This report represents a summary of the work Disability Rights California advocacy programs and projects reported through April 30, 2010; some activities on the legislative and press front may be more current. I would like to thank those who provided the material to make this report possible.

communications

The common theme of our media coverage and communication efforts this last quarter has been how home and community-based services can help diminish the state deficit and reduce long-term care costs.

Budget Coverage

We issued a well-reported press release on January 10 to counter Governor Brown’s January budget’s deep cuts in lifeline services. The press release suggested ways to reduce costs without cutting disability programs.. Some of our suggestions were to expand use of waivers so more Californians could avoid nursing homes, stop bonus payments to nursing homes that are not tied to better care and save $41 million by elimination of IHSS consumer fingerprinting and related timesheets.

Articles in the January 12 San Jose Mercury News, January 28 Kansas City, and reports in the February 7 and March 26 San Francisco Chronicle described the impact of Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) cuts on local users. Attorney Elissa Gershon was quoted, describing the cuts as an “illegal attempt to cut services, violating the ADA[1]”. One headline was “State whacks ADHC system” and all clients quoted were in dire need of the services.

Other cost-related coverage during the quarter included: Legislative advocate Brandon Tartaglia was quoted in the February 2 edition of California Healthline, “These cuts will force people into nursing homes, yet community services cost less. Legislative advocate Deborah Doctor reported in the same periodical on January 20 “We are still spending lots of unnecessary dollars on institutionalized care in places like nursing homes...”

On March13, the Sacramento Bee did an in-depth article on how successful recent consumer advocacy had been, noting, “poignant pleas have spared some funding” for developmental disability programs. Senior legislative advocate Evelyn Abouhassan was quoted “If you are looking at cost in the state budget, those monies could be better used in the communities, where people with disabilities belong.”

Communications Goals: Goal 2
Disability Rights California Staff: Evelyn Abouhassan, Barbara Duncan, Elissa Gershon, Brandon Tartaglia
Grant/Funding Source(s): Trust Fund, Equal Access

Coverage on Mental Health Issues

In April, we successfully obtained some coverage of the progress in our Napper case in the Sacramento Bee on April 17, anticipating the expert’s review of the community based outpatient mental health services. On April 18, the Sacramento Bee covered how distressed parents in Placer were about the loss of mental health services[2] in schools for their children who need the services to access their education.

In the January 19 San Diego City Beat, attorney Ann Menasche explained how expensive Laura’s Law would be to implement, as well as a step backwards for the rights of people with mental health disabilities;

Communications Goals: Goal 2
Disability Rights California Staff: Barbara Duncan, Ann Menasche
Grant/Funding Source(s): Trust Fund

Other Communication Projects

Publications completed in this quarter were:

The popular Rights Under the Lanterman Act was updated online in English and soon translated into Spanish and Chinese.

The “bestseller,” Special Education – Rights & Responsibilities, has a new format and is projected to be on line this summer.

The 2010 Annual Report is complete, up on our website and translated into Spanish. Here is where to find the Spanish version: http://www.disabilityrightsca.org/pubs/AR201002.pdf

Our first YouTube video tells our story in 6 minutes and can be found here: http://www.disabilityrightsca.org/

We helped the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers (CFILC), as a follow up to its Olmstead Summit, develop a poster in favor of community living: “There’s No Place Like Home.” The poster was distributed at Disability Capitol Action Day.

Communications Goals: Goal 1
Public Education Goals: Goal 1, Objective 1 and 2; Goal 2, Objective 1
Disability Rights California Staff: Barbara Duncan, Adam Borvkoff
Grant/Funding Source(s): Trust Fund, Equal Access

Website, Facebook and eNewsletter Focus

We developed hot topics and our weekly eNewsletter, promoting our cases and themes this quarter, such as:

-       Our contribution to the State Task Force for Criminal Justice – Collaboration on Mental Health issues, advocating better ways to handle cases involving offenders with mental illness and

-       Our study showing disparities across the state for timely notification of involuntary psychiatric detention.

And, as we go to press, promotion of the findings of the expert selected by Sacramento County to review best practices in community based mental health clinics was issued May 10, whose conclusions mirror the recommendations of our clients in the Napper case.

Communications Goals: Goal 2
Disability Rights California Staff: Barbara Duncan, Michael Stortz Grant/Funding Source(s): Trust Fund

LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES

NOTE: Legislative activities are current at the time this report is prepared, however, the legislature moves quickly and things can change overnight. For the most current information about legislative activities reported here, check our home page and legislative website: http://www.disabilityrightsca.org/ and http://www.disabilityrightsca.org/legislature/index.htm

California Budget:

See prior versions of our Advocacy Director Report for background information on the California budget: http://www.disabilityrightsca.org/advocacy/advocacyreports.htm

The Governor’s Budget plan released in January called for $12.5 billion in cuts; $12 billion in revenue extensions and changes; $1.9 billion in other "budget solutions"; and, a $1 billion reserve. The plan to address an 18-month budget gap of $25.4 billion was supposed to be completed by March 2011. However, resistance to the ballot measure needed to extend temporary taxes threatens to derail the governor’s plan.

We advocated against many of the cuts through position letters, testimony at budget hearings, and meetings with budget and legislative staffers. While we spoke against the cuts, we also put forward a variety of alternative cost saving ideas and strategies to minimize the impact of cuts on our clients. Ultimately, many of the cuts to programs people with disabilities care about were adopted by the legislature, including cost sharing and limits on services in Medi-Cal, cuts to regional center services, MSSP, CalWorks grants, Healthy Families, and the elimination of the Adult Day Health Care program.

On May 16, the governor released his May Revise for budget year 2011-12, which projects $3.1 billion in unanticipated revenues, but still leaves a General Fund (GF) deficit of $10.8 billion for the two-year period ending June 30, 2012. This includes a $1.2 billion reserve.

The May Revise continues to rely on the extension of the temporary taxes as proposed in January. If the governor cannot convince the legislature to put a measure on the ballot to extend temporary taxes, the legislature will have to close the rest of the budget gap with more cuts to essential programs.

We summarized the budget outcomes that have been determined so far and outlined the May Revise proposals. For more details see here: http://www.disabilityrightsca.org/legislature/Budget/2011/Budget%20Chart%202011-05-23.htm

Disability Capitol Action Day

We worked with CFILC and other organizations on the eighth annual Disability Capitol Action Day event, set for May 25, 2011 at the Capitol. Around 1,200 people will attend the event, whose theme is "Our Voices - Our Choice - Our Lives - Our Vote!"

We drew attention to the benefits of community living for people with disabilities and encouraged people with disabilities to vote. The event featured an educational forum, march, and rally at the capitol, at which legislators spoke, with legislative visits by consumer advocates during and after the event.

Public Policy Goals: Goals 4, 5, and 6
Disability Rights California Staff: Deborah Doctor, Brandon Tartaglia
Grant/Funding Source(s): Equal Access

Department of Developmental Services (DDS) Development of Purchase of Services (POS) Best Practices

The DDS budget was reduced through a system-wide reduction of $591 million in March 2011, in addition to ongoing savings of $389.3 million through cost containment measures.

Of the system wide reduction, $174 million in General Fund was to be achieved through POS best practices. In developing the proposals, the department considered eligibility, duration, frequency, efficacy, community integration, service provider qualifications and performance, rates, parental and consumer responsibilities, and self-directed options.

DDS was able to identify $55.6 million general fund available in FY 2011-12 from expenditure savings, $30 million of one-time savings in the current year from delays of the various proposals, and $39.3 million associated with contract savings administered by DDS.

After accounting for these proposed reductions, $79.1 million had to be identified through the development of POS best practices. DDS convened a stakeholder process in which we participated. With the input from the community and guidance from the stakeholder process, DDS developed 13 best practice proposals to achieve the $79.1 million. The proposals and draft trailer language can be found at www.dds.ca.gov.

We participated in legislative and DDS public forums and provided preliminary comments about the proposals. We are in the process of reviewing the newly released trailer bill language to provide comments during the May Revise Budget process

Public Policy Goals: Goals 3,5, 6
Disability Rights California Staff: Evelyn Abouhassan, Catherine Blakemore, Katie Hornberger, William Leiner, Jeanne Molineaux, Bernadette Bautista, Brigitte Ammons
Grant/Funding Source(s): Equal Access, Trust Fund, OCRA, PADD

Highlights of Key Legislation

AB 519 (Hernandez): AB 519 defines restraint and seclusion in school settings and establishes minimally safe practice standards in schools for their use comparable to restrictions in all other settings. It prohibits the use of mechanical, chemical restraints and dangerous physical restraint practices. Physical restraint techniques would have been allowed in an emergency and in limited circumstances authorized by a student’s IEP team and specified in a student’s behavioral intervention plan (BIP) after a trained professional has completed a functional assessment. The use of seclusion would have been allowed in nonpublic schools or district alternative programs with intensive behavioral supports in limited circumstances and when specified in a student’s behavioral intervention plan (BIP). This provision would have sunset in 2014, thereafter excluding the use of seclusion entirely.

We worked with the author’s office and were involved with several stakeholder meetings on this bill, attended by disability groups, the California Department of Education, representatives from the public school special education community, and representatives from the non-public schools. While not the sponsor of the legislation, we assisted the author’s office to draft compromise language that allows the use of these practices when they are specified in a student’s behavioral intervention plan (BIP). AB 519 is now a two-year bill so stakeholders can continue to work out the details of the bill language.

AB 1244 (Chesbro): AB 1244 creates self-directed service options with greater flexibility and autonomy so consumers and their families can access regional center services through an individual budget. While we support the bill’s concepts, we want amendments to address concerns. AB 1244 creates a “risk pool” of 2.5% of the total 10 % budget savings for consumers to use to address unanticipated needs. Even though it has never been funded, in current law, the “risk pool” is set at 5%.

In May to address cost concerns, the author amended the bill to add the 5% projected savings that would have been returned to the state to the existing 2.5% for administrative and other program costs, making the bill cost neutral. The percentage for the risk pool (i.e., 2.5%) remains the same. While we agree that training and caseload improvement are important, reduction of the risk pool leaves fewer resources available in instances where such resources would be necessary to address unanticipated needs of persons with disabilities in the program. 

We are also working with the author to ensure that efforts to increase workers' wages and benefits do not disadvantage people with disabilities and their families. The bill requires the state to set a compensation package for self-directed service workers. The consumer will be required to compensate the worker at the established rates.

 

Additionally, the bill was amended to make implementation of its provisions contingent on the receipt of federal Medicaid matching funds and to remove a provision that would have required the risk pool be automatically funded without coming back to the Legislature for approval every year. This provision was removed because such a requirement triggers a 2/3 vote of the Legislature which is not achievable.

Because of these recent amendments, we are now proposing that the set-aside for training and other administrative functions be reduced so that the risk pool can be set at 5%.  This still leaves 5% of the original projected savings to address various administrative costs associated with implementation, making the bill cost neutral.

We are advocating that the bill require adjustments to individual budgets at the same percentage as increases to the established self-directed worker’s compensation and benefits both at the moment the state sets the base compensation package and with any subsequent negotiated increases. We highlighted these concerns when we testified on the bill in the Assembly Human Services Committee. We are working with the author and the bill is currently in the Senate.

AB 240 (Rubio): This bill will exempt parents from prosecution when their child is truant from school as the result of a collective action by the majority of parents in a school grade to correct a grievance presented to the school. We are working with the author’s office to allow for the same type of collective action when a majority of special education parents presents a grievance. We are also working to ensure truancy is addressed at a special education student’s individualized education plan meeting before parents are referred to a School Attendance Review Board or law enforcement.

AB 881 (Cook): AB 881 would allow a provider of ambulance services to further detain a person in custody for the purpose of transporting him or her to a county-designated mental health facility for an involuntary mental health evaluation. Without the accompaniment of staff with proper training during transportation, there is a risk of serious physical injury or psychological trauma, and in cases of improper restraint, the possibility of death. We advocated against this bill by writing letters, testifying at the hearing, attending stakeholder meetings, and making personal visits to legislators to let them know the dangers of such a policy. The author of the bill recently pulled the bill from committee hearing and decided not to pursue the idea this year, making the legislation a two-year bill.

SB 930 (Evans): This bill would repeal three of the ten so-called “anti-fraud” measures passed in haste by the legislature in 2009, in response to unsubstantiated but persistent allegations of fraud in the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program. The three provisions are: 1) fingerprinting of IHSS consumers; 2) fingerprinting of consumers and home care workers on every IHSS timesheet; and 3) prohibition against the use of postal boxes by home care providers. The Department of Social Services (DSS) proposed to spend $41 million dollars on a military-grade device called Morpho-Trak, to photograph and fingerprint consumers, but even some of the legislators who originally supported fingerprinting drew the line at this expense. The DSS has never projected any savings attributed to these three measures; we and the co-sponsors (SEIU, UDW, and the California Association of Public Authorities) hope that DSS will not oppose SB 930. The bill has passed the Senate and will be in the Assembly next.

AB 1889 (Ammiano): This bill would change the working conditions for domestic workers who are now not covered by overtime and other wage and hour rules, and would mandate certain benefits. The bill comes from an alliance of domestic workers and their supporters, who are seeking these reforms in certain states and nationally. While we support the human rights of all workers, we have strong concerns about the consequences of the bill on people with disabilities who pay privately for personal assistance. We have been working with other disability organizations, including Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund and CFILC who have also taken “oppose unless amend” positions on the bill, to craft amendments which would balance the rights of workers and their employers with disabilities, who in general are low-income. We met with the author and had two meetings with supporters.

AB 663 (Morrell): This bill would have required a voter to always produce photo identification prior to voting at a polling location. Such a requirement narrowed the list of permissible identification currently listed in state and federal law. Further current law only requires proof of identification for a first time voter. The bill’s identification requirements could prevent people with disabilities who lack the type of identification listed in the bill from voting. We opposed the bill by sending letters and testifying in committee. The Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee rejected the bill.

SB 109 (Gaines) and SB 304 (Kehoe): These bills would authorize all mail elections.Since all mail elections are not accessible to some people with disabilities, we opposed these bills. People who are blind, have visual impairments, have manual dexterity disabilities or reading disabilities cannot vote privately and independently on paper ballots. The federal Help America Vote Act requires that states ensure voters with disabilities are able to vote privately and independently. We sent letters and testified against the bills in the Senate Committee on Elections and Constitutional Amendments. Both bills are still in the committee and will fail unless they get out by June 3.

AB 30 (Hayashi) and SB 60 (Evans): These bills are in reaction to the security issues raised by the deaths at Napa State Hospital. While we agree that state hospitals must be safe for residents, staff and visitors, we are working with the authors and sponsors of these bills to ensure residents receive treatment and needed services to prevent safety issues as well as due process rights. AB 30 has been held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee and SB 60 is on the Senate floor.

AB 366 (Allen), AB 1114 (Lowenthal), and SB 795 (Blakeslee): These bills all address the requirements and protections for involuntarily medicating a person in a state hospital or prison. We have worked with the authors, sponsors, and stakeholders on these bills. We are working to ensure that involuntary medication can only be given in specific circumstances as well as ensure the individual has due process rights to challenge the administration of involuntary medication. AB 366 is in Assembly Appropriations, AB 1114 is in the Senate awaiting assignment to a committee, and SB 795 is still in Senate Public Safety.

Public Policy Goals: 2, 3
Disability Rights California Staff: Brandon Tartaglia Evelyn Abouhassan, Deborah Doctor, Margaret Johnson
Grant/Funding Source(s): Equal Access, Trust Fund

Secretary of State’s Voting Accessibility Advisory Committee Update

The Voting Accessibility Advisory Committee (VAAC) of which Disability Rights California is a member worked on finalizing a survey for the Secretary of State (SOS). The voting rates of people with disabilities are lower than those of the general population. The survey’s purpose is to help the VAAC identify barriers or reasons for this low turnout, so the committee can make recommendations to the SOS for projects or activities to increase voter turnout. Now that the survey is completed, the VAAC is finalizing how and for how long the survey will be distributed.

The VAAC has been providing input on the SOS’s efforts to provide guidance to counties on making polling locations accessible for people with disabilities. Presently the SOS is working on videos to help counties comply with its Polling Place Accessibility Guidelines located here: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/polling-place-accessibility/

Public Policy Goals: Goal 5
Discrimination Goals: Goal 4, Objective B
Disability Rights California Staff: Margaret Johnson
Grant/Funding Source(s): PAVA

SELF-ADVOCACY ACTIVITIES

Peer Self Advocacy

Stigma and Discrimination Workshops in Los Angeles

Staff from the Developmental Disabilities Peer Self Advocacy Program and the Peer Self Advocacy Program presented a workshop on Stigma and Discrimination for clients at Our Way Wellness Center in Los Angeles. Based on a PowerPoint presentation developed as a joint project between the two programs, the information provided definitions and strategies for coping with stigma and discrimination that people with disabilities often experience in employment, family, and friends. There were 27 people in attendance who found the presentation very informative and helpful. Thanks to this training, many participants requested workshops about residential care facility rights, higher education, employment, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. A similar workshop was provided in Spanish for clients at the San Pedro Wellness Center, and two more are scheduled for clients in northern California in the next few months.

Peer-Self-Advocacy: Goal 1, Objective A (Outreach, Education and Training)
Developmental Disabilities Peer Self-Advocacy Goals: Goal1, Objective B
Disability Rights California Staff: Rosy Tellez, Senobia Pichardo, Scott Baron
Grant/Funding Source(s): PAIMI, PADD

Trainings for Acute Care Facility Residents in Orange County

We provided a successful 4-week training at the Neuropsychiatric Unit at UC Irvine. This training was for individuals who have been involuntarily committed to the facility for a 72-hour psychiatric assessment or a 14-day Certification Commitment due to a grave mental health disability. Thanks to our teamwork with facility staff and the Orange County Office of Patients' Rights Office Program, we have been invited back in June 2011 to resume weekly workshops on psychiatric acute care issues and patient’s rights, roles, and responsibilities. The Education Director and Director of Psychiatry told us that we provide a valuable free service to their patients, and as a result, the facility is going to include information and flyers about peer self advocacy workshops and a Peer Self Advocacy Program brochure in their new-admissions packet.

Peer-Self-Advocacy: Goal 1, Objective A (Self-Advocacy Groups)
Disability Rights California Staff: Garnet Magnus
Grant/Funding Source(s): PAIMI

Previously Homeless, Self-Advocacy Group Member Finds a Home

Most Los Angeles “La Hora del Café” self-advocacy group members are homeless. After we provided information about the common causes for homelessness and strategies for obtaining permanent housing, a self-advocacy group member recently moved into an apartment of his own after a prolonged period of homelessness. This is just one example of how peer self-advocacy groups can help people become more independent and contribute as active participants in their community.

Peer-Self-Advocacy: Goal 1, Objective A (Self-Advocacy Groups)
Disability Rights California Staff: Senobia Pichardo
Grant/Funding Source(s): PAIMI

San Francisco Peer Self Advocacy Group – (OSHPSA)

OSHPSA is a new Self-Advocacy Group that meets weekly at the Office of Self Help in San Francisco. Recent topics discussed include Tenants’ Rights, Stigma and Discrimination and What is Self-Advocacy.

PSA Goals: Goal 1, Objective B
Grant/Funding Source(s): PAIMI
PSA Staff: Leonard Alfaro

Sonoma County Contract

We held three workshops in Sonoma County during this reporting period, One on how to deal with disability-based discrimination in housing, employment, and voting. Pam Cohen, an attorney from our Bay Area Regional Office, facilitated the workshop and covered reasonable accommodations along with information about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This workshop sparked an interest in psychiatric service/support animals. Pam covered the changes in the ADA about service animals that went into effect in March.

Another workshop was about Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and state budget cuts. Advocates from the Sacramento Regional Office, Leilani Pfeifer and Michael Thomas, facilitated this workshop and covered what changes to expect as a result of state budget cuts. At the time, there were no cuts in benefits but there was also no cost of living increase. They also answered questions about SSI and SSDI.

PSA Goals: Goal 1, Objective B
Grant/Funding Source(s): Sonoma County Contract
PSA Staff: Leonard Alfaro

DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
PEER SELF ADVOCACY

This quarter, we provided 34 trainings, presentations, and outreaches on a variety of topics including: Abuse Prevention, Emergency Preparedness, Employment Rights, Rights to Community Based Living Options, Changes to the Lanterman Act, Rights of People Served by the Regional Center System (Your Rights), Disability Rights California and the Developmental Disabilities Peer/Self-Advocacy Unit Services, Ticket to Work, Transitioning from Youth to Adulthood, Voting Rights, Stigma and Discrimination, Individual Program Plans and Your Vote Counts.

We also provided information about our services to approximately 1,136 people and groups such as: The ARC of Palm Desert, Imperial Valley Conference, Mountain Pathways Bakersfield, Carver Middle School Outreach at Career Fair, California State University Los Angeles, Cal Tash Conference, Southside Art Center in Auburn, Region 2 People First Meeting in Red Bluff, Mechoopda Tribe of Chico, Sunrise Lodge LLC in Roseville, Empire Ranch Modesto, Capitol People First, Easter Seals in Torrance, Our Way Client Run Center, the Choices Conference in Stockton, Autism Conference in Los Angeles, Sierra People First, Bakersfield Adult Day Program, Kern Adult Program, New Advances for People with Disabilities, Porterville Developmental Center Unit 52 and Unit 54, Riverside Ranch Outpatient Services, San Pedro Mental Health Center, Self-Advocacy Project Regional Meeting in Sacramento, Mt. Diablo People First, Yolo Alcohol & Drug Mental Health Group, and Placerville People First

Developmental Disabilities Peer/Self Advocacy Goals: Goal 1, Objective B
Disability Rights California Staff: Daniel Meadows, Marinda Reed and Scott Barron
Grant/Funding Source(s): PADD, PAVA

Marisa[3] Selects a Supported Living Agency and moved into an Apartment

Marisa has been working for the past three months on identifying an appropriate supported living agency with self-advocacy support from us. She selected an agency and moved into an apartment in April. Marisa is excited about the fact that the apartment is near Arden Fair, a large mall with popular department stores, shops, and restaurants in Sacramento. In addition, she is learning how to access the community through the supported living agency by getting mobility training to learn how to use the transit system.

Developmental Disabilities Peer Self-Advocacy Goals: Goal 1, Objective A
Disability Rights California Staff: Daniel Meadows
Grant/Funding Source: PADD

Cal Tash Conference

We provided training on Transitioning from Youth to Adulthood at the Cal Tash Conference in Orange County . Three hundred people attended, including parents, people with developmental disabilities, and teachers. Although the training was geared towards parents and people with disabilities, the majority of the attendees in our training were special education teachers. They had questions about regional center services, the Individual Program Plan (IPP) process, and what types of supports could be written into an IPP. We discussed planning for the IPP, supported employment, independent living, supported living, and community supports. Our training included user-friendly materials, a PowerPoint presentation, and a question and answer session to address specific areas of concern.

Developmental Disabilities Peer Self-Advocacy Goals: Goal 1, Objective B
Disability Rights California Staff: Brenda Calderon, Daniel Meadows, and Scott Barron
Grant/Funding Source: PADD

Capitol People First Training

We provided training to Capitol People First on Voting Rights and Civic Participation. The training included a PowerPoint presentation, user-friendly materials and a question and answer section. During the training, members of the organization said that they did not have any voting goals written in their IPP but as a result of the training would be contacting their case managers to add a voting goal.

Developmental Disabilities Peer Self-Advocacy Goals: Goal 1 Objective B
Disability Rights California Staff: Daniel Meadows
Grant/Funding Source: PAVA

Allies in Self-Advocacy Regional Summit

During 2011, Sharon Lewis, the U.S. Commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD), is holding a series of five regional self-advocacy summits. The summits’ purpose is to strengthen and enhance self-advocacy efforts within each state and nationally. The summits are planned in conjunction with ADD Network partners, including the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE), State Developmental Disabilities Services Agencies, Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN), and Human Services Research Institute (HSRI).

 

On March 24 and 25, 2011, the West Regional summit took place in Los Angeles. State teams representing California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado attended the summit. Disability Rights California staff from the Developmental Disabilities Peer Self Advocacy Unit and Los Angeles Regional Office were members of the California State Team. The California team also included staff and self-advocates from the California Department of Developmental Disabilities, California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Area Boards, Fiesta Educativa, University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) at UCLA, USC, and UC Davis, and People First of California.

Before the summit, the California state team developed a PowerPoint overview of accomplishments, strengths, and challenges in self-advocacy. Examples of recommendations for strengthening self-advocacy in California included conducting outreach to youth, underserved communities of color, and LGBT communities; sharing information and collaborating with each other; meeting with legislators, attending Disability Capitol Action Day (DCAD); and using media to get the word out about disabilities and important related issues.

During the summit, each state team met in small groups to develop a state plan and national recommendations. The California plan developed recommendations including: creation of local self-advocacy summits; outreach to youth; hosting leadership trainings; and developing statewide action alerts, outreach materials, and a statewide self-advocacy resource library. Each state team presented the outcomes of their small group working meetings to all of the state teams as well Commissioner Lewis.

Additional information about the Regional summit held in Los Angeles and the other regional summits is available at http://alliesinselfadvocacy.org/.

Developmental Disabilities Peer Self-Advocacy Goals: Goal 2, Objective A (Self Advocacy)
Disability Rights California Staff: Scott Barron and Hillary Sklar
Grant/Funding Source(s): PADD

Material Development: Ticket to Work Publication Completed

The Ticket to Work publication was completed this quarter. It explains the Social Security Administration Ticket to Work program in easy to understand terms. Having easy to understand information about this program is critical for people with disabilities who would like to enter or reenter the work force. The Ticket to Work program allows people with disabilities to enter the workforce with supports while they transition to substantial gainful employment without losing important benefits such medical coverage. For more information about the specifics of the Ticket to Work program please review the publication located here: http://www.disabilityrightsca.org/pubs/549101.pdf.

Developmental Disabilities Peer Self-Advocacy Goals: Goal 1, Objective C
Disability Rights California Staff: Brenda Calderon, Jenny Olson, Alicia Mendoza, Daniel Meadows, Marinda Reed, Maria Marquez, Adam Borovkoff and Scott Barron
Grant/Funding Source: PADD

California Memorial project

Memorial Plaques to be donated to the California Memorial Project

Following advocacy efforts by staff working on the California Memorial Project, Ivy Lawn Cemetery in Ventura offered to donate two memorial plaques to honor and restore dignity to the many people with psychiatric and developmental disabilities who lived and died at Camarillo State Hospital. One plaque will be placed near the gravesites of former hospital residents at the cemetery, and plans are being made to place another plaque, pending university administration approval, on the campus of the California State University – Channel Islands, which is on the grounds of the former state hospital.

Peer-Self-Advocacy: Goal 2, Objective A (Systems Advocacy)
Disability Rights California Staff: Robyn Gantsweg; community member - Laura Rasey Miller,
Grant/Funding Source(s): PAIMI