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ACE Presentation
The Children’s Services Coordinating Commission and the San Joaquin County Office of Education is holding a free virtual training scheduled for Thursday, May 20th from 9am-10:30 am.
The presentation will review Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) to help determine challenging times; empower and inspire professionals to effectively serve in underserved communities, explore best practices for understanding and connecting with children and families in underserved communities, and provide strategies for promoting resilience in children and families.
Prior registration is required no later than May 19th.
Register for the workshop at: https://conta.cc/2QakbQ5
Self-Determination Program
Enrollment in Self Determination will soon be open to anyone eligible for regional center services. To prepare for this, we continue holding virtual Self Determination orientation meetings. These meetings are required to initiate enrollment.
If you are interested, please let your VMRC Service Coordinator know and register for one of the following orientations being provided. Spanish translation will be available.
· Saturday, May 15, 2021 from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_d1TjPC1pTJ-wogCyavie8g
· Wednesday, May 19, 2021 from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_n5cCfQTLSJyhG5ZDACllPw
· Tuesday, June 29, 2021 from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GD2vHdC0TemogCdTR5lWMw
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining.
Please contact Angelique Shear at (209) 955-3294 or [email protected]
Disability Services Support Center
The Disability Thrive Initiative is offering FREE one-on-one and group assistance through video or phone calls for those with challenges or questions about receiving or delivering alternative and remote services during the pandemic.
Help is available to anyone in California's intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) community, including people with disabilities, their families/caregivers, the organizations who provide services to people with IDD, and their staff. Items they can help with include:
· Working with your service provider to receive alternative services
· Safe reengagement in group or in-person programs during pandemic
· Concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine
· Connecting to technology for accessing remote services
· Self-determination for alternative services
· Connecting to resources for accessing remote services
Call (916)238-8811 or visit: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/cu/KDdzob9/SupportCenter
Time Flies When You Have a Job That Makes you Smile
Nearly 25 years ago I started a job as a Client Program Coordinator, now known as a Service Coordinator at Valley Mountain Regional Center. The time has flown by. I have truly enjoyed working here and find it very bittersweet, however the time has come for me to retire. My last day at VMRC will be May 20.
Coming from a regional center in Missouri and having worked in the field while residing in Illinois, I thought I was prepared for what was ahead when I moved to California in 1996. Although there are similarities in processes, I soon learned that California is much more generous in their use of public funds and I was very impressed by the systems in place to provide services to the developmentally disabled population.
Walking into VMRC, I had a caseload of 139 consumers. There had been a hiring freeze just prior to my hire and once that was lifted, several of us were hired at the same time. A few of us remained here through the years and I’m still friends with those very same wonderful people. That first day was interesting. My predecessor had sent out letters informing the consumers on the caseload of my name and start date. So, on that day about half of those on the caseload showed up at the office to meet me. The overhead pager was busy that day and everyone got to know my name quickly because of that. The welcoming spirit was amazing. From that point on, I knew VMRC was the place for me!
I always loved meeting with the consumers and families, problem-solving any issues that may come up and ensuring that services were provided to help change or make their lives more satisfying. Even after becoming a manager, my best days were those when I met with consumers. After every meeting came the realization of why I loved this job, this population, and this agency.
It is rare to say that your job makes you smile, but VMRC and most everything that came along with it, did just that for me. An example I will never forget involved a consumer who, when she found out I like flavored coffee, would call me daily to find out what flavor I had that day. She did that for about two straight years. About twenty years passed by and I saw her at our Cultural Fair in Modesto. The very first thing she asked me was “have you had your coffee today and what flavor was it”? Priceless.
Through the years I’ve witnessed many changes and have seen many people come and go. Mainly all good memories, but some catastrophic tragedies that were difficult to overcome. Titles changed, policies revised, and budgets went up and then down again, several times. However, during it all I feel that our agency always worked hard and did its best to ensure consumers received the services they needed. VMRC is an amazing agency and I have every confidence that the mission will continue to be realized through combined efforts with consumers and families, vendors, and community partners.
My greatest hope is that I was able to make a difference in people’s lives along the way. I will miss the work and all of the good people and experiences VMRC afforded me. Thank you to all staff who have worked so hard and done such an outstanding job. It was so rewarding to hire staff and see them blossom. I especially enjoyed promoting staff who flourished in their jobs. And, what an amazing group of Program Managers we have. It is because of these dedicated staff that the future will be very bright for the agency.
One of my greatest honors was being called on to lead the case management staff. A special thank you to Paul Billodeau, our previous Executive Director who believed in me enough to put me in the position. And, to Tony Anderson, our current Executive Director who continued to support me through it all.
I hope to stay in touch and will be watching for all of the great things that the future holds for VMRC.
One of my favorite phrases comes to mind as I am leaving —“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened”.
Cindy Mix
Director of Consumer Services
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