Monday June 1, 2020
Nicole Weiss, Asst Director, Quality Assurance, Brian Bennett, Asst Director, Resource Development, and his team will be meeting with the Department of Developmental Services to review our capacity to sustain a surge in the need for quarantining due to COVID-19.

I will be participating in the webinar, “Using Technology to Deliver Services and Supports in Homes, Neighborhoods, and Communities: Evidence and Promise” hosted by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) from 1 pm to 2 pm by Zoom.

I’ll be meeting with Doug Bonnet to discuss the activities, communications strategy, and ideas for the weekly Health Advisory publication.

Dena Pfeifer will be chairing the Consumer Services committee staffed by Cindy Mix, Director of Consumer Services. Several VMRC staff will be in attendance to provide reports and updates. See the committee webpage for more information: https://www.vmrc.net/consumer-services-committee-2/

Linda Collins, Treasurer, will chair the Nominating Committee meeting from 5 pm to 6 pm. The only agenda item is to decide on the slate of officers to present to the full board later this month.

Tuesday June 2, 2020
I’ll be meeting with the Senior Leadership team from 9 am to 12 noon for department updates. We are still watching the latest developments on the state budget proposals and working on logistics for safely returning to the buildings.

The executive directors of the regional centers will be meeting from 3 pm to 4 pm to review the latest regarding the budget proposals and the COVID-19 response in California.

Wednesday June 3, 2020
I will be attending the bi-annual conference of the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disability Services virtually. First session starts at 5 am will cover the topic of technology during an emergency and success states have had during the pandemic. By 10:30 am there will be a session with Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge, California DDS Director Nancy Bargmann, and representatives from North Dakota and Louisiana, focused on, among other topics, how state systems can effectively navigate both disruption and change. Later we’ll have a presentation and discussion from the results of the NASDDDS survey where “States are asked to submit only one Powerpoint slide highlighting an innovation created in response to the pandemic they feel has most transformed their service system and that they hope to continue in some manner post crisis and/or inform future services.”

Doug Bonnet, Spec. Asst to the Director, will be holding a training for advocates on how to access information on our website and other media resources we use.

DDS will be hosting a meeting of the Porterville Quality Management Advisory Group to review quality management data regarding the quality of services provided to individuals who have transitioned to the community from Porterville Developmental Center since May 1, 2015. Katina Richison, from Special Projects and Nicole Weiss from Quality Assurance will be representing VMRC.

Tina Vera, Board Member, will be chairing the Special Events committee meeting from 1:30 pm to 3 pm by zoom. For more information about this meeting and the committee visit their webpage at: https://www.vmrc.net/specialevents/

Linda Collins, Treasurer, will be chairing the Finance Committee staffed by Claudia Reed, CFO, from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. For more information about this committee and the meeting details visit the committee’s webpage at:https://www.vmrc.net/finance-committee/

Margaret Heinz, President, will be chairing the Executive Committee meeting from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm by zoom. For more information about this committee and the meeting details visit the committee’s webpage at: https://www.vmrc.net/executive-committee-2/

Thursday June 4, 2020
I will be participating in day two of the NASDDDS conference virtually. Beginning at 9 am I will be participating in a session with state leaders discussing the trends and the future of developmental services. One of the keynotes for the day includes a panel discussion with Michael Smull, Senior Partner, Support Development Associates, LLC, Beth Barol, PhD, LSW, BCB, NADD-CC, Associate Professor, Widener University’s Center for Social Work Education, Gregory Cherpes, M.D., Medical Director, Office of Developmental Programs in Pennsylvania, Claudia Johnson, Director, Kentucky’s Division of Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities, Elizabeth Kries, Assistant Director, Kentucky’s Division of Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities, and Debra Pinals, M.D., Medical Director of Behavioral Health and Forensic Programs, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The final sessions of the conference includes Using Data to Improve Social Determinants of Health and Enhanced Behavioral Support Home Model by Liberty Healthcare Corporation, which also features Nancy Bargmann, Director of DDS.

We have a meeting with PG&E to discuss their shut down plans and the impact power outages have on our consumers.

The regional center executive directors will be meeting with Nancy Bargmann Director of the Department of Developmental Services from 1 pm to 2 pm.

Throughout the day we will be working with Dena Hernandez and her team from North Valley Hills Office of SCDD to coordinate the distribution of personal protective equipment for provides, families and consumers at our Stockton office.

Friday May 22, 2020
I will be participating in the HCBS Advisory Committee meeting from 9 am to 11 am. This is an important committee as it impacts everyone who receives, or provides, Home and Community Based Services. Activities are happening now to help California meet these new requirements, before the implementation deadline of March 17, 2022. For more information on the HCBS New Rules visit the committee’s webpage at: https://www.dds.ca.gov/initiatives/cms-hcbs-regulations/

SAC6, chaired by Lisa Utsey, will be hosting another weekly Friday Morning Chat for the Self-Advocates in our region from 11 am to 12 pm. I will be joining to give a quick VMRC update.

Doug Bonnet will be publishing the 14th weekly Health Advisory report. The report will include an update on the budget, DDS directives, and several quick updates from various parts of our organization.

Saturday June 7, 2020
VMRC Cultural Specialist Gabby Lopez and her team will be delivering food to 55 people with disabilities and their families thanks to a generous donation from the Presentation Food Pantry.