Advocacy Director’s Report
SUMMER 2007—Work as of April 30, 2007
This report represents a summary of the work PAI staff has reported from January 31, 2007 through April 30, 2007. Many thanks to those who provided the material to make this report possible.
Over the last three months, PAI attorneys and program directors were featured 10 times in national and California newspapers and on local radio evening news. Main issues were PAI’s anti-discrimination lawsuits, its support for care in the community and abuse & neglect. Highlights follow.
Anti-discrimination lawsuit press coverage
· The most extensive coverage was the Wall Street Journal’s front page in-depth story about the Laguna Honda Hospital rebuild and lawsuit, written by the Journal’s investigative reporter for health issues. Featured in the print article and in an online-only interview were PAI Attorney Elissa Gershon and the AARP Attorney on the Laguna Honda case, Bruce Vignery. This story, although complex, managed to frame the Laguna Honda rebuild as both outrageously expensive and counter to the culture of “small is beautiful,” which has been adopted across the U.S. as the future of community-based housing. In February, PAI Attorney Elizabeth Zirker was featured on KPFA evening news, interviewed in depth about the social and financial implications of the Laguna Honda rebuild.
· In March, the Los Angeles Times and the wire service, Associated Press, gave good coverage to the ongoing not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) situation in the town of Norco, quoting PAI Attorney Michelle Uzeta in a fairly supportive slant. Interestingly, previous press coverage of this campaign to drive out a small group of young women with developmental disabilities from a neighborhood home, tended to side with the neighbor who has posted a series of signs on her lawn describing the women erroneously as sex-offenders.
· Also in March, the San Diego City Beat reported on a new city agreement to hold conversions from rental apartments to condominiums to 1000 or under a year. PAI Attorney Ann Menasche was credited for her advice on promoting this strategy to reduce displacement of people with disabilities.
Care in and access to the community press coverage
· In April, the Sacramento Bee revisited its coverage of how Californians were going to be affected by the closure of the Agnews Developmental Center in 2008, which will result in 250 individuals with developmental disabilities moving to less restricted housing. PAI Attorney Ellen Goldblatt was quoted and able to help the reporter find two people to interview who had already made the transition from an institution into the community successfully.
· Also in April, the San Diego Union Tribune featured a report on a bill moving through the legislature to require owners of care homes to install fire sprinklers. PAI Attorney Eric Gelber explained the organization’s position against the proposal, which as it is written, could cause serious financial hardship for owners of small group homes.
· In March, the Tahoe Tribune gave good exposure to local meetings to increase access to paratransit in the region. The meetings were organized by PAI Collaborative Projects Director Lori Shepherd, who worked with the reporter so he could attend the meetings and then followed up with the newspaper’s first thank you letter for respectful coverage.
Abuse and neglect press coverage
· In February the Orange County Register published a major story about the higher incidence of crimes committed against people with developmental disabilities (about four times more frequently than the general population) vs. the much lower percentage of prosecution rates (5 % of crimes against people with disabilities are prosecuted, compared to 70% of crimes in general prosecuted). PAI Attorney Leslie Morrison was identified as an expert and the PAI white paper predicting this trend was cited. The paper, published in 2003, is “Abuse and Neglect with Developmental Disabilities: a Public Health Priority for the State of California” (/issues/abuse_pubs.html).
PAI Staff: Elissa Gershon, Elizabeth Zirker, Michelle Uzeta, Ann Menasche, Ellen Goldblatt, Eric Gelber, Lori Shepherd, Leslie Morrison
PAI Active in National Media Strategy
Following wide coverage of what became known as “The Ashley Treatment,” a series of operations and treatments conducted on a young girl with developmental disabilities in Seattle, the Disability Rights Washington (the protection & advocacy in Washington State) launched an investigation. Coordinated through the National Disability Rights Network, at least 10 of the statewide protection & advocacies participated in a national media strategy to refocus Ashley coverage on her human rights. In anticipation of the renewed press attention, PAI reworked its autonomy principles to include children with developmental disabilities. The new principles will be approved by PAI’s Board in September.
PAI Staff: Barbara Duncan
Grant/Funding Source(s): Trust Fund
Supporting PAI’s Memorial Golf Tournament & Fundraising Event
News Releases promoting the event and particularly the participation of the Fox40 sportscaster as Master of Ceremonies were developed and distributed widely to California mainstream media outlets. Good event coverage resulted in the Sacramento Bee and Davis Enterprise. The PAI website featured announcements of prizes contributed for the auction and other event news during the February –April 20 period.
PAI Staff: Barbara Duncan
Grant/Funding Source(s): Trust Fund
PAI Publishes 2006-2007 Fiscal Year Annual Report
The 2006 PAI Annual Report was produced in both full color and black and white and distributed widely at the April 20 fundraising event and memorial Golf Tournament in Davis. Accessible versions will soon be posted on the PAI website.
PAI Staff: Barbara Duncan
Grant/Funding Source(s): Trust Fund
PAI Website
Many Visit PAI’s Website
The webmaster subscribes to Google analytics for tracking of growth and use of the PAI website. More than 42,290 visitors used the website February-April; the highest proportion --29% of the visits—were to find publications. Other frequently visited pages are the homepage news items, jobs and issues. The largest number of visitors (4281) are directed to the site from a Google search, but a surprising number (3884) are now accessing the site directly, meaning they knew the address of the site without having to search. Similar to last quarter, 95% of PAI web visits are by people in the U.S., with the remaining 5% represented primarily by Ireland, Canada, UK and India.
PAI Staff: Barbara Duncan
Grant/Funding Source(s): Trust Fund
Hot Topics on the Homepage
Short news items on the PAI homepage are changed nearly everyday. They mainly report on PAI legal and advocacy work, as well as developments and events of interest to the disability community. Their value has been demonstrated this quarter by: receipt of hundreds of Advocacy Service Plan surveys filled out on the web; and by response to PAI’s appeal for public help in documenting adverse health effects from delays in receiving Medi-CAL approval; and in increased attendance at PAI events and seminars promoted on the website.
PAI Staff: Barbara Duncan
Grant/Funding Source(s): Trust Fund
Legislative activities
PAI Takes Position on 89 Bills
During the last quarter, the Legislation and Public Information Unit (LPIU) staff reviewed each bill introduced in the legislature. LPIU staff sent to PAI’s workgroup teams 534 bills for further analysis. As a result, PAI took positions on 89 bills thus far. Staff have written position letters and /or actively lobbied the legislation that we have taken positions on via legislative committee action or board approved principles. Highlighted below in this report is our legislative work in the area of voting, Medi-Cal and mental health. See previous Advocacy Director Report for highlights about other issue/disability specific areas and see our legislative web page (legislature/SupportOpposeLetters/2006-2007/Index.htm)/Attachment A for our positions on other bills.
Selected Positions:
AB 9 (Huff): The measure requires any eligible citizen to present proof of his or her identity to a member of the precinct board before receiving a ballot. The bill specifies six forms of currently valid identification that may be used for this purpose. AB 9 permits a voter who is unable to present proof of identity to cast a provisional ballot and makes a violation or attempted violation of these provisions a felony.
PAI opposed this bill because the ID requirements were overly strict and far exceeded Help America Vote Act requirements. The bill would have caused undue burden on individuals with disabilities who are less likely to have one of the specified acceptable ID’s. PAI worked with other advocacy groups, such as FREED, an independent living center in Grass Valley, and met with the author’s office to oppose this bill. The bill has been voted down along party lines in the Assembly Elections Committee and is currently up for reconsideration with very little hope of passage.
AB 18 (Blakeslee): The bill provides that a person with a disability who, because of disability, is unable to write may use a signature stamp when a signature is required. The individual may authorize another person to use the stamp, in his or her presence and with his or her express consent. PAI originally took an oppose unless amended position on this bill. Staff worked with other advocacy groups such as California Foundation of Independent Living Centers, FREED and the California Council of the Blind to address the following issues with the author’s office:
· The stamp owner needed to be able to authorize an assistant to use the stamp for them if the owner could not use it himself or herself.
· The definition of disability was limited to “physical disability” and needed to be more inclusive.
· The liability for misuse of the stamp rested firmly on the owner in most cases and needed to be more along the lines of how other forms of fraud are handled.
After working with the author and other stakeholder groups legislative staff was able to address these important issues and PAI moved to a support position on the bill. PAI Legislative staff are currently working with the author’s office to address the concerns of other stakeholders.
AB 585 (Berg): Because of the positive relationship that PAI legislative staff has with Assemblywoman Patty Berg’s office, staff was able to work with her when she decided to introduced AB 585. The bill would add targeted case management to the array of services offered under Medi-Cal. Although not sponsored by PAI, Ms. Berg used language drafted by PAI for the language in her bill.
SB 916 (Yee): This bill was sponsored by the California Hospital Association (CHA) in am attempt to ensure the release of people who are involuntarily held for more than 8 hours in an acute care hospital. People needing psychiatric assessment and treatment are to be transferred within 8 hours from acute care hospitals to facilities designated to provide assessment and treatment. Unfortunately space is limited at designated facilities and people end up staying in acute care hospitals for longer than 8 hours waiting for space. Currently acute care hospitals have immunity for involuntarily holding people for 8 hours. While PAI agrees that people should be released as soon as possible, the language of the bill granted the hospitals immunity for holding people longer than 8 hours. PAI opposed the bill because it gives hospitals incentives to hold people longer than 8 hours rather than focusing on addressing the problem of insufficient designated facilities where people can get assessment and treatment. After PAI’s involvement, the provision was removed from the bill. In addition, a stakeholder meeting was held by the CHA to draft alternative bill language to ensure people can be released from acute care hospitals, if they no longer need assessment and treatment, or transfer people to designated facilities within 8 hours, if they need assessment and treatment. All stakeholders are working to develop alternative language.
PAI Staff: Evelyn Abouhassan, Deborah Doctor, Margaret Johnson, Brandon
Tartaglia
Grant/Funding Source(s): Trust Fund, Equal Access
PAI Sponsors Two Pieces of Legislation
PAI is sponsoring two pieces of legislation this year, AB 1659 (Lieber) and AB 1410 (Feuer). Legislative staff heavily lobbied the bills, wrote letters on the measures, met with the authors of the legislation and committee staff as the bills moved through the legislative process, and testified on the bills. Key components of the measures are described below.
AB 1659 (Lieber): This bill is an effort to make the special education dispute resolution process effective, fair, transparent, and accessible for parents of students with disabilities. Among other things, this bill ensures:
· Parents and school districts can mutually agree to postpone administrative hearings and pursue informal resolutions instead;
· Parties are not required to complete administrative hearing preparations sooner than is required by law so that legal costs are kept to a minimum;
· The roles of judges and mediators are distinguished so that the same individual does not act as both mediator and judge before the same party or their counsel;
· Notice to parents of the reasons for school district proposals/denials;
· Better data to determine accessibility of the process and fairness of results;
· Prompt rulings to ensure continuation of agreed-upon services pending final decisions; and
· Disclosure of documents asserting compliance with corrective actions following State Department of Education determinations of noncompliance by local agencies.
AB 1410 (Feuer): AB 1410 would require the state to apply to the federal government for a Medicaid waiver to provide more services to people with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Each year an estimated 22,000 Californians sustain a TBI from violence, athletic injuries, motor vehicle accidents, military service or other causes. However, California offers very few services for this rapidly increasing population, and has never applied for available federal home and community-based waiver services money which 25 other states already receive. AB 1410 is a very modest bill, aiming to serve 100 Californians with TBI, using already-appropriated state money as a match to the federal funds.
PAI Staff: Evelyn Abouhassan, Deborah Doctor
Grant/Funding Source(s): Trust Fund, Equal Access
Additional Studies on Proposed Extension of 2004 Nursing Home Rate Reform Bill
Legislative staff organized a meeting between senior advocates and Dr. Charlene Harrington of University of California - San Francisco, a national expert on nursing home issues, to discuss the proposed extension of the 2004 bill that gave huge rate increases to nursing homes. Dr. Harrington will share her ongoing research and her reasons for opposing the original increase and any future increases that are not tied to better staffing and performance from the nursing homes. Most of the senior advocates supported and continue to support the rate increases, which PAI and other disability groups oppose.
PAI Staff: Deborah Doctor
Grant/Funding Source(s): Equal Access
Community Choices Advisory Committee
PAI is a member of the 15-person statewide advisory committee of the federal community choices grant, which is focused on developing California’s long-term care infrastructure to increase access to home and community-based services and to help divert persons with disabilities and older adults from unnecessary institutionalization. The project seeks to:
· Establish one-stop resource centers in two county/regions to provide a coordinated system of information and access for any person seeking long-term care services and supports;
· .Develop a website to provide up-to-date information on home and community-based long-term care services and supports; and
· Complete a comprehensive study to improve the State’s understanding of the financial and structural barriers to increasing access to home and community-based services.
At the end of the five-year project period, California will have strategies and recommendations for its long-term care system, featuring replicable and sustainable models that empower consumers of long-term care.
http://communitychoices.info/overview.html
PAI Staff: Deborah Doctor
Grant/Funding Source(s): Equal Access
PAI Budget Advocacy
The governor released his budget in January 2007. As with previous years, a significant amount of work in the last quarter focused on budget advocacy. PAI legislative staff did an initial overview and summary of the budget while PAI workgroup members provided more substantive analysis in key budget areas.
PAI legislative and advocacy staff actively budget items that affect individuals with disabilities by testifying in budget hearings as to these issues. While not all inclusive, key budget issues included the DDS budget items, IHSS funding and Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) funding.
More specifically, PAI staff had several meetings with budget committee staff in both the Assembly and the Senate to discuss our analyses and advocate our positions as to key provisions in the governor’s budget that have an effect on persons with developmental disabilities. Staff also attended the budget hearings on DDS issues and testified in the committees as to those provisions.
In addition, PAI Legislative staff is again working with a coalition of IHSS consumers, advocates, unions and other stakeholders to fight against this year’s proposed cut to the IHSS program. The governor’s proposal to cut state support for worker wages was defeated in the first round of budget hearings in Assembly.
PAI Staff: Evelyn Abouhassan, Deborah Doctor, Margaret Johnson
Grant/Funding Source(s): Trust Fund, Equal Access
Development of and Adoption of New Guiding Principles for PAI Legislative and Policy work
Revision of the Personal Autonomy Principles: PAI staff suggested and drafted amendments to the PAI Personal Autonomy Principles to include broad policy principles supporting the right of persons with disabilities, including children with disabilities, to maintain personhood, bodily integrity and personal autonomy. These changes were suggested because of recent discussions in the disability community and the media about the “Ashley” case, the case of a young girl whose parents decided should undergo several operations to halt her growth so that they could continue to care for her at home. Staff who worked on these principles believed that this case reflected a lack of public policy discussions on the rights of children with disabilities and these changes to these principles would allow additional advocacy in this area.
PAI Staff: Evelyn Abouhassan, Barbara Duncan, Michelle Uzeta
Grant/Funding Source(s): Trust Fund, Equal Access
Health care reform principles and health care policy bills
There are at least a dozen bills introduced to expand health care to uninsured or underinsured Californians, following varied models. PAI staff has been tracking these legislative measures. In addition, the legislation committee has adopted principles about health care reform, laying out the issues affecting people with disabilities and providing a framework with which to analyze bills and take positions. PAI has taken the lead in drafting the principles and working with a coalition of disability groups who are adapting PAI’s principles for use by the members.
PAI Staff: Evelyn Abouhassan, Deborah Doctor, Dan Brzovic
Grant/Funding Source(s): Trust Fund, Equal Access
Capitol Action Day
This year PAI legislative staff is again working in coalition with other disability rights groups to plan and organize Capitol Action Day on May 23rd, an annual event that encompasses an educational forum, a resource fair, an exhibition of disability rights photos and a march to the capitol, rally and legislative visits.
PAI Staff: Brandon Tartaglia
Grant/Funding Source(s): Equal Access
Self Advocacy ACTIVITIES
COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS
Civic Involvement Project in El Dorado County Focuses on Transportation
Collaborative Projects helps people with disabilities develop statewide or local advocacy projects. These projects create opportunities for people with disabilities to assume leadership roles in promoting their rights and work collaboratively cross disability communities.
Collaborative Projects provides technical assistance, leadership, training, and guidance to local disability-run groups to develop and implement projects. This may include providing training and developing training materials so people can become involved in their communities on issues of importance to them.
For the past several months the project has helped people with disabilities in El Dorado County create the Community Involvement Project. This is a project about civic involvement. Its purpose is to bring together people from different disability communities to advocate for changes an issue affecting everyone with disabilities.
In February, Community Involvement Project members in South Lake Tahoe created 5 committees: Fixed Route Bus Service, Door-to-Door Service, Working with Transportation Agencies, Off the Hill Transportation Services, and Other Local Transportation Services. Project members then defined the purpose of each committee.
In March, Community Involvement Project members in South Lake Tahoe placed meeting notices in the newspaper and created a meeting agenda to send out with the flyers about the project. Project members reviewed the list of unmet transportation needs in the Tahoe Basin.
The project met with El Dorado County elections staff to discuss accessibility issues at the polling places in South Lake Tahoe. It was agreed that one polling center with multiple accessible voting machines will be created so that voters with disabilities can access voting systems they can use. American Sign Language interpreters will be identified in South Lake Tahoe. These interpreters will be poll workers at the polling center to assist voters who are deaf or hearing impaired.
In April, South Lake Tahoe Community Involvement Project members created 2 surveys: one for users of the Door to Door Service (paratransit) and another survey about people’s experiences in traveling from South Lake Tahoe for medical appointments, shopping, recreation, etc. Project members sent these surveys and general information about the project to 350 people with disabilities and/or older adults who get discounted bus passes. Project members continue to evaluate the bus stops to identify which ones need changes in order to comply with federal transit agency requirements.
They are: 1) reviewing transportation regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act; 2) establishing contacts with local transportation agencies; and 3) reviewing local budgets for transportation systems. They began learning the necessary self-advocacy skills to make effective complaints about rude treatment by a bus driver.
PAI Staff: Nakida Gooden, Lori Shepherd, Mario Ximenez
Grant/Funding Source(s): PAVA
Developmental Disabilities peer self advocacy
DDPSAU Trains People with Developmental Disabilities across California
Unit staff provided seven trainings and outreaches on a variety of topics such as; IPP Rights, Self Directed Services, Effective Self Advocacy and Independent Living Service to approximately 130 people in groups such as the San Diego People First, East Los Angeles Regional Center, Fairview and Lanterman Developmental Centers, and at the Imperial County Self Advocacy Conference. Staff developed training materials in the areas of abuse prevention, independent living services and employment re-entry options.
PAI Staff: Marinda Reed, Maria Marquez
Grant/Funding Source(s): PADD/ PAVA
JM Develops her Self-Advocacy Skills in the Community and JS has Peer Support at her IPP
This quarter staff provided individual peer advocacy support services to JM who successfully achieved her goal of transitioning from a state operated facility into supported living services. JM moved into her first home of her own mid-January 2007. JM is happy in her new living arrangement and is enjoying the new freedoms and responsibilities of living in the community. Staff are supporting JM in further development of her self advocacy skills and will assist her to transition to less formal peer and self advocacy supports.
DDPSAU staff coordinated peer advocacy supports with legal unit staff in order to assist JS a plaintiff in the Capitol People First lawsuit. (See DOL Report Number 47 for more information about this lawsuit). JS requested additional peer advocacy support to prepare for an Individual Program Plan meeting with her regional center and assistance with strengthening her self advocacy skills. Through peer support JS was able to participate effectively at her IPP meeting.
Developmental Disabilities Peer Self Advocacy, Goal 1, Objective 3
PAI Staff: Marinda Reed, Sujatha Branch
Grant/Funding Source(s): PADD
DDPSAU Liaisons with Capitol People First to Revise a Publication
The DDPSAU maintains liaison relationships with a number of other regional, state and national stake holder and self advocacy organizations. Staff has begun a project with Capital People first to revise the publication “Your IPP - It’s Not Just a Piece of Paper”.
Developmental Disabilities Peer Self Advocacy, Goal 1, Objective 5
PAI Staff: Maria Marquez
Grant/Funding Source(s): PADD
DDPSAU Active in Outreach and Training Activities Related to PAI’s Advocacy Services Plan Development
DDPSAU staff coordinated and conducted 14 and assisted with three PAI Advocacy Services Plan focus groups throughout the state. Several of these were combined with self-advocacy trainings and others were designed with an outreach component to provide information about PAI, OCRA, and DDPSAU services. Staff are particularly proud of the self-directed services training presented during a PAI Advocacy Service Plan focus group at the Imperial County event, as this was an opportunity to bring information about an emerging service option to an underserved rural and Latino community.
Developmental Disabilities Peer Self Advocacy, Goal 1 and 2, Objectives All
PAI Staff: Marinda Reed, Maria Marquez, Alicia Mendoza, Yvonne McGough, OCRA staff and regional legal staff
Grant/Funding Source(s): PADD/PAVA/ASP
Peer Self Advocacy
PSA Weekly Self-Advocacy Groups Learn About and Discuss Many Issues
The Peer/Self Advocacy Unit provides weekly self-advocacy groups throughout California. Over the past couple of months, each self-advocacy group held meetings to give input into PAI’s next 5 year Advocacy Services Plan.
Groups covered a variety of different topics some of which included the following:
· The Crestwood Redding Self-Advocacy group is reviewing the criteria they need to demonstrate that they are not gravely disabled as that term is defined under the Lanterman Petris Short Act.
· The Woodlake Women’s Association Self-Advocacy group in the central valley celebrated their 3rd anniversary.
· The Coalinga and Huron Self-Advocacy groups in the central valley are learning to read and write in Spanish to help them learn skills needed to advocate for themselves.
· The Spanish Self-Advocacy group at View Heights, an Institute for Mental Disease (IMD), held an “Ask a Lawyer” meeting with attorneys from PAI’s Los Angeles Regional Office. The group’s focus is currently on conservatorship issues and how to get out and stay out of psychiatric facilities. The PAI attorneys answered questions about group members’ specific situations and gave them information necessary to take the next steps to achieve their goals. Group members benefited from the opportunity to meet with PAI attorneys and have requested another ask-a-lawyer day.
· The Country Villa IMD Self-Advocacy group in Riverside is discussing “Introduction to Self-Advocacy”.
· The Alpine IMD Self-Advocacy group in San Diego County has been doing role plays about conservatorship hearings.
· The Friendship Self-Advocacy group, which is held in a client run clubhouse in San Diego, is learning about housing options.
· The Veterans Self-Advocacy group, which is held at the Veterans Hospital in La Jolla, is discussing benefits.
Peer-Self Advocacy staff also provided trainings on voting rights and civic participation for the following groups:
· Sutter/Yuba County Mental Health Independent Living group
· The Perris Mental Health Clinic Socialization Club
· T.E.A.M. House in San Diego
· Menlo Adult School in Los Angeles
· Los Angeles Latino Client Coalition
· The Clinic Monsenor Romero GL group called Latinos Unidos En Contra del Sida in Los Angeles
Peer-Self Advocacy staff provided Health Advocacy training at the Frisson Board and Care in San Diego and helped the group celebrate the completion of the training with certificates and a pizza party. The Health Advocacy Project is a project to teach residents of board and care facilities about health care options and teach them to advocate for the options they want and is funded by the California Endowment.
Peer-Self Advocacy, Goal 2
PAI Staff: Mark Olberg, Sharon Schmidt, Amy Breckenridge, David Solis, Karyn Farr, Senobia Pichardo, Garnet Magnus, Michael McPherson, Robyn Gantsweg, and Rob Chittenden
Grant/Funding Source(s): PAIMI, PAVA, TCE/HAP
Coalinga and Huron Self-Advocacy Groups to hold First Annual Monolingual Spanish Speaking Mental Health Consumer Day
The Coalinga, Woodlake and Huron Self-Advocacy groups in the central valley are planning the first annual Monolingual Spanish Speaking Mental Health Consumer Day scheduled for May 11, 2007. It is titled: “Quitándonos la Máscara” (“Removing the Mask”), in reference to the “mask” of non-disclosure many mental health consumers have.
The planned activities will include discussions about mental health issues, stigma, individual experiences, community supports and resources, survivor/success stories, folk dances and poetry readings.
All three Self-Advocacy groups decided it is important to meet annually, so as to keep up on mental health issues, experiences and self-advocacy projects throughout rural Tulare and Fresno Counties.
It is rare for community support groups to last for more than a few months. These groups have been in existence for over two years. As a result they feel that it is imperative that they meet with peers from other communities so as to mentor, offer guidance, communicate and celebrate their achievements.
Peer-Self Advocacy, Goal 4, Objective A
PAI Staff: David Solis
Grant/Funding Source(s): PAIMI
Peer Self Advocacy Group Members Help Westside Family Services Review their Services
Members of the Coalinga and Huron Self-Advocacy groups are members of the Westside Family Services Peer Review Team. Westside Family Services is a project that is funded by the California Department of Social Services named “Strategies”. Westside Family Services is a direct provider of first response and crisis services to families in these communities. Since members of the Self-Advocacy groups are mental health consumer leaders in the Latino community, it is important that they participate in the Peer Review Team to ensure the needs of the community are considered. The goal of the Peer Review Team is to evaluate the agency’s service plan, staff composition, diversity and cultural competency, community involvement, and administrative planning in order to ensure a better level of service to the communities of Huron and Coalinga. Once the review is completed, Westside Family Services will put together a plan to implement the Peer Review Team’s suggestions.
Peer-Self Advocacy, Goal 4, Objective A
PAI Staff: David Solis
Grant/Funding Source(s): PAIMI
Creekside Self-Advocacy Members get a Non-Smoking through Self Advocacy Efforts
The Creekside Self-Advocacy group in Santa Rosa sent a letter to the facility administrator requesting a non-smoking area outside. As a result, a non-smoking area was identified in the outside court yard.
Peer-Self Advocacy, Goal 4, Objective A
PAI Staff: Sharon Schmidt
Grant/Funding Source(s): PAIMI
Peer-Self Advocacy Staff Provide Outreach throughout California
Peer-Self Advocacy staff outreaches include the following:
· At San Bernardino Behavioral Health, PSA staff provided information to clients about PAI services.
· In Riverside County at the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA, also known as Prop 63) Peer-Support Centers and the Jefferson Transitional Programs trainings were given on stigma and discrimination.
· At the California Network of Mental Health Clients Far South Meeting, staff provided training about PSA services.
· At a NAMI Los Angeles meeting, PSA staff participated in a presentation on “Choices in Recovery”.
· At Patton State Hospital, PSA staff gave residents information about PAI services.
· In Ventura County, PSA staff is looking for a location to provide PSA services.
· In Los Angeles, PSA staff participated in training at Jovenes, Inc. about “Sexuality and the Homeless”.
· In Humboldt County, PSA staff participated in an organizational meeting to form a client coalition.
Peer-Self-Advocacy, Goal 8
PAI Staff: Garnet Magnus, Michael McPherson, Senobia Pichardo, Robyn Gantsweg, Rob Chittenden
Grant/Funding Source(s): PAIMI
PSA Staff Train Peer Support Specialists
At Project Return in Los Angeles, PSA staff trained clients seeking to be hired as peer support specialists who are funded under the Mental Health Services Act. Peer support specialists are hired by the California Department of Mental Health (DMH) to provide information and referrals to community services and resources and peer support for clients in the local community. PSA staff will participate on future panels with representatives from other local self-help agencies to train other clients seeking employment with DMH.
Peer-Self-Advocacy, Goal 8
PAI Staff: Robyn Gantsweg
Grant/Funding Source(s): PAIMI
Self Advocacy Units Continues Collaborative Work on the California Memorial Project
In March and April, PAI’s Peer Self Advocacy Unit, PAI’s Developmental Disabilities Peer-Self Advocacy, PAI’s Legislative Unit, other PAI staff, California Network of Mental Health Clients, and California People First representatives met to discuss strategic planning and to set both short term and long term goals. The goals the group developed included goals related to cemetery restoration, oral histories, self help/advocacy movements, Remembrance Day ceremonies, media, and fund raising.
Developmental Disabilities Peer Self Advocacy, Goal 1, Objective 4
Peer-Self Advocacy, Goal 10
PAI Staff: Karyn Farr, Sharon Schmidt, Amy Breckenridge, Yvonne McGough, Alicia Mendoza, David Solis, Michael McPherson, Senobia Pichardo, Garnet Magnus, Rosie Tellez, Stacy Saephanh, Sheryl Bradford, Daniel Meadows, Jenny Olsen, Marinda Reed, Evelyn Abouhassan, Barbara Duncan, Catherine Blakemore, Margaret Johnson
Grant/Funding Source(s): PAIMI, PADD
ATTACHMENT A
legislature/SupportOpposeLetters/2006-2007/Index.htm