TriLine Newsletter - Fall 2006 - English

Person-Centered Thinking Issue

A PUBLICATION OF TRI-COUNTIES REGIONAL CENTER

Santa Barbara

•

Ventura • San Luis Obispo

www.tri-counties.org

Ana’s Favorite Things An Experience in Person-Centered Planning

by David Mulvey, MSW, Service Coordinator, Atascadero

FALL/WINTER 2006 In This Issue Ana’s Favorite Things........................1 From the Executive Director..........2 What’s It All About?...........................3 Collaboration.........................................4 Micro-Enterprise.................................5 Planning...................................................7 People First Language......................8 Your Health............................................9 Organizational Change................... 10 Spot Lights!......................................... 11 Local Resources............................... 12 Breakthroughs.................................. 14 Family Resource Centers............. 15 Calendar of Events........................... 16 The Web Column.............................. 17 TCRC News......................................... 18

Vision Statement Persons with developmental disabilities live fully and safely as active and independent members of their community

TCRC Mission TCRC provides person and family centered planning, services and supports for individuals with developmental disabilities to maximize opportunities and choices for living, working, learning and recreating in the community

While our planning team had developed some excellent plans with Ana in the past based on what we had learned about her, the planning meeting itself had never been a particularly positive experience. Because of her language limitations, Ana was unable to fully participate in the discussion.

We decided to try to engage Ana more in the process of identifying those things that were important to her; we created a set of wallet size photos of things that Ana and others who knew her well thought might be on her list of important things. The process of taking the photos was an enjoyable and a thought-provoking exercise for Ana. She quickly got the idea and zoomed around her home showing us all of her favorite things!

When asked what Ana’s favorite place to have a meeting might be, all her support staff agreed it was Roundtable Pizza. Ana was clearly happy to be at Round Table for the meeting and to have so many of her supporters/friends there. When she saw the table covered with photos of all her favorite things, she was thrilled. Ana had a great time selecting the photos, sharing them with the others at her meeting and putting them on a “favorite things” poster.

While Anna was doing that, her team also discussed what was important for Ana, what we needed to know about how to best support Ana, and our new plan objectives.

The meeting was a very positive experience for all involved and resulted in a great plan. It also had another unanticipated result Ana had a new favorite thing, her photos. She saved her photos from the poster as a deck and would carry them with her everywhere and show them to everyone she met.

The deck became a great way for those supporting Ana to engage her in a discussion of things she had done or would like to do.

What is

Person-Centered Thinking?

Person-Centered Thinking is a guided process for learning how someone wants to live and for developing a plan to help make it happen. It is also: • A blueprint for how to support someone • A way of organizing and communicating what is important to an individual in “user friendly” plain language; • A flexible process that can be used in combination with other person-centered planning techniques; and, • A way of making sure that the person is heard, regardless of the severity of his or her disability.

So, how is this different from traditional planning?

The difference is that the person, family and those who care about him or her are at the center of the team…not the program or the professional.

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From the Executive Director

by Omar Noorzad, Ph.D., Executive Director

As the new year approaches, I want to wish you a Happy New Year and welcome you to the Fall/Winter 2006 edition of the Tri-Counties Regional Center (TCRC) Tri-Line newsletter. This Tri-Line edition comes to you at a unique time in the development of TCRC’s plans for the future inspired by our vision that “persons with developmental disabilities live fully and safely as active and independent members of their community:” • On November 3, 2006, the Tri-Counties Association for the Developmentally Disabled Board of Directors (TCADD) adopted the TCRC 2007-2009 Strategic and Performance Plan. The Plan was completed through a comprehensive, transparent and inclusive process that resulted in the development of seven Focus Areas: Family Services, Healthcare, Training, Housing, Employment/Life Activities, Autism and Advocacy.

• People First Language has been adopted by the TCADD Board of Directors and the Agency to be utilized consistently in all communications.

“Indeed, the real question is not, “why greatness?” but “what work makes you feel compelled to try to create greatness?” If you have to ask the question, “Why should we try to make it great?

Isn’t success enough?” then you’re probably engaged in the wrong line of work.”

Jim Collins, Author of “Good to Great”

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• TCRC’s Person-Centered Thinking Initiative entered another phase of implementation as key TCRC staff were trained at the levels of trainers, coaches and mentors along with similar training for some service providers. TCADD Board of Directors members will receive initial training in February, 2006 in a joint training with the Area Board IX on Developmental Disabilities members.

• TCRC staff and TCADD Board of Directors members will participate at the New Day California 2007 conference in February as presenters regarding the Person-Centered Thinking and the TCRC Alternatives to Traditional Day Services Initiatives. The latter initiative is supported at the state level through the recent passing of SB 1270 (Chesbro) which TCRC co-sponsored.

The enthusiasm of TCRC staff regarding the Strategic and Performance Plan for 2007-2009 and the creative initiatives of the Agency continues to build momentum.

Their dedication to personal and organizational growth as well as to TCRC’s central mission of providing quality and person-centered services and supports for persons with developmental disabilities is a constant source of inspiration for me in my role as Executive Director. Together, we are committed to maintaining an ongoing “dialogue” with the community on important issues and to continuing to strengthen our collaborative partnerships with the persons we serve, family members, advocates, service providers and other TCRC community partners.

As you read this Tri-Line issue, look for information about the implementation of the Person-Centered Thinking Initiative in terms of planning for the person served, collaborative efforts, matching of staff, and organizational change, among the many themes exemplified by the stories and articles.

I hope to see you at one of the community meetings I hold throughout the TriCounties area or at a future TCADD Board meeting. The times and dates are listed on the back cover page of this newsletter.

Person-Centered Thinking:

What’s it all about?

by Fran Jorgensen, Assistant Director, Consumer Services, Santa Barbara/San Luis Obispo Counties If you are served by Tri-Counties Regional Center (TCRC), a family member, provided services, or have talked with TCRC employees this past year, you may have heard of this idea – Person-Centered Thinking. This set of ideas, introduced to TCRC in the 1990s, has become increasingly part of the daily work of TCRC staff and the lives of persons served in the Tri-Counties.

Two pilot projects were initiated in 2005 and led by TCRC Managers, Phil Dauterman, San Luis Obispo team, and Edith Wysinger, Oxnard/Santa Clarita team. The focus of planning for persons-served with the “tools” of the person-centered thinking was underway. Increasingly, Individual Program Plan (IPP) meetings are being held using person-centered thinking and planning, staff meetings are being conducted with focused attention to the value of the contribution of each member of the group, and TCRC is working collaboratively with partners in the community to further this shift in our thinking.

This past summer, in July, 2006, ten TCRC staff and five service providers joined The Gathering in Portland, Oregon to advance their knowledge about personcentered approaches to work and planning. Look for articles written by staff members of Genesis Developmental Services, People Creating Success, Inc., Vocational Training Services, and Work Training Programs Inc. in this Tri-Line to hear from them about their experiences of applying

the principles of person-centered thinking and planning. This group returned to the Central Coast armed with a multiplicity of ideas for planning, training, collaborating and serving persons with developmental disabilities.

As an example of the enthusiasm of the organization towards this approach to our work, the TCADD Board along with the Area Board IX will be gathering in February, 2007 to learn more about the Initiative in a special joint training retreat.

History of PersonCentered Thinking in Two Minutes!

By Sha Azedi, Assistant Director, Consumer Services, Ventura County During the

Keep the following information in mind as you read articles in the Fall 2006 Tri-Line about PersonCentered Thinking:

last three decades, the person-

Definition: Person-Centered Thinking (PCT) is a set of ideas, skills and actions that have as their purpose to assist individuals who use services to achieve greater control and influence over their lives leading to positive community participation and value.

individuals with disabilities. In

The stories in this Tri-Line provide wonderful examples of the efforts of TCRC planning teams and service providers to use personcentered thinking for planning for individuals and to effect organizational change from a person-thinking perspective.

appropriate residences in the

centered thinking approach has grown significantly and now has a dominant part in planning for 1989, Michael Smull and Susan Burke-Harrison, then working as colleagues at the University of Maryland, developed Essential Lifestyle Planning (ELP) to assist individuals from institutions and residential facilities to find community of their choice.

Soon after, ELP spread to North Carolina, Pennsylvania and a number of other states. Currently, ELP is well known and utilized by organizations in the United States, Canada, England, and Belgium.

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Person-Centered Thinking:

Collaboration

by Meredith Catalini, Director of Operations, People Creating Success, Inc. Sharon, Vera and Wendy had spent several years being supported by licensed facilities. They were comfortable with their living arrangements; they and their families thought they would be in the same living situation for years to come. All felt pleased with their service provider, from whom they also received day services. They understood the systems and were familiar with their staff and the support system.

Recently, Sharon, Vera and Wendy, along with their families and other support persons, were surprised to hear that the home where they lived would be closing. One of the parents made the decision to purchase the home so they could remain in the place that they called HOME! It was also decided that since their current services were ending, they would transition into Supported Living Services (SLS).

The families and the women interviewed People Creating Success, Inc. (PCS) and decided that PCS would be a good match for them. It seemed that everything was falling into place and that the transition from a licensed group home to SLS would be easy.

The process ended up being anything but easy for all parties involved.

There were issues encountered by families, individuals served, and PCS employees that were not foreseen.

CHANGE is a challenge and when it is unexpected, it can be difficult to create a positive experience.

However, it was obvious from the beginning of the process that if we used Person-Centered Thinking (PCT) and some of the tools, and worked hard as a team using effective communication, we could make this a change for the best for all. There were several steps that needed to occur first before PCT tools could be used effectively.

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Sharon, Vera and Wendy at their new home First, there was building the culture between the new employees and those who stayed on through the transition.

The culture began to emerge as one of teamwork and collaboration through the use of team meetings, individual meetings, staff and management change, and honesty. Then there was building communication among all parties so that we could have a basic understanding of what the mission was and how we could best support Sharon, Vera and Wendy. Once the team began to build effective communication and develop an environment of trust, we felt we were ready to use PCT to really be able to support these women for the best outcome. We were all ready to put our shared vision into practice!

At that point, as a team, we decided that bringing in an outside party to help the team to use the process would be beneficial. We were pleased to have Claudia Bolton as our PersonCentered Thinking facilitator. PCS had worked with Claudia in the past and appreciated her style of

teaching. Claudia spent two days with the team, that consisted of PCS employees, family members, and TCRC representatives and most importantly, Sharon, Vera and Wendy.

Because a system of honesty, trust and collaboration had already been established, we were able to remove barriers to communication and really absorb the information that Claudia brought to the training.

Through the use of Person-Centered Thinking and the application of the tools, we are all able to support Sharon, Vera, and Wendy in the most effective way possible while working as a strong, positive, supportive team.

Sharon, Vera and Wendy participated in the exercises and were able to give excellent insight into the way they need and want to be supported.

Person-Centered Thinking:

Micro-Enterprise

Master Matt’s Apparel

by Marianne Culver, Service Coordinator, San Luis Obispo Team & Person-Centered Thinking Task Force Matt has been living with an acquired traumatic brain injury for the last eleven years. Due to his determination and the help of his family and friends, he has overcome many difficulties and is able to enjoy life to the fullest every day.

He is a fantastic pool player, loves to bowl and has a passion for dancing and music. Currently, Matt is supported

by Options Family of Services, Inc., as well as by Johnee Gange, who works on a consultation basis for Tri-Counties Regional Center (TCRC).

sells for $12, with $1 donated to the Red Cross. Matt also is willing to make deals for orders over one dozen.

Matt

Matt has recently started his own t-shirt company, “Master Matt’s Apparel,” which he operates from his home in Los Osos. Since he is a serious poker player, Matt’s shirts all have a poker theme to them. He sells these shirts at local businesses and through his friends. Each shirt

Matt attended Micro-Enterprise training in Santa Barbara, where he and his team learned many strategies for enhancing his business. This training was a collaborative effort led by Area Board IX along with Tri-Counties Regional Center’s service providers and education professionals. Though the t-shirt business is challenging, it provides Matt with a way to focus his time and energy and hopefully will provide him with some income. Matt says, “If you like poker, BUY MY SHIRTS!” You can contact Matt via email at Mastermtt@aol.com. You can also call Matt at 805.528.7375.

Wesley Elderidge Wins A Ribbon

by Reeta Mehta, Service Coordinator, Santa Clara Team

“This was a cake walk,” said Wesley. Wesley was absolutely on target in commenting about his bird’s showmanship at the well-known Ventura County Fair. In front of more than 100 viewers and a number of judges, Wesley Elderidge presented his birds and gave a live demonstration with his Old Ginger Red chicken named Foxy.

Out of many young participants, Wesley won second place, and this was his first time in the competition!

Wesley is a member of the 4H-Las Posas Club where children of many ages learn to raise and groom birds like hens and turkeys. One of Wesley’s turkeys was also placed for the silent auction. Wesley’s goal was to earn more than seventy-five dollars so that he can buy a new “dragon” computer case. He already sounds like a veteran entrepreneur!

Wesley’s mother, Julie, and his father, Glenn, are eager to enroll more children with special needs in their 4H club.

They believe that raising birds and other animals has helped Wesley in the socialization process and has also helped him to overcome some of his sensory difficulties.

Wesley & Reeta Mehta, his Service Coordinator Today Wesley is a more confident person thanks to his involvement in 4H and the support of his family and TCRC. Wesley is a very accomplished ten year-old with much achieved and even more to accomplish.

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Person-Centered Thinking:

Micro-Enterprise

A Mother’s Journey

by Keri Bowers It was not long after his birth on Christmas Eve, 1988 that significant delays in Taylor’s development would become apparent. I alternated between awareness and denial of Taylor’s issues, leaning more toward disbelief—surely he would grow out of these issues. But soon there was no denial.

Then came endless rounds of doctors, specialists such as neurologists, and social workers. Six years passed before a diagnosis of autism would be possible. I was given a variety of labels, which attempted to explain Taylor’s curiosities in development - mental retardation, clinical depression, hypotonia, pervasive developmental delays just to mention a few. Once I was even told I had failed to properly bond with my son, that somehow I was the problem. A hard pill for a mother to swallow. In those days there was no diagnosis for “high functioning autism.” When Taylor was 1½ we were referred to the Lanterman Regional Center in Los Angeles for a consultation. It has been a collaborative venture to discover and eventually create services to help Taylor ever since. In tireless efforts, I have supported the regional center to create new programs. For 16 years, 8 ½ with TriCounties Region Center, we have zeroed in on aggressive and hopeful programs to support Taylor. Namely, social skills, behavioral support, and respite, have helped bring Taylor to this point in time. It is now two months before Taylor’s eighteenth birthday. In a twist of fate and hard work, he has made a compelling film on autism. Taylor is currently on a world-wide screening and speaking tour and is ready to transition to the adult team within the Regional Center system.

Taylor and Micro-Enterprise

by Keri Bowers Once the film was completed, the next step was putting together a business plan. In collaboration with Art Amelio, Project Coordinator for Work Training Programs Inc., we put together the blue print for a comprehensive micro-enterprise plan. Our goal was to create a speaking tour for Taylor to promote his film and to educate people about autism. Bear in mind that while Taylor is on a world-wide tour for our film, and speaks eloquently in front of audiences, he would be unable to do this without support. Taylor needs specific and intense one-on-one support. Taylor’s business coach will set concrete goals and work with Taylor while on tour. TCRC will be actively involved all along his journey. The name of Taylor’s speaking tour will be “Taylor and Autism Unraveled.” We hope this plan can serve as a guide for others who want to start a business of their own.

A special screening of “normal people scare me” was shown at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza on November 10, 2006. For further details go to www.normalfilms.com.

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normal people scare me a short film

by Taylor Cross Based on the 10-minute award-winning short film of the same title, normal people scare me is a feature-length documentary sharing firstperson accounts of life and living with autism. Created by Taylor Cross, a 17 year old aspiring film maker with high functioning autism, normal people scare me highlights 65 interviews conducted over the past two years by Cross, with interviewees representing different levels of abilities on the autism spectrum.

Cross’ mother, Keri Bowers, a disabilities advocate, author, speaker and founder of PAUSE4kids, a non-profit serving the developmentally disabled, joins her son, Taylor and Joey Travolta in the making of this film.

Person-Centered Thinking:

Planning

Supported Living Services For Adults Kathy Mottarella Clients’ Rights Advocate 805.884.7218 Jacqueline Phan Assistant Clients’ Rights Advocate 805.884.7297 Office of Clients’ Rights Advocacy, Protection Advocacy, Inc. Making a choice about where you want to live is a part of the person-centered planning process for persons served

by Tri-Counties Regional Center (TCRC).

There are a variety of choices for persons that include staying at home with family, living with a foster family, living in your own home or living in a community group home.

The Lanterman Act requires that services be provided in the least restrictive setting.

It also emphasizes the need to provide persons with integrated community living arrangements.

One of the popular choices that persons over 18 years of age make is to live in their own home. This is often referred to as supported living. Persons in supported

living reside in a house or apartment that they own or rent. They have the services and supports that they need in order to live there. Supported living is only available if the person lives in a house he or she owns or rents. It is not available to those who live with their parents.

After living at a residential treatment center for over twenty years, Tom decided he wanted to move. A positive futures planning meeting using a person-centered planning process was held. Tom, TCRC staff members, Tom’s family and his conservator attended the meeting. A plan was developed to help Tom reach his goal of having his own home in the community. Tom was able to make many of the decisions associated with moving into his own home. He decided which neighborhood he wanted to live in, which supported living agency he wanted to hire and who he would like to have as a roommate.

Person-Centered Thinking:

Tom’s planning took many months to finalize but earlier this year, he moved into his new home with a roommate and staff of his choice. Tom is doing wonderfully and thriving in the community. He loves going to church, participating in social activities with friends and spends some of his free time having coffee at the local coffee shop. You can see that in Tom’s situation, the person-centered planning process really helped him to realize the dream of having his own place in the community.

If you are interested in supported living: * Request an IPP meeting and ask your TCRC Service Coordinator for a supported living assessment. * Call the Client’s Rights Advocate office at TCRC to request publications on supported living.

Planning

A New Tool for Self Advocacy in San Luis Obispo

by JoAnn Hill, Residential Programs Manager, Work Training Programs, Inc., San Luis Obispo Division I was invited to attend the 2006 Essential Lifestyle Planning/Person-Centered Gathering held in Portland, Oregon. One of my favorite presentations was from an innovative group called Pathfinders out of Redding, California. Pathfinders is comprised of Life Coaches who help peers receiving Regional Center services to develop a comprehensive “life plan” and prepare for their IPP meetings. Even more exciting, Life Coach/Pathfinders services are paid for by the Regional Center.

Upon returning home, Aline Graham, Director of the San Luis Obispo Division of Work Training Programs Inc., shared ideas and information about Pathfinders with staff at the Life Education and Advancement Program I (LEAPI) who in turn surveyed people they knew to see if anyone was interested in learning

the process of becoming a Life Coach.

Three people stepped forward, Jody Barker, Lisa Kruger and Peter Stoner, all active members of People First. Now they will be local pioneers in helping plan with peers. To accomplish this, they will first write and critique plans for themselves, then learn interviewing skills and how to gather information and write plans for others.

Peter Stoner, Juri Dowell, Jody Barker, Carol Lopes and Lisa Krueger

The group’s efforts will be supported by LEAP I Instructor Juri Dowell and by Carol Lopes, an Adult Education Teacher, who has dedicated years, not only as a teacher at LEAP I but as an advisor to People First of San Luis Obispo.

I am pleased to see Person-Centered Thinking and Essential Lifestyle Planning tools being used to support self advocacy.

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Person-Centered Thinking:

People First Language

People First is Turning the Tables

by Stephen Day, Supervisor Peer Advocacy

The term “Person-Centered Thinking”, meaning “to put the person first”, is a term that has been widely used and accepted for decades by not only Tri-Counties Regional Center (TCRC), but in other organizations in the human services field and in the business world.

TCRC is now receiving “expert” help on person-centered thinking from a previously unconsidered source: a group of persons-served.

Even though you may sometimes hear a direct support person say, “I learn so much from the person I work with,” the prevailing belief in the human services system, has always been one of “We, the trained, educated staff are the ‘professionals’. The clients don’t know what is best for them, and we have to tell them.” That belief, even after years of advocacy, still exists in some places today. But this archaic mindset has been changing over the last ten or so years, and it is about to undergo a major face-lift locally.

Thanks in part to the creation and focus of the PCT Taskforce – and because of the diligent work of People First of San Luis Obispo (PFSLO), TCRC is changing the use of the words ‘consumer’ and ‘client’ to ‘persons served’ and also their name wherever possible.

People First is a 32-year-old statewide, national, and international self advocacy organization of people served, with local city and regional chapters whose belief is: “We are people first, our disabilities are second”. Historically, People First’s audience has largely been their peers with developmental disabilities. They have made some inroads with city and county officials and positively affected some legislation. In other states, they have even been instrumental in the successful closure of large, state run institutions.

But in California and locally, People First has not really had as large of an impact on the ‘professional’ side of the developmental disability system (i.e. regional centers and service providers) …until now.

PFSLO, one of two chapters in the Tri-Counties area, has now begun working directly with Tri-Counties Regional Center’s Person-Centered Thinking Taskforce to ensure that PersonCentered Thinking becomes a part of TCRC’s culture – a natural way of thinking, acting, and doing the business of serving people with developmental disabilities.

to call me your friend. I may be an angel of light or the devil incarnate, but you won’t know that until you get to know me as an individual. In that same vein, don’t make the mistake of thinking that all people with disabilities belong to the same big happy club. I am an individual, just as others are individuals. Because we all travel in wheelchairs does not make us carbon copies of one another.”

People with developmental disabilities are sometimes asked, “How do you want to be spoken about? What words do you want us to use when we talk about you with others?” The only labels we find acceptable are our own names. When privacy or confidentiality prevents this, we want to be referred to as “people” —People First language puts the person first, before mentioning the disability or any other characteristic. It’s pretty simple; really — just remember to mention the person first. We are working hard to move from “clienthood” to citizenship in our community. We want to be accepted in ordinary, typical ways. To do this, we must be talked about in the same ordinary, typical language that people without apparent disabilities use about themselves. People First language is for everyone. It promotes dignity and respect for all.

Other opportunities that PFSLO is pursuing to collaborate with TCRC include: •

Several members of PFSLO becoming ‘Pathfinders’; Developing their own ‘futures’ plans and then assisting other persons-served to develop theirs.

•

PFSLO providing in-service training in People First language and thinking to at TCRC.

Earlier this year, PFSLO was instrumental in helping the PCT Taskforce draft a proposal for person-centered language and behavior within the agency. PFSLO published a position paper on the use of person-centered language, and former TCADD Board member Peter Stoner wrote a powerful article on the topic saying in part:

“We (PFSLO) are always happy to work with TCRC and other organizations to promote the principles of self-reliance and selfdetermination. We are each individual, not carbon-copy clients of one another, but unique individuals. We are anxious to move full speed ahead with these projects.”

- Robert Butler, President, PFSLO

“One of my biggest frustrations is stereotyping — the public perception of people with disabilities. An important aspect of this is friendship. I intensely dislike being anyone’s token disabled friend. Get to know me for the person I am before you decide

It is often said that it is best to learn from ‘those who know’ or ‘those who have been through it’ and it’s natural to want to ‘bring in the experts’. In this case, I am proud to say that TCRC is

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Person-Centered Thinking:

and Your Health

by Katie Doan, R.N. Person-Centered Thinking (PCT) is a new model of how to think about our relationships with people in our lives. One of the areas where this new way of thinking is having an effect is in the relationship between the individual and their physician.

For many years, the Medical Model of care was the norm. In this model, the patient went to the physician and the physician told the patient what was going to happen; the patient was only a passive participant in their own healthcare.

When we become person-centered, this model changes to one where the individual is no longer a passive “patient”,

A Summary of your Patient Rights: • You have the right to obtain complete information about your medical condition and care.

• You have the right to inspect your medical records within 5 business days of making a written request to do so.

• Your health care provider must provide copies of your records for not more than $.25 per page, or $.50 per page for records copied from microfilm (excluding x-rays).

• You have the right to have your medical records kept confidential unless you provide written consent, except in limited circumstances.

• You have the right to provide a health care provider with a written statement up to 250 words regarding any information contained in your medical records that you believe to be incorrect or incomplete.

• For more information on your rights as a patient, go to the website, A California Patient’s Guide at http://www.calpatientguide. org/index.html to read. Source: http://www. calpatientguide.org/iii.html#3_2.

defined by their disability or illness. Instead, the person with a disability or illness is an active participant in planning for their health and safety, working in partnership with the physician to achieve health goals that have meaning for the individual.

Sometimes we may need to know more about our health history in order to be an informed participant in the process. We may need to have copies of our health records to better inform ourselves about our choices.

You should know that each of us has a right under California law (California Health and Safety Code § 123100) to know what is in our medical records. This includes our lab work or medical test results, diagnoses, physician notes, hospital discharge summaries, and other personal health information.

Guidelines for Quality Person-Centered Planning for Health and Safety: • I believe my hopes for a better future are clearly understood. I had the help I needed to define my real issues, desires, hopes and fears.

• I am offered clear choices for interventions and supports appropriate to my needs. The risks and benefits of my choices are explained to me.

• My health and safety are never compromised.

My issues for health and safety are considered, as appropriate. I feel safe. I feel my physical health care issues are coordinated with any mental health needs.

• The plan, which I helped develop, gives me hope for a better life. I understand what to expect from myself, from others and from the health services system.

• I understand my diagnosis and course of treatment.

• Throughout the process, I feel respected and valued as a person.

• I know what to do if the plan is not working or if I am not satisfied with support, services or outcomes.

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Person-Centered Thinking:

Organizational Change

by Ron Dodgen President, CEO & Judith Monte, Chief Financial Officer, Genesis Development Services Always seeking the best interest of the individuals we serve, Genesis Developmental Services has been undergoing a process of organizational change with a focus on Person-Centered Thinking. This process was initiated nearly two years ago with a redefinition of our mission and the creation of a values statement. In recent months, Genesis has moved forward in its efforts to instill this mindset into the thinking of staff and implemented processes to ensure the reality of our values.

It is our belief that by developing the potential of the individuals we serve, we develop the potential of our agency. The system in which we serve can be limiting and barrier inducing. As we embrace creative alternatives and solutions, though, Genesis Developmental Services sustains the ability to offer innovative living options and day services that support choices, personal growth and connection to the community.

As part of the ongoing process to implement Person-Centered Thinking

Person-Centered Thinking and the connection with the Universal Service Expectations

by Judith White, M.S., Assistant Director of Community Development The Lanterman Act mandates a system to create a person-centered approach to providing services and supports for people with disabilities. In fact, throughout the Act there are multiple references to the person (with their chosen circle of support) having control over their own lives and the decisions and choices that affect them. In 2002, the Universal Service Expectations was developed with direct input from people receiving services, providers and community members. This tool directs the evaluation of a residential provider’s progress toward the Lanterman Act mandate.

The Universal Service Expectations are easy to understand guidelines that provide a vendor with specific goals and indicators. Areas of measurement include as choice, ability to pursue a meaningful and productive life, following plans, opportunities to build relationships, being part of the community, being treated with dignity and respect, being safe and healthy, communication, accountability, services and supports.

It allows for a direct and positive dialogue between the Regional Center and the provider about what is working well in their home and for suggestions to assist in meeting the standards.

Used by the Quality Assurance Specialist Team, the implementation of Universal Service Expectations standards has resulted in an improved quality of life for the people we serve. It has assisted providers to understand the expectations for person-centered planning, as well as the values of control, dignity and self advocacy for the persons receiving TCRC services.

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throughout our organization, we have taken advantage of training sessions offered by Tri-Counties Regional Center and sought to develop in-house expertise as well. Two members of our management staff are in pursuit of becoming PersonCentered Thinking trainers and all staff members are being equipped to utilize the tools of this process. Through these efforts we hope to be better able to understand the desires of those we serve and work collaboratively with members of the support team in pursuit of dreams of the each individual.

ARC Skyway EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) Tour

by John Slaid, Foster Grandparent Advisory Council MemberCommunity Development

Clients at EAA Hangar Being married to Diana Slais, Manager Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion Programs has its interesting moments; one is being privileged to participate in activities associated with her programs. As a member of her Advisory Council, I get to see first hand the love and attention given by her volunteers to those they serve with Developmental Disabilities.

Since I am involved in aviation activities at Camarillo Airport, Diana asked me if I could give a little airport tour to some of the ARC Skyway clients and staff. I thought the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) hangar and home-built aircraft might be interesting to them.

I met Kevin Geisregen, ARC Skyway Observing Aviation Explorer Project supervisor, that morning to escort him and some of the people to the hangar. The trip to the hangar turned out to be an adventure in itself with three vans and another ten or so making the long walk to the facility, some pushing wheelchairs. I was surprised and pleased that about forty people had decided to join me for the tour. I explained about planes built at home from a kit and then flown by their builder. The EAA hangar provides the facility and equipment to accomplish the later stages of this process. It also provides an area where young Aviation Explorers are actually building an aircraft from plans under the supervision of experienced EAA member volunteers. The group was very well behaved and attentive, asking good questions about the planes. We also went to the CAF aircraft ramp and discussed the aircraft parked there. Then it was time for the long walk (or ride) back to ARC Skyway.

Hearing the comments, seeing the attentive faces and feeling the thanks of the group gave me the feeling I got as much pleasure from the experience as they did. But then, isn’t the way it always seems to be. The volunteer receives much more than he gives. It makes it all worthwhile. Thanks for the opportunity, Diana.

Spot LIghts !

Dennis Hail Celebrates Forty Years on the job.

by Diana Slais

The vibrant gardens, the rural setting, the quiet are what I noticed upon entering the grounds at Achievement House in San Luis Obispo. I made the drive from Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo to meet with Hazel Hail and her son, Dennis. Dennis just celebrated his 40th year as an employee at Achievement House and I was there to talk with him about his experiences and what his plans for the future.

friends I have made, the staff and the opportunity to do different types of projects.” David’s next project will be attaching labels on water bottles and he is really looking forward to this.

Despite the fact that Dennis only has the use of one hand, he does it all. With the help of his supervisor, David, they work together to adapt each project.

This is one of the many reasons Dennis has continued to be such a devoted employee - his employers are dedicated to his success.

Waiting for me in the parking lot as I drove in was a very pert and lively woman with silver gray curls framing her face accentuating lively, bright blue eyes. I said, “you must be Hazel,” and she said, “Sure am.” Hazel had me sign in and meet the office staff before we started our tour of the garden and Thrift shop, where she has volunteered for over 40 years. “I only volunteer once a week; I am just too darn busy to do more,”she said.

“Let’s go have you meet my son Dennis. He’s very excited about being interviewed.”

When asked what Dennis does on his free time (he works 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., 5 days a week) his eyes light up, “I love to watch movies and I have my own collection of DVDs. Oh yeh! I love music especially polkas, gospel and country western.” “Sounds like things are going well for you, Dennis; are you thinking about retiring soon?” “Nope I have to train for my next project and all my friends are here, it’s a great place to be.”

We walked past the gardens into the work area and Dennis greeted me with a huge smile and a strong handshake. Dennis proudly showed me the current project he has been working on with his supervisor and friend, David Perez. Various companies in the area bid out jobs at Achievement House.

Currently, Dennis sorts pages for a local real estate magazine.

I asked Dennis what he enjoys about his job and he said, “the

Hazel and Dennis share a home in Arroyo Grande not far from Achievement House. She says, “that boy’s a rascal; we sure have a lot of fun together.” Hazel says TCRC has been a big help providing Dennis with his transportation, which enables him to work each day and give her a “breather.” “I know whenever I need advice or guidance that Andy, Dennis’ service coordinator, is just a call away.”

Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho!

by Eddie Tudori, The Rhythmic Arts Project Brian Stern is a brilliant young man with cerebral palsy.

Brian participates in the Rhythmic Arts Project at the Ojai Enrichment Center. Before he had his communication device, I would be his voice and I would also play the drums for him. Now that he has a communication device he is able to participate on his own. We programmed the lessons so that he could not only play the parts when asked but also be

the leader. The exercise begins with the leader saying “1, 2, ready, go!” Then the class plays 8 beats on their drums while counting 1-8. Then the call and response begins… “Hey, Hey!” to which the class responds, “Hey, Hey.” Then, “Ho, Ho,” to which the class responds, “Ho, Ho!” And then the leader says, “Lets Go!” In the beginning, Brian used his device to execute every prompt. It occurred to me that Brian might be able to speak the words “Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho.” With much patience, and more persistence on Brian’s part, sure enough, one day a resounding, “Hey, Hey,” rang out as clear as a bell. By the time Brian said, “Ho, Ho,” he had a standing ovation. I must say, we’ve come quite a long way in the past few months.

RHYTHMIC ARTS MISSION STATEMENT The Rhythmic Arts Project empowers people with various disabilities to succeed in the world. We integrate drums and percussion instruments as creative learning tools that address life skills to enhance the mind, body and spirit. For more information go to www.traponline.com. or www.giftedartistsrecords. com.

Fall/Winter 2006 tri-line | 11

Local Resources The “Miracle” on State Street

by Diana Slais

There is a magical village called Unity Ville in Santa Barbara, California. What’s magical is that this village provides low-income families, the elderly, those with disabilities and the sick with food, clothing and basic necessities at no cost. Those who qualify can get a shopping cart and leisurely shop for the items they need. Unity Ville’s goal is to keep families strong while giving parents the opportunity to work toward self-sufficiency.

Unity Ville also provides necessity orders to seniors and those with disabilities; in fact, last year they fulfilled over 2,436 orders that included pajamas, blankets, slippers, sweaters, stationery, clocks socks and more.

The shop also provides birthday and Christmas gifts to seniors and those with diabilities who might otherwise not receive

a gift at all. Over a 1,000 senior volunteers wrap the gifts and they are beautiful. The volunteers also put together back-to-school baskets and Easter baskets. Tom Reed, Executive Director, is passionate about what he does. Each day he sees first hand the difference Unity Ville makes in the lives of people in the Santa Barbara area. Tom says, “you just can’t describe Unity Ville, you have to come for a tour to believe it.” Tom is happy to give tours. Just give him a call at 805.965.4122 or go by the store at 1219 State Street.

HELP! Unity Ville is looking for donations and volunteers to continue the valuable service they provide to the community.

Art Walk for Kids/Adults

by Diana Slais

Kerrie Kilpatrick-Weinberg has developed a curriculum that uses the power of creativity to overcome destructive behavior and low self-esteem through a step-by-step series of creative and self-expressive art classes.

Kerrie is the Artistic Director for Art Walk for Kids/Adults; here she shares her skills as an artist and design specialist. Her experience includes work as a theater and set designer with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. Kerrie’s passion for helping others began with her own family experience; her younger brother, Nigel, was a person with autism. His passing inspired Kerrie to continue sharing her gifts and love through the Art Walk experience. Art Walk is an outreach program that began in January, 2000 with the mission of focusing on benefiting youth with special needs, developmental disability, at risk, or terminal illness through a specialized curriculum of art education and vocational education. The programs are currently at Hillside House, Devereux, Chagall House and Tri-County Boot Camp. Art Walk for Kids also works with programs at the Hope School District helping kids to positively self-express by creating murals for their school walls through the “Art of Giving Program.”

Learn more about the Art Walk programs at www.artwalkforkids.org/aboutus.htm 12 | tri-line Fall/Winter 2006

Angels Bearing Gifts

by Charlene Pitcher Huston

Thanks to the generosity of the TriCounties Regional Center, Angels Bearing Gifts (Angels) has once again moved into an office in the Annex Building in Santa Barbara.

Angels matches individuals with developmental disabilities who do not have someone to remember them during the December holiday season, Valentines Day or on their birthday with volunteer “angels” who bring happiness into their lives by giving them special gifts on these important days. In 2005, over 300 volunteer “angels” helped to bring gifts to 106 people!

Consider helping Angels reach 150 people in the Tri-County region this year. For more information call Project Angels at 805.884.7222.

Local Resources Strategic Plan Process

Comes to Latino Families

by Edith Wysinger, Consumer Services Manager, Santa Clara Team

As part of the information gathering of this community. Positive comments piece for the 2007-2009 Strategic included the relationship they have with Plan, six local meetings where held their Service Coordinator and the benefits in community settings with a focus of services such as respite and daycare on Latino families. The meetings that they currently receive. Families cited spanned the three counties with limited access to local resources such as meetings taking place in Simi Valley, specialized medical services, after school Oxnard, Santa Paula, Santa Barbara, recreational programs, and community Santa Maria, and Paso Robles. agencies as areas that they would like Information was gathered through addressed as part of the Strategic Plan. informal discussion as well as the Enthusiastic parents wanted more Person-Centered Planning exercise opportunities to get together as a way to of discussing examples of what is receive information on TCRC services. working and what is not working Overall, the meetings were positive and Edith Wysinger in conversation with a in relation to the services being provided those who attended information family member of persons served received. Families and providers on the Strategic Plan and a safe forum for who participated provided very useful information as well as Latino families to voice their thoughts and opinions. ideas on how Regional Centers can continue to meet the needs

Arts for Humanity !

Arts for Humanity! (AH!) Announces their upcoming performance of Zabella’s Circle at Center Stage Theater (upstairs at Paseo Nuevo). This original production weaves together theatre, dance and art performed by the innovative Blue Moon Players. This troupe of actors and dancers with and without disabilities comes to us from Work Program Training, Inc. and Alpha Resource Center. “With style, beauty and magic… [This ensemble] transcends the ordinary and stretches the boundaries of our expectations” according to a review of a recent performance (The Independent).

Performance dates: Saturday, 12/2/06, 8:00 pm & Sunday 12/3/06, 2:30 pm (matinee) Thursday, 12/7/06, Friday, 12/8/06, & Saturday, 12/9/06 both at 8:00 pm

Call the Center Stage Theater Box Office at 963-0408 or purchase tickets online at www.centerstagetheater.org.

Arts for Humanity!’s programs cultivate creativity and empower people with developmental disabilities, at-risk youth, and the elderly, in partnership with local artists and the Santa Barbara community. AH! celebrates humanity through the arts by providing a voice to the under-served through the power and beauty of the arts. For more information on Arts for Humanity!, contact Karsen Lee Gould: email: create@artsforhumanity.com or visit www.artsforhumanity.com.

New Directions

by Dee Duncan, Executive Director New Directions for people with disabilities, inc. provides local, national, and international travel vacations and holiday programs for people with mild to moderate developmental disabilities. These profoundly enriching educational travel opportunities expand experiential learning and dramatically enhance the self-esteem of every traveler.

Through these programs, people with disabilities are increasingly understood, appreciated and accepted as important and contributing members of our world.

What’s Happening in December? Holiday vacation tours to Disneyland, San Francisco, and Knott’s Berry Farm.

Scholarships are available. Upcoming tours include Hawaii, Summer 2007, Lucky Las Vegas in June, August & November 2007, The “Elvis” Tour September 2007, so check it out at www.NewDirectionsTravel.com, or call New Directions at 805.967.2841.

Fall/Winter 2006 tri-line | 13

Breakthroughs in the Medical Field Omega-3 Fatty Acids & Developmental Disorder

by James O’Hanlon, Ph.D., psychopharmacologist

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) afflicts about 5% of all children to a serious degree and often overlaps ADHD, dyslexia and autism spectrum disorders. DCD is a disturbance that reduces fine and gross motor coordination affecting dexterity, balance and gait. It is also associated with impairments in behavioral organization, attention and learning. Recently, physiologists from Oxford and Durham universities in the UK attempted to overcome DCD with omega-3 fatty acids (O3FA; i.e., “fish oil”) in a classic, double-blind, placebocontrolled trial involving 117 children, aged 5-12 years .

The results were other than expected. At the end of the 3-month trial, motor skills of children taking O3FA were no better than those taking placebo. However, the former group’s average reading-age and spelling-age increased by 9.6 and 6.6 months, respectively, whereas corresponding gains for the latter group were only 3.4 and 1.2 months.

In addition, the O3FA group showed significantly more improvement in standardized tests for anxiety, mood, hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity. All children were offered the opportunity to resume or begin taking O3FA at the end of the formal trial. The 100 who did maintained high rates of reading and spelling gain, consistent with improved behavior, during a 3-month follow-up period.

None experienced significant side effects. How O3FA achieved this spectacular effect is unknown. Its major components, EPA and DHA, are structural components of neuronal membranes and inside these cells, act to retard neuronal excitability. Anyone wishing to give O3FA to their children should be advised of the following: 1) doses given in the Oxford-Durham study were higher (ca. 2x) than suggested by manufacturers of commercial O3FA, 2) the effects of O3FA in developmental disorders other than DCD are unknown, and 3) children’s use of O3FA should be approved by their regular physicians.

Good Times Holiday Party at Camp Ronald McDonald

by Lynn Arkin, M.A., Post-Secondary Teacher, Channel Islands High School For the past thirteen years, Oxnard Union High School special education students and staff have been elves for a very good cause. Each year the students in the district’s severely handicapped classes have joined other students to help brighten holidays for children who have been fighting cancer. These students have been providing holiday decorations for Camp Ronald McDonald’s yearly Holiday Party.

Over 1,500 campers and their families attend the Holiday Party. They enjoy

14 | tri-line Fall/Winter 2006

a visit with Santa, gifts, entertainment, rides, food, celebrities and much more. The party takes place at the Warner Bros. Ranch Studio. There are fifteen trees and ten houses that need decorating; it takes a lot of dedicated people to make this happen. Over the years the students have provided garlands, tree ornaments and largescale wooden cutouts.

Each year I have been overwhelmed by the creativity and generosity of the staff and students in our programs.

I have received decorations from

Camarillo High, Channel Islands High, Hueneme High, Oxnard High, Pacifica High, and Rio Mesa High School. I know this year’s Holiday Party will have added sparkle because of these special elves.

Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times provides cost free camping experiences for children diagnosed with cancer and their siblings.

Family Resource Centers What’s New at Your Resource Center?

Parents Helping Parents - “We’ve been there!”

San Luis Obispo, CA . . 805.543.3277 Atascadero, CA . . . . . . 805.461.7415 Person-Centered Planning Research, Practice, and Future Directions Edited by Steve Holburn & Peter M. Vietze In this book, over forty experts from diverse specialties—including psychology, community inclusion, and professional development— examine this innovative practice from every angle! They show you the best ways a service team can get to know an individual’s interests and dreams to help that person realize life-changing possibilities.

Alpha Resource Connections Santa Maria, CA . . . . 805.374.2775 Santa Barbara, CA . . 805.957.9272 Adventures in the Mainstream: Coming of Age with Down Syndrome by Greg Palmer This extraordinary book should be read by every parent of a child with Down Syndrome! With exquisite detail and eloquent personal intimacy, Greg Palmer shares with us every aspect of parenting a young adult with Down Syndrome. The joys, disappointments, fears, rewards, challenges, and the overwhelming love and pride-it’s all here, beautifully told with humor and passionate authenticity. The book resonated with me on every page!* *Emily Perl Kingsley, Emmy-Award-winning writer for Sesame St, and former member of the National Down Syndrome Congress Board of Directors.

A Little Book About Person-Centered Planning

By John O’Brien & Connie Lyle O’Brien Ways to think about personcentered planning.

Implementing PersonCentered Planning Voices of Experience Edited by John O’Brien & Connie Lyle O’Brien An essential follow up to A Little Book about PersonCentered Planning

Rainbow Connection Oxnard, CA . . . . . 800.664.3177 ext. 204 Simi Valley, CA . . 805.522.8030 ext. 263 Strengthening Relationships When Our Children Have Special Needs by Nicholas Martin The book and CD are available in English and Spanish.

This book deals with the impact a child with special needs has on the family and, most particularly, the parents’ relationship. Subjects covered include: • avoiding blame • support and guidance • sex, affection, and intimacy • money matters • time alone • effective communication • divorce • affordable child care Fall/Winter 2006 tri-line | 15

Calendar of Events With each issue of the Tri-Line we will be providing information on some of the resources available to families within the Tri-Counties area. Please call to confirm dates and times of events. Check with your service coordinator for information on other resources available to you in your area.

San Luis Obispo County (SLO) Parents Helping Parents “Get Acquainted” Meets: 2nd Friday of each month SLO, 1st Friday of each month in Atascadero • Time: 10:00am11: 30am. • Location: 3450 Broad St., Suite 111 and in Atascadero 6005 Capistrano Ave., Suite A. Contact: PHP SLO: 805.543.3277 or PHP Atascadero: 805.461.7415. Parents Helping Parents provides information, family support, parent-to-parent matches and resource libraries. • Contact: 805.543.3277 Five Cities Swim Club “Mighty Dolphins” swim class This class is designed for those students of all ages with special needs. Indoor pool, 90 degrees temp.

Drop in class, adult must accompany child. • Cost: $7 members, $9 non-members (sliding scale for low income) • Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays @ 11:30am • Contact: 805.481.6399

ventura county Rainbow Connection Family Resource Center Library Rainbow Connection provides many activities for children and families. Here is a list of on-going support groups: Special Families Support Group (Spanish) First Friday of the month, 6:30PM-8:00PM, Oxnard Families share their experiences parenting a child with special needs.

Cerebral Palsy Support Group (Bilingual) First Monday of the month, 9:00AM-10:30AM, Simi Valley Library Special Parents Network (English) Second Wed. of the Month, 7:00PM-8: 30PM, Oxnard Join other parents to talk about issues related to raising children with special needs and share resources and information.

Down Syndrome Support Group (Spanish) Second Thursday of the month, 6:30PM-8: 30PM, Oxnard

Paso Robles Youth Bowling Join the fun, learn the art of bowling • Saturday mornings at 10:00am • Cost: call for info, Wilson’s Lanes, Paso Robles • Contact: 805.238.5020

NICU Support Group (Bilingual) Third Wednesday of the month 6:30PM-8:00PM, Oxnard. Families share ideas of coping, photos, information, joy and triumphs.

Epilepsy Support Group for Parents Time: 6:30-8:30p.m. second Monday of every month Location: Twin Cities Community Hospital, 1100 Las Tablas Rd., Templeton, CA • Contact: Child Neurology of SLO, 805.434.0960 sloepilepsy@charterinternet. com

Santa Clara Moms Night Out (Bilingual) Third Wed. of the month, social time for moms with Children with special needs.

UCP Respitality Offers a get-away for parents so they may enjoy an evening stay in a local hotel. Local inns and hotels have donated the rooms for this purpose. • Contact: Lisa 805.540.5153

G-tube/J-tube/NG-tube Support Group (Bilingual) Third Thurs. of the month, 6:30PM-8:00PM, Oxnard

UCP Kid/Teens Saturday Recreation Call for a schedule of fun event, ages 7-12 & 13-22.

Contact: Lisa 805.540.5153 • Just for Adults/SLO

Teddy Bear Brigade Third Sat. of the month, 1:00PM-3:00PM, Thousand Oaks. Rainbow offers a program at Emanual Presbyterian Church in TO for Children 3-13 years old with special needs and their siblings. We will have stories, sensory themes, crafts and music.

UCP Community Interaction Programs, Leisure Club Events and CIP Tours. • Contact: Kathy 805.543.2039 16 | tri-line Fall/Winter 2006

Autism Support Group (Bilingual) Third Wed. of the month, 7:00PM-8:0030Pm, Oxnard

Mom’s Night Out (Bilingual) Third Friday of the month, 6:00PM-8: 30PM, Oxnard

Calendar of Events santa barbara county Parent-to-Parent Support Sponsored by Special Needs Network Meets 3rd Thursday of every month, 9am at Café Monet, 1555 S. Broadway in Santa Maria • Contact: Diana 805.937.8756 or JoAnne 805.937.2465

Something for the Siblings The Special Needs Network is a new club for the siblings of individuals with disabilities. The club will consist of several fun activities & will be a chance to get away & relax with other dads who also have siblings with disabilities. • Contact: Laura King, 805.344.1403

UCSB Adapted Recreation Program UCSB offers programs in Handcycling, eye’m cycling, power soccer team practices, kayaking & more. Beach wheelchairs are available and so are scholarships. • Contact: Rick Van Hoorn 805.448.6740 or email rick.vanhoorn@essr.ucsb. edu.

3rd Friday Join members of your Family First team of parents who have children with special needs every 3rd Friday of the month from 9- 11 am, Alpha Resource Connections Library. • Location: Tri-Counties Regional Center, 520 E. Montecito St., Santa Barbara • Contact: Patti 805.683.2145

City of Santa Barbara Parks & Recreation Department Check out what they have to offer.

Contact: Adapted Programs 805.564.5421

Santa Maria Special Ed. & Support Information Kathy Rowley is starting a new Yahoo group for parents of children with special needs who live in Santa Maria. To join go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ SantaMariaSupport

Jr. Wheelchair Sports Camp Ages 5-19 yrs who use a wheelchair to participate in sports • Contact: 805.893.4114 or email rick. vanhoorn@essr.ucsb.edu Family First A family resource center & parent network.

Provides parent-to-parent & family support, parentprofessional collaboration, resource meetings and workshop information & referrals. • Contact: North County 805.347.2775/South County 805.683.2145

Autism Society of America Santa Barbara Chapter Contact: Patti 805.569.1091 or website www.asasb.org Santa Maria Autism Support Group Has an online support group for parents of children diagnosed with Autism. There is also a weekly playgroup, which meets at a local park. • Contact: 805.714.1187 or email bigeasykr@yahoo.com

The Web Column As more and more of us are using computers as a source of information, there are many more websites that provide information about diabilities.

Here is a sampling of useful web sites you may want to check out! Places you can access the web for free are your local public libraries and family resource libraries located at your local Regional Center.

www.cureautismnow.org The Cure Autism Now Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and funding autism research, and accelerating the pace of scientific progress toward effective treatments and a cure.

www.dds.ca.gov The Department of Developmental Services (DDS) is the agency through which the state of California provides services and supports to children and adults with developmental disabilities. This Web Site is a great resource.

www.Tri-Counties.org Tri-Counties has it’s own Web Site filled with information and answers to many of your questions.

Fall/Winter 2006 tri-line | 17

TCRC News TCRC Employee, Randy Howell, Martial Arts Studies

Tri-Counties Regional Center

by Diana Slais Randy Howell works out his frustrations through martial arts, his favorite thing is to practice kicks. Randy has been taking karate lessons for over 4 years now and loves it. Randy says, “when people think of the Marital Arts, they probable think of beating people up, but the study of Martial Arts has to do with discipline and lots of training.

Any kind of self-defense should be only a means to defend ones self.” Randy praises his instructor, Shane Healy. Healy has put together a small class geared for students

with special needs, like her. She works one on one with students to encourage them and guide them as they develop confidence in their own abilities. Randy says, “ I have more self-confidence, better balance and I have made some great new friends.”

Randy works in the mailroom at the Santa Barbara office. Randy does a terrific job getting mail disseminated to over 200 staff people. It can get hectic in the mailroom; a couple of good kicks can help a lot. For more information call: United Studios Self-Defense at 696.6820, Jody Neal, Chief Instructor.

You can support the Client Help Fund too!

TCRC has a Client Help Fund to assist persons with developmental disabilities and their families in emergency/crisis situations when the State does not pay and there is no other source of financial assistance. The fund has been used primarily to help people pay for rent, security deposits, utilities, food, medical expenses, funeral expenses, moving expenses, and basic furniture and household needs.

These funds have made a significant difference in the lives of the recipients. This fund is entirely supported by donations from our staff and families of the people we serve as well as from individual donors and local businesses.

Main Office 520 E. Montecito Street Santa Barbara, CA 93103 Tel 805.962.7881 Fax 805.884.7224 Oxnard 2220 E. Gonzales Rd., Suite 210 Oxnard, CA 93036 Tel 800.485.3177 Fax 805.988.9521 Simi Valley 1900 E. Los Angeles Ave. Simi Valley, CA 93065 Tel 805.522.8030 Fax 805.522.8142 San Luis Obispo 3450 Broad St., Suite 111 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-7102 Tel 805.543.2833 Fax 805.543.8725 Atascadero Hotel Park Business Center 6005 Capistrano Suite #E Atascadero, CA 93422-7219 Tel 805.461.7402 Fax 805.461.9479 Santa Maria 1234 Fairway Drive, Suite A Santa Maria, CA 93455 Tel 805.922.4640 Fax 805.922.4350

One hundred percent (100%) of the amount donated goes directly into the fund.

If you have not yet contributed, we hope you will join our individual and corporate supporters in ensuring that these critical services are maintained.

A special thank-you to our most recent contributors: Michael Slater Thomas Dwyer Marc & Laurie Owens Frank Schipper - Frank Schipper Construction Company Marice McKeegan - BB&H Benefit Designs Gary Simpson - Santa Barbara Home Improvement Center Curtis Scott - Law Office of C. Curtis Scott Sherri Hartnett - Sterling Maxwell Don Wood - Benton, Orr, Duval & Buckingham Janet Davidson - Union Bank of California To make a tax-deductible donation to the Client Help Fund, please write checks payable to: TCRC – Client Help Fund, 520 East Montecito Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93103 Tax ID #: 95-2623230

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! 18 | tri-line Fall/Winter 2006

meet the artists, view their work On Friday, December 8, 2006, there was an art show and sale of photographs, pottery, paintings, fiber art, and other work created by a group of artists served by Tri-Counties Regional Center.

The event took place from 4-7 PM in the TCRC Gallery, also known as The Annex, at 505 E. Montecito Street, Santa Barbara 93103. It was a celebration of creativity!

TCRC News Welcome new employees ...

John Sells

Human Resource Director John is a native Californian who attended the University of Redlands, majoring in Economics and Political Science. John has an extensive background in recruiting, human resources, labor relations and organizational development. John lives in Santa Barbara with his wife Karen and their two children, Angela and Justin, who are both attending UCSB and SBCC.

Judith White M.S.

Assistant Director of Community Development Judith previously served as Director of Residential Services for Arc-Ventura County, Senior Program Analyst for Community Care Licensing, and supervisor and case manager at Camarillo State Hospital.

Vi Hguyen

SB Organizational Development Team Associate Vi graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2006 and has a Bachelor or Science degree in communication.

L to R back: John Sells, Natalie Boucher & Fred Garcia L to R front: Jennifer Ward & Micheala Rodriguez

TCRC Promotions ...

Anoushka Yekiazarian Santa Barbara Adult Team Manager Anoushka has been a service coordinator for TCRC, she has a BA in psychology from UCSB and an MA in clinical psychology from Antioch University.

Donna Davis Record Management Supervisor Donna has been with TCRC for 15 years.

L to R standing: Japhet Velasquez, Eulalia Apoliner, Robin Mellom, Ryann Romero & Lynne Frank Sitting: Jesus Rocha, Cassandra Province & Veronica Rodriguez-Torres

Quarterly Spirit of Excellence Awards Tri-Counties Regional Center awards employees who are nominated by their colleagues with the Spirit of Excellence Award. The award acknowledges employees who demonstrate: teamwork, service to people we serve, morale building, good citizenship, the quest for quality and above and beyond dedication to the vision and mission of TCRC. Congratulations to the following employees: Lucy Quiroz ~ Service Coordinator, Atascadero Sunday Benedicto ~ Service Coordinator, San Luis Obispo Viviana Padova ~ Service Coordinator, Santa Maria Jeff Barkhorn ~ Facilities & Purchasing Manager, Santa Barbara Stephanie Hedden ~ Service Coordinator, Santa Barbara Violeta Pulido ~ Rectionist, Oxnard Educardo Cahue ~ Service Coordinator, Oxnard Sneha Zachariah ~ Service Coordinator, Simi Valley Fall/Winter 2006 tri-line | 19

Tri-Counties Association for the Developmentally Disabled

NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. Postage

PAID

520 E. Montecito Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93103

Santa Barbara CA 93101 Permit No. 359

From the Board . . .

New Year’s Greetings from the TCADD Board of Directors. With this issue of the Tri-Line, we are closing out the 2006 calendar year and ushering in a new year filled with new opportunities and no doubt challenges as we strive to provide persons and families with the planning and supports necessary to maximize opportunities and choices for living, working, and recreating in the community. What has been accomplished?

What will a new year bring?

In 2006, as in the past several years, TriCounties Regional Center (TCRC) has been in the process of undergoing significant positive changes under the leadership of our Executive Director, Dr. Omar Noorzad, working in partnership with the TCRC staff, TCADD Board, ABIX on Developmental Disabilities, advocates, families, providers, and other community stakeholders. Through vision, strong leadership, collaboration and partnership, TCRC has excelled in consistently meeting our strategic and performance plan goals and objectives which focus directly on enhancing the quality of life for the persons we serve. We have developed a wide array of new services and supports throughout the TriCounties area in order to support each person’s Individual Program Plan. We have made great strides in implementing numerous initiatives such as our Code of Ethics, Person-Centered Thinking, People First Language, Alternatives to Traditional Day Services, the Autism Task Force, and most recently the successful completion of our Strategic and Performance Plan for the next three years, 2007-2009.

Additionally, we have made known our presence in Sacramento. We have repeatedly supported advocacy efforts, pushed for more opportunities for self-determination, testified at legislative hearings for increased system funding, and most recently sponsored and successfully advocated for the passage of SB 1270 (Chesbro) on Alternatives to Traditional Day Services. This bill may usher in significant system changes in how day and employment services for persons with developmental disabilities are provided in the State of California and may have an impact on a national level as this bill is being watched closely by many other states.

Are we pleased with our accomplishments?

Yes! Are we satisfied? No! We reached where we are today because you stepped forward and partnered with us to impact change. We must continue to be resolute and stay vigilant to ensure that our system of services and supports continues to grow and improve locally and at the state level. I strongly urge you to get involved. There are many ways to participate.

Keep informed; volunteer your time; become an advocate.

The Board of Directors of Tri-Counties Regional Center will continue to work on efforts to maximize opportunities and choices for persons with developmental disabilities to live fully and safely as active and independent members of their community.

Jesse Ornelas, TCADD President

Tri-Counties Regional Center Administrative Offices 520 E. Montecito St. Santa Barbara, CA 93103 Telephone 805.962.7881 Toll Free 1.800.322.6994 www.tri-counties.org

TCADD Board of Directors Jesse R. Ornelas, President Stan Deakin, Vice President /Treasurer Nancy Kavin, Secretary Sandra Aldana Justine Blevins Nicholas Boehm Sam Castillo Melanie Cleveland Bob Castello Charles Devlin Cathy Farrar Julie Kahn Nancy Kavin Harriet Levine Saul Medina Donna Moore Kathleen Redmond Richard Ring BOARD MEETINGS Feb 2007 Mar 2007 For more information, please call Cathy Berry at 805.884.7215

Editor

Diane Slais/Pat Forgey DESIGN & PRINTING

Boone Graphics

translation

Marcela Carona