Attention self-advocates and family advocates of the developmentally disabled community!

The Association of Regional Center Agencies (ARCA) is seeking to create policymakers for the developmental services system by offering you a free training opportunity!

North Bay Regional Center needs 4 volunteers who desire to gain more in-depth knowledge of the California developmental services system and are interested in becoming an effective policymaking partner in society!

Application deadline is Sunday March 17^th!

Partners in Policymaking Project

The Association of Regional Center Agencies (ARCA) and its member agencies have an opportunity to bring together self-advocates and family advocates to break down barriers to full participation in their community and ensure people served by regional centers can become leaders in society.

DDS will be hosting several important conversations that will culminate in a Master Plan for the future of developmental services in California.

Each regional center will identify 6 volunteers to join either an English-Speaking Cohort or a Spanish Speaking Cohort of advocates to learn the foundations of the developmental community system using the Minnesota Governor’s Council online training program based on Partners in Policymaking.

Orientation for the program begins on March 18^th, the first class will be held on April 1^st, with the final session ending on June 16^th.

Please note that the dates on the application and agreement are incorrect as ARCA has decided to keep the registration process open.

Coursework for the program includes online self-directed course work, Zoom meetings with breakout discussions focused on the coursework, and a conference style in-person session.

This training program leverages the extensive content of Partners. The conference style final session includes content experts and thought leaders from developmental services across the country. In the end the participants will:

• Gain in-depth knowledge of developmental services.
• Attain confidence to speak independently on matters important to them to policymakers and other systems decision-makers.
• Increase empathy for others with different perspectives.
• Develop lifelong friendships and allies; and
• Gain a new understanding of the potential of all people with disabilities.

What’s the Commitment of Time for the Partners?

1. There are 5 self-paced courses and each one takes an average of 4 hours to complete. Total course work study will be about 20 hours.
2. The team will conduct a 90-minute Zoom meeting with breakout discussions in follow-up to review the learning from each module. Total course work in virtual format will be 7.5 hours.
3. By mid-June 2024 the group will have a culminating session with participants arriving at around 3 pm on Friday and leaving at 3 pm on Sunday. Total course work study in a conference style format will be about 24 hours.

To apply, please complete the Policy Making Application and Agreement (below) and send the documents to the following contacts:

Application-English

Application-Spanish

Agreement-English

Agreement-Spanish

Online Applications

English: https://forms.office.com/r/SRpGE3jBAM

Spanish: https://forms.office.com/r/ja09e6EZCH

Coordinator Contacts

English Applicants:

Patty Moore pjmooreconsultingsb@gmail.com

Spanish Applicants:

Gaby Lopez gablop0527@gmail.com

We are excited to announce that our new Santa Rosa office will open to the community on July 10, 2023! Stay tuned for our Open House date when we will officially celebrate our new office location!