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Select from the following
Special Topics:
Request for Proposals
Client Benefit Fund
Consumer Complaint Process
David Isom Award
Dental Wellness Grant
Fair Hearing Procedures
RCRC Speakers Bureau
Self Determination
Specialty Health Care Clinics
Telemedicine
Regional Center Fair Hearing Procedures
As of January 1, 1999 a number of changes have been made to the
fair hearing due process procedures used when a consumer has a dispute against Redwood
Coast Regional Center. These changes can affect when a hearing will be held, whether
there will be attempts to resolve the problem with the Regional Center before the
hearing, and whether a consumer will be allowed to have witnesses testify at a hearing
or introduce evidence. It is important that every consumer filing for a fair hearing
against the Regional Center be aware of these changes.
New Fair Hearing Procedures
- Consumer (or his/her representative) fills out "Fair Hearing
Request" form, available upon request from RCRC. If the consumer is contesting
the proposed reduction or termination of an existing service, the existing level
of service will be continued throughout the appeal process if the consumer appeals
within 10 days of receiving the Notice of Action of the change.
- Within 10 days after the form is received, the Executive Director
of RCRC will attempt to meet informally with the consumer and/or representative to
try to resolve the issue. The consumer may refuse the informal meeting and proceed
directly to a hearing. If an informal meeting is held, the Director will notify the
consumer of his decision within 5 days after the hearing.
- If the consumer does not agree with the Director’s decision, he/she
shall be offered the opportunity to participate in mediation. An impartial mediator
will be provided by the state. A consumer who participates in mediation can still
choose to proceed to a hearing if he/she is dissatisfied with the mediation results.
- If the consumer still wishes a hearing it must be held within
50 days of the date RCRC received the Fair Hearing request (or the date it was postmarked
if it’s mailed). This time period can be extended up to 90 days by request of either
the consumer or the Regional Center.
- At least five days before the hearing, the consumer and RCRC must
exchange a list of potential witnesses, the general subject of the testimony of each
witness, and copies of all potential documentary evidence. The hearing officer may
prohibit witness testimony or the introduction of evidence if this prior exchange
does not occur.
- The fair hearing must be held in a time and place reasonably convenient
for the consumer and representative. The state will provide a hearing officer, who
must render a decision within 10 days following the hearing.
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New Consumer Complaint Process
This process is to be used whenever a consumer or his/her representative
believes that the Regional Center is abusing, punitively withholding, or improperly
denying any right to which the consumer is entitled. This would include: complaints
that mandated timelines are not being followed; that the Regional Center is discriminating
against a consumer; or that Regional Center decisions are being made improperly.
[For example: decisions regarding requested services are not being made at the IPP,
but instead are referred to a supervisor or other person who was not part of the
IPP team]. This complaint process should not be used for resolving dispute concerning
the nature, scope or amount of services involving an IPP (those disputes should continue
to be resolved through the Fair Hearing process).
Consumers and their representatives should be given notice of the
Consumer Rights Complaint Process when they apply for Regional Center eligibility,
when admitted to a Developmental Center, and at all regularly scheduled meetings
(such as IPPs or ISFPs).
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Client Benefit Fund
The Client Benefit Fund is a fund established for the use of RCRC consumers and families.
The Client Benefit Fund Committee is a committee of the RCRC Board of Directors.
This committee has money set aside for consumers and/or their families to access.
The purpose of the committee is to administer the fund in a way that brings excitement
and fun to consumers, and thereby improves their quality of life and enhances their
choices.
These monies cannot be paid directly to a family or consumer, but are sent to the
business, agency or supplier to acquire the requested item. The Board of Directors
has set guidelines as to what the fund can purchase.
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David A. Isom Excellence in Service Award
Each year, the Area I Developmental Disabilities Board, the Redwood Coast Developmental
Services Corporation, and Local People First Chapters come together in a united project
to honor and show appreciation to the individuals who provide services to persons
with developmental disabilities in Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake and Mendocino counties.
We have chosen to honor the life and work of David A. Isom by naming this award after
him. David A. Isom dedicated many years of his life to enhancing the lives of persons
with developmental disabilities and their families. He revolutionized the educational
and treatment opportunities for children and adults in the State of Oregon, and later
brought his considerable talents to California as the Executive Director of Redwood
Coast Regional Center. In California, Mr. Isom worked on local and statewide levels
to keep persons with developmental disabilities and their families in the forefront
of systemic concern. He honored each individual as unique and important, and always
kept a focus on each person’s dignity and quality of life.
In this light, we search for those persons who bring their considerable talents to
the developmental services field. Through our process, members of People First Chapters
in each county select some of these dedicated individuals to honor. The individuals
who provide these invaluable services throughout our four county area, whether in
the larger cities or in the remote rural areas, are often taken for granted and overlooked.
Each year we acknowledge them by recognizing their excellent work.
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The Adopt-A- Home Program and Telemedicine Tools for Dentistry
RCRC and the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry are continuing their long
collaborative relationship that began ten years ago with the creation of The Rural
California Dental Project. The latest project is the result of a Wellness Initiative
Project Grant: Two Strategies for enhancing Dental Health for People with Developmental
Disabilities: The Adopt-A-Home Program and Telemedicine Tools for Dentistry.
The importance of dental health as a significant component of overall wellness is
frequently overlooked in the general population, let alone in a population where
factors such as income, staff turnover, physical and communication challenges, and
community inclusion issues exist. Therefore, RCRC continuously strives to develop
more sophisticated strategies in overcoming obstacles to dental health. The Dental
Wellness Initiative Project is funded by the California Department of Developmental
Service. The objectives of the project are as follows:
1. Adopt-A-Home. This project provides for training and guidelines for local dental
professionals who agree to volunteer to work with residential service providers and/or
families to maintain good consumer oral hygiene. The project is being piloted in
Humboldt county.
2. Intraoral cameras and printers will be purchased and installed in each of RCRC’s
three telemedicine sites. This equipment will enhance the dental effectiveness of
dental treatment, consultation, and distant education via the technology of telemedicine.
3. Two trainings and five videoconference presentations will occur for dental professionals,
with the goal of increasing their awareness and acceptance of dental issues of people
with developmental disabilities.
4. Intraoral cameras and printers will be available as an ongoing component in prevention
of dental disease
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Requests for Proposals (RFP)
(Updated January, 2007)
All RFPs in this section are in Portable Document Format. If you do not have a PDF reader, you can get one here:
COMMUNITY PLACEMENT PLAN RFPs
Check back frequently to review additional RFPs to be released in fiscal year 2007/08
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RCRC Speakers Bureau
The newly formed RCRC Speakers Bureau is a vehicle for community access to a range
of information and resources that support people with developmental disabilities
to achieve and maintain quality lifestyles. We hope that the Speakers Bureau will
let you get to know us a little better and help you make use of our resources. The
following individuals are available to your group for presentations.
| TOPIC AREA |
PRESENTER |
| Diagnosis/Social and emotional development |
Jerry Druker — Psychologist |
| Psychological testing |
Al Kastl — Psychologist |
| Medical topics |
John Sullivan — Pediatrician |
| Health and nutrition/Residential Issues |
Janet Foos — RCRC Nutritionist/ Resource Manager |
| Medical topics |
Connie Caldwell — Pediatrician |
| Person centered planning/ Positive behavioral Supports/Communication/Teaching skills |
Clay Jones — RCRC Associate Executive Director/Director of Community Services |
Telemedicine Assessment & Consultation Team
(TACT) |
Maggie McNeill — TACT Coordinator |
The services of the RCRC Speakers Bureau are free to your community organization.
For more information, or to schedule a presentation, contact Phil Bonnet, RCRC Executive
Director.
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Specialty Health Care Clinics
RCRC maintains and supports a variety of specialty clinics to address the unique
medical needs of individuals with developmental disabilities. The regional center
contracts with medical specialists who have practices in major medical centers in
the San Francisco bay area, and who represent a variety of disciplines. In addition,
the specialists are knowledgeable about medical issues and complications that can
be associated with a developmental disability.
Most clinics are held on a quarterly basis. If you or your family or caregiver think
that you could benefit from a consult with one of the specialists, contact your RCRC
service coordinator. The service coordinator will consult with the clinic coordinators
and your primary health care provider to ascertain the need for referral and your
consultation goals. Appointments for a specific clinic fill up rapidly. In general,
the clinics do not serve an emergency function. Medical crises are best addressed
by direct referral to an appropriate health care provider. Clinics for Humboldt and
Del Norte Counties are held in Eureka. Clinics for Mendocino and Lake Counties are
held in Ukiah.
Psychiatry
-Richard Goldwasser, MD
Calif Pacific Med Ctr, San Francisco
Genetics
-Eugene Hoyme, MD
UCSF – Stanford, Palo Alto
Pediatric Neurology
-Rowena Korobkin, MD
Calif Pacific Med Ctr, San Francisco
Ophthalmology
-Otis Paul, MD
Pacific Eye Assoc, San Francisco
GI/Nutrition
-Ken Cox, MD (Eureka)
UCSF – Stanford, Palo Alto
-William Berquist, MD (Ukiah)
UCSF – Stanford, Palo Alto
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Self-Determination Pilot Project
Click here to view a new Self-Directed Services flyer. It will tell you about informational meetings regarding this new service. Self Directed Services...Coming to a Regional Center near You.
This flyer is in Portable Document Format.
If you do not have a PDF reader, you can get one here:
RCRC and Area 1 Board are participating in the California Self-Determination Pilot Project. The State legislature has allocated funding for a three-year local pilot project.
The purpose of the project is to test a variety of methods to improve the ability of consumers and their families to control the decisions and resources needed to meet their goals.
A local advisory committee composed of RCRC consumers, family members, service providers and board members from the regional center and area board worked with RCRC and Area Board staff to develop a local implementation plan.
The goal of the local plan is that people with disabilities will determine their own futures, with appropriate assistance from family and friends. The local plan is based on the following principles:
- Freedom: Using a Person Centered Planning process, participants, with family and friends when chosen, will plan their life with necessary supports.
- Authority: The plan will include an individual budget that is unique to each person’s life choices and is under his or her control.
- Support: Participants will have help as needed to get and arrange the formal and informal supports and resources that they choose to make their plans a reality.
- Responsibility: Participants are expected to be accountable for their individual budgets and to contribute to their communities in ways that they choose.
Participation in the project is voluntary. Participants were chosen from a random sample of RCRC consumers living in Mendocino County. Ongoing training and supports on an individual and group basis are available to all participants for the duration of the project.
Please call Bob Eickmeier, Program Manager,
707-462-3832 x265
email: beickmeier@redwoodcoastrc.org
, with any questions about the project.
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Telemedicine Assessment and Consultation Team
(TACT)
MISSION STATEMENT:
The Telemedicine Assessment and Consultation Team works to understand and support
people with developmental disabilities and complex needs to live productively and
happily in the community. The goal is to achieve the highest level of personal wellness
and quality of life to each person’s satisfaction.
TACT is a new model of health care service that serves as a bridge to the community,
is a support for local health care providers, and promotes wellness and quality community
inclusion. Urban core team specialists and rural core teams provide Whole Person
Assessment and Treatment. They work together to support people with developmental
disabilities and other complex medical, dental and/or mental health care needs to
achieve wellness.
The core team of specialists for whole person assessment and treatment were recruited
and trained by Dr. Ruth Ryan and Ms. Barbara Ludwig. These two individuals are acknowledged
to be international leaders in the whole person assessment and treatment model. According
to this model, persons with multiple and/or complex needs are best served by a transdisciplinary
team of professional and non-professional people who come together to assess the
whole person, regardless of the initial (or longstanding) presenting issue.
The Team uses the technology of telemedicine to connect the urban specialists and
the rural participants. Telemedicine sites have been established in San Francisco,
Ukiah, and Eureka. Rural residents now can easily access quality specialized health
care.
TACT is a collaborative project that was made possible through three grant sources.
These grants included a Program Development Fund grant funded by the California State
Council on Developmental Disabilities, a Wellness Initiative Grant from the California
Department of Developmental Services, and a grant from the California Primary Care
Consortium.
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