Disability Thrive Initiative

On Wednesday, ARCA, with the support of Lanterman Regional Center, as well as the co-hosting and participation of San Gabriel/Pomona, Eastern Los Angeles, North Los Angeles County, Harbor, Westside, and South Central Los Angeles Regional Centers, held a community roundtable. This event was meant to inform legislators about the crises the developmental service system and their constituents face, and the options available in the Special Session (X2). It is our great pleasure to report that the event was a tremendous success. Click here to read more, and go to the ARCA page for highlights and pictures: http://arcanet.org/dir.php.

Aug. 13 – State and Community updates

Aug. 20 – meeting on Developmental Center Transition Process

State Senator Mike McGuire will host two Town Hall meetings over the course of two weeks in Sonoma County – providing updates on state and local issues to residents at the first meeting, and providing a forum to discuss the pending closure of the Sonoma Developmental Center at the second meeting.

Senator McGuire’s annual Town Hall in Sonoma County will be held on the evening of Thursday, Aug. 13, and is packed with community leaders who will be on hand to catch residents up on what’s happening throughout the county, state and in their neighborhood. There will be plenty of time for questions and conversation. Read More.

Not only is California’s Medi-Cal system and its public behavioral health system changing (see California As A Bellwether, California & The Mental Health Carve-Out, and Innovation, California Style), some of the basic policies and practices for serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are evolving as well. The California State Department of Developmental Disabilities (DDS) is responsible for this population through the administration of the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act and the Early Intervention Services Act, laws which ensure the coordination and provision of services and supports for people with developmental disabilities. Read more.

Richard Royse began a career working with developmentally disabled people in California about 40 years ago, in the afterglow of lawmakers’ approval of the Lanterman Act, which put the state at the forefront of helping people historically warehoused in state-run institutions and forgotten.

After working around the country, Royse returned last year to lead Sacramento’s InAlliance, a nonprofit that provides housing, employment and other services to clients with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

Read More, and make a difference by taking action: tell our legislators to Keep the Promise by clicking here

On Wednesday, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against California alleging that the state failed to transfer defendants with mental health issues or disabilities who were deemed incompetent to stand trial to state hospitals in a timely manner, Reuters reports (Bernstein, Reuters, 7/29).

Background

Defendants in criminal court must be able to comprehend any charges against them and help in their own defense. Read more.

Please see below message from Dr. April Lopez, Chair

Please join me in welcoming Aaron Carruthers as the Executive Director of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD). He brings many years of experience with legislation, advocacy, state administration, and council leadership:

New SCDD Director

The Budget was signed by the Governor containing no new funds for developmental services, other than to provide for anticipated new clients entering our service system. In addition to the budget agreement, the Governor also convened two Special Sessions.

From the Lanterman Coalition: “Three key senators have introduced a bill to give our community services the emergency 10% across-the-board funding increase the Lanterman Coalition has been seeking all year. Read more on SBx2 here.