and the regional centers. This week the department sent a few letters clarifying details for some of these changes. One of the letters clarifies the rules related to “Provisional Eligibility”, another one relates to the expansion of eligibility for early intervention services and the last two clarify new Self-Determination rules related to paying for the Fiscal Management Service, the Person-Centered Plan, and/or Pre-Enrollment Transition Support services.

Provisional Eligibility

Provisional eligibility is intended to avoid delays and reduce gaps in regional center services to children at a particularly vulnerable time in their development. The first thing VMRC is supposed to do is assess for a developmental disability, then if no developmental disability is determined then we assess for provisional eligibility. If we are unable to assess before the child turns 5 then we are to continue to serve the child until the assessment is complete.

Eligibility for Early Start Services

The eligibility assessment must now determine a child to have a 25% delay in one or more areas of development and when considering delays in communication we now determine levels of delay for expressive communication and receptive communication development separately.

This means instead of 5 areas of development we now look at 6 areas of development. Finally, the change in law highlights fetal alcohol syndrome as one of the many risk factors for which an infant or toddler may be eligible for early intervention services. If an infant was determined not eligible between January 2022 and June 2022 then VMRC is to make reasonable efforts to inform that family.

Self-Determination

Participants are given the option to continue until January 31, 2023, with the current arrangement for an Initial Person-Centered Plan and/or Pre-Enrollment Transition Support services.

The second option which separates the Person-Centered Plan from the other SDP Pre-Enrollment services is available starting Monday and it is said to be effective by February 1, 2023.

These new services will be additional help provided by the FMS or other general supports provided by non-FMS individuals. VMRC may authorize these supports, in total, for up to 40 hours.

Additional hours may be authorized on a case-by-case basis.

The New Rules on the FMS

And finally, effective July 1, 2022, the cost of the FMS provider will be paid by the regional center outside of the participant’s individual budget. VMRC is to:

·        Authorize the cost of the FMS provider separate from the individual budget and spending plan.

·        Work with SDP participants to timely explore needed adjustments to their spending plan to reflect where the repurposed FMS fees may be used.

Clinical Update

Claire Lazaro

Clinical Director

Health Opportunities 



Modesto: Vaccine Clinic on September 29, Thursday, 10 am to 2 pm, inside the VMRC Modesto office. 

Vaccines available: Flu, COVID-19, Shingles. More information coming soon and how to register. Mark your calendars!

Stockton: Health Faire with UOP

October 29, Saturday, 9 am, inside the VMRC Stockton office. 

There will be health screenings for blood sugar/diabetes screening, cholesterol, and blood pressure checks. Vaccines will be available (Flu, COVID-19, Shingles). Pharmacists will be available to help in medication reconciliation or checking medicines for interaction. More information coming soon and how to register. Mark your calendars!

Public Health Update

·        New vaccine by Novavax has been approved by FDA and available to the general public.[1] This primary series will provide 2 shots with 3-8 weeks apart, depending on your health status.¹

·        The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Monkeypox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.[2] With more than 21,000 from 78 countries worldwide, the goal is to stop the outbreak through increased awareness of the public by decreased exposure.[3] Monkeypox causes rashes and fever that is transmitted through close contact such as hugging, kissing, sexual contact, and even contaminated towels or bedding.[4]^,5 There is a vaccine available against Monkeypox that you can ask your providers about.[5] Here in the US, there are over 4,900 cases to date.[6]

·        First Polio case since 1979![7] The United States has been Polio-free for 43 years until July 21, 2022, when CDC was made aware of a polio case in New York from an unvaccinated individual.⁷ This emphasizes the importance of vaccination and how it has eradicated some infectious diseases that can cause lifelong disability. We need to continue vaccinating our children to keep the U.S. Polio-free.⁷

[1] CDC. July 20, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/novavax.html

[2] WHO. July 23, 2022. https://www.who.int/news/item/23-07-2022-second-meeting-of-the-international-health-regulations-(2005)-(ihr)-emergency-committee-regarding-the-multi-country-outbreak-of-monkeypox

[3] CDC. July 28, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/world-map.html

[4] WHO. July 27, 2022. https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-covid-19-media-briefing--27-july-2022

[5] The White House. June 28, 2022. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/06/28/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administrations-monkeypox-outbreak-response/

[6] CDC. July 28, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/us-map.html

[7] CDC. July 21, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/polio/what-is-polio/polio-us.html

Case Management Update - Children

Tara Sisemore-Hester

Director of Consumer Services - Children

The Importance of Parent/Child Attachment in the Latino Community

with Edgar Sierra, LMFT &

Leslie Manriquez-Jimenez, LMFT

Monday August 15, 2022

12:00pm-1:30pm (PDT)

Virtual Event

Can't attend the event live? 

Register to receive access to the recording!

Session will describe the basic concepts of attachment theory. Attachment theory emphasizes the importance of having a healthy early attachment between a child and their main caregiver(s) during the first five years of life. We will also discuss the overall negative ramifications on the child’s behavioral health due to poor attachment patterns.

Presenters will characterize how healthy attachments look within the Hispanic/Latino community. Lastly, we will present examples of how to incorporate cultural factors while implementing attachment theory as a therapeutic approach with Hispanic and Latino families.  

Learning objectives:



1. Identify current attachment patterns and trends in the Latinx community.

2. Explore mental health views in the Latinx community and common barriers.

Demonstrate interventions for building trust in the therapeutic relationship with Latinx community within context of an attachment based therapeutic approach.

Infant Development Association is committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging and in support of this mission

we are launching a series of events

Non-Member: $50

IDA Agency/Individual Member: $35

IDA Parent/Student/New Clinician Member: $25

IDA CE Hours: Nursing, PT, Speech and Language $15 (1.5 hours)

CDI CE Hours: LCSW, LMFT, LEP, LPCC

(you will be invoiced)

ADA Requests: Contact IDA @ mail@idaofcal.org

with ADA request by August 1, 2022

Limited number of scholarships available

REGISTER NOW



Community Services Update

Brian Bennett

Director of Community Services

VMRC is Currently in Need of Individuals Fluent in English and American Sign Language

Will serve all counties – Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne, San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties

Type of services we will need from American Sign Language Interpreters/Deaf Interpreters:

·        Individualized Program Plan (IPP) meetings

·        VMRC meetings with deaf employee/deaf customers

·        Group homes

·        Daytime programs

·        Early start services (for 0-5 years old deaf children)

·        Intake Interviews

Information Session

 Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022, from 2pm – 315pm

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83963726336?pwd=UEpLNVVyRUtNQUVqQXR2ekN6Q2d1Zz09

Meeting ID: 839 6372 6336

Passcode: 924813

For Questions, please contact:

Nicholas Bolger @ 209 294.1735, NBolger@vmrc.net

Robert Fernandez @ 209 955.3620, RFernandez@vmrc.net

Important Changes to VMRC Special Incident Reporting!

Beginning August 1, 2022, VMRC will accept Special Incident Reports via email or fax. If you choose the email option,  you must submit to the dedicated email group for the respective office.

Stockton: SIRStockton@vmrc.net

Modesto: SIRModesto@vmrc.net

San Andreas: SIRSanAndreas@vmrc.net  

SIR submission by fax will continue to be accepted to the dedicated fax number for the respective office.

Stockton: (209) 955-3673

Modesto: (209) 557-2111

San Andreas: (209) 754-3211.

Special Incident Reporting guides can be located on the VMRC website

https://www.vmrc.net/special-incident-reporting/

If you have any questions regarding this information, please feel free to contact me.

Kindest regards,

Katina Richison, Division Manager – QA

Drowning Prevention Wellness and Safety Bulletin from the Department of Developmental Services

For Vendors and Direct Service Providers:

• Drowning Prevention (ca.gov)
• Prevención del Ahogamiento (ca.gov)
• Pag-iwas sa Pagkalunod (ca.gov)
• 預防溺水 (ca.gov)
• Phòng Chống Đuối Nước (ca.gov)

For Self-Advocates and Families:

• Drowning Prevention (ca.gov)
• Prevención del Ahogamiento (ca.gov)
• Pag-iwas sa Pagkalunod (ca.gov)
• 預防溺水 (ca.gov)
• Phòng Chống Đuối Nước (ca.gov)

Emergency Services Update

Aaron McDonald

Emergency Response Coordinator

Disability Disaster Access & Resources (DDAR)

A program of the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers (CFILC)

Are you prepared?

Compare your preparedness with the rest of the disability community.

DDAR Services

Individuals who complete A DDAR application will be contacted by their local Disability Disaster Access & Resource Center (DDARC) staff and assessed for disaster and emergency services, including Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events. You can fill out an application electronically at: https://disabilitydisasteraccess.org/application/ . Below are the links for paper applications:

• English: https://disabilitydisasteraccess.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/psps-resources-application-revG-optimized-2.pdf 

• Spanish: https://disabilitydisasteraccess.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/SPANISH-psps-resources-application-optimized.pdf 

Disability Disaster Access & Resources Directory:

Impacted by Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) Events?

• During Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events, individuals with disabilities and older adults with access and functional needs are encouraged to reach out to local county government for assistance. 
• As a secondary option, individuals can also reach out to specific local Independent Living Centers (ILCs) for assistance.
• If you rely on power to operate life-sustaining medical devices (CPAP, BiPAP, oxygen, communication device, power wheelchair, etc.), one of the ILCs listed in this web page may be able to assist you with costs associated with:
• Accessible transportation 
• Short-term housing support during the PSPS
• A loaner back-up battery system

Search Disability Disaster Access & Resource Center DDARC by county:

https://disabilitydisasteraccess.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Updated-DDARC-Directory-7.12.22-Final.pdf 

The DDARC serving Amador, Calaveras, San Joaquin, Stanislaus & Tuolumne counties is:

North Valley Hills Update

   Dena Hernandez, Regional Manager (209) 473-6930

On Tuesday, July 26, 2022- SCDD North Valley Hills Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) held a hybrid meeting on zoom and at VMRC Howard Cohen Board Room. Thank you to VMRC’s - Tony Anderson, Doug Bonnet and Christine Hager for the support of this hybrid meeting! We were able to stay safe, spread out and access zoom on the upgraded VMRC technology!

We honored the 6 RAC members who termed off the committee after many years of dedication of their time and talents!

We want to publically thank the following people for serving!!

SCDD North Valley Hills is always looking for self advocates and familiy advocates to join our Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) from Amador, Calaveras,

San Joaquin, Stanislaus, & Toulumne counties!

You can apply on line here or call Dena at 209-473-6930 or

email- dena.hernandez@scdd.ca.gov

APPLY HERE:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSepqt80u578ELHgcPJNzsjO71PPvxZ1txZn77P5Cm6iVbvBzg/viewform?c=0&w=1

How to connect to SCDD through Social Media

Family Resource Network (FRN) Update

Lisa Culley, Executive Director

Sibshop is back in person! Sibshops provide brothers and sisters (ages 7-14) with peer support and information in a lively, recreational setting. 

Sibshops are lively events where the participants will:

*Meet other sibs (usually for the first time);

*Have fun;

*Talk about the good and not-so-good parts of having a sib with special needs with others who “get it”;

*Play some great games;

*Explore how other brother and sisters handle sticky situations sometimes faced by brothers and sisters;

*Laugh

*Learn about the services their brothers and sister receive; and

*Have some more fun!

Please contact Family Resource Network at 209-472-3674 or FRNfamilies@frcn.org to request a registration packet and to answer any questions about Sibshop. The next Sibshop is scheduled for Friday, August 5, 2022, in Turlock. 

Self-Advocacy Council 6 (SAC6)

Come Learn About Summer and Fire Safety with SAC6

WHEN: Friday, July 29, 2022

TIME: 11:00 AM -12:15 PM

WHERE: ZOOM - computer, tablet, cell phone

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89907214323?pwd=pDEN3RRhvLbnSYz-vl8JqaP5SlL4K2.1

Meeting ID: 899 0721 4323

Passcode: 347236

PDF Version of the SAC6 Flyer Here

Also - VMRC Update by Tony Anderson, Executive Director, and Mental Health Tip of the Day by Dr. Dave!