October 2011 Staff Reports to the Board for the month of September 2011
Program Staff position summaries (alphabetically):
Assistive Technology (AT) Advocates (2)
Assists consumers in securing and providing information on AT resources and make referrals for services as appropriate. Provides information and referral services about AT issues to consumers, agencies and other interested persons utilizing in-house resources and consulting ATI&R Centers. Gathers and organizes information on a wide range of AT topics. Resolves inquiries of a general nature and makes referrals to community resources and agencies when appropriate. The AT Advocate also assists consumers with locating and applying for benefits programs and resources to fund their needed AT equipment. Provides community education and awareness on the benefits of Assistive Technology to the independence of persons with disabilities.
Community Living Advocates (CLA) (8)
CLAs (4) conduct consumer intake procedures and needs assessments. Provide independent living skills training (ILS) in the areas of Housing Seeking/Maintenance, financial management, Transportation/Mobility awareness, Community Resource Utilization, Personal Assistant (in-home care) Management and Self-advocacy. Advocates with consumers when access rights are limited or denied in housing, employment, transportation, benefits and health care. Drafts written Independent Living Plan goals with all consumers or obtains waiver. Serves on Committees to promote Systems Advocacy In the areas of housing, transportation and Personal Assistance and keep abreast of area issues.
CLA – Benefits (2) staff provide ILS as well, and have specialized training on financial benefits programs. They assist consumers in applying for all state and federal benefits for which they are eligible, assist consumers in appealing adverse benefits decisions. Discuss work incentives with consumers and the impact of other federal benefits systems on SSI/SSDI and conduct benefits analyses. Network with key agencies such as DOR, SSA, EDD.
The CLA for Deaf consumers (2) provides ILS and training to consumers on communications and appropriate use of sign language interpreters. This position serves the entire tri-county area.
Bi-Lingual/Bi-Cultural Information & Referral (4)
One position in each ILRC office assists the public, in person and on the phone, acting as initial point of contact with consumers, their families and community. Provides information regarding ILRC’s services and independent living focus and connect them with the staff that will provide the needed services. Provides information regarding disability related resources and services and make referrals of consumers and community contacts to appropriate community services. Maintains and updates Information and Referral resource files. Represents ILRC at informational related community events. Conducts structured outreach activities, with emphasis on under-served population groups. Provides Spanish Language access for consumers by interpreting materials, appointments with service staff.
Interpreter Coordinator/Advocate (1) Position Serving Tri-County
Area - based in Santa Maria
Conducts consumer intake, assessment and follow-up procedures. Provides advocacy on behalf of consumers for communication access. Provides self-advocacy and community resource utilization training to consumers. Updates consumer files and case notes on a regular basis. Provides communication assistance to speech/sensory impaired consumers/staff. Processes and schedules interpreter requests. Secures services of registry members for interpreting tasks in the community. Recruits for & maintains the Interpreter Registry. Facilitates payment of Interpreters through submission of Requests for Payment for interpreter invoices. Provides information/referral to consumers/public regarding services and resources and conducts community education presentations.
Program Manager (1), Serving Tri-County
Area - based in Santa Barbara
Supervise Program staff, overseeing their duties, providing training, monitoring performance and adherence to independent living philosophy, program objectives and certification standards. Monitor program performance and participate in program development. Develop and provide monitoring tools for staff and board evaluation of service data and goal attainment of service objectives and consumer satisfaction surveys. Conduct annual employee evaluations and assist staff in setting and attaining goals. Make referrals to the Employee Assistance Program when indicated or needed for staff performance. Provide program narrative input to Business Manager for grants and related reports. Keep current on labor laws, personnel management tools and training opportunities. Recruit, screen, interview, candidates for program positions. Provide initial orientation and training to new employees. Update program job descriptions, consumer manuals, and provide input to policies and procedures and coordinate with Business Manager. Process employee time sheets, track/monitor employee leave accounts, provide payroll information to Accountant for semi-monthly payroll, track and initiate salary step increases and submit Payroll Authorizations. Conduct or oversee community outreach, education and systems change projects/events. Serves on committees that network with other agencies and local governments to promote civil rights and increase capacity of access to consumers with disabilities in the community.
Systems Change Advocate (1) Position Serving Tri-County
Area - based in Santa Barbara
Through interaction with the Statewide Network for Systems Change, the Systems Change Advocate provides training and leadership to consumers with disabilities to develop a network for information exchange and advocacy at the local level. The Systems Change Advocate facilitates opportunities for consumers to develop and use the tools and skills needed to address barriers and affect systems change. The Systems Change Advocate is a Community Organizer around State and local issues, legislation and works with consumers and community partners to organize events and volunteer activities according to the State Wide plan and ILRC’s Advocacy Plan.
Staff Serving All 3 Counties
Jennie Morales, Interpreter Registry Coordinator – (based in Santa Maria)
I received a total of 85 Sign Language interpretation requests from various entities through out the Tri-Counties area. I was able to full-fill all of the requests but 2 due to no interpreter availability at the specific time/date requested for.
I have one interpreter that has “Re-joined” the registry as she has moved back to the Santa Barbara area.
I have been continually working on the workshop/outreach in the San Luis Obispo area on October 21st from 10 am to 12 pm. I want to thank my peers over at the Atascadero office, as they have been supportive and helpful with this event. They too plan to attend and that is very much appreciated. We will all have a chance to give a brief presentation on our services available to the community.
I attended the Disaster Preparedness forum that Lu Traga put on in the San Luis Obispo area in September. It was very informative and we had a few consumers’ show up so that is always great. I think he did a fantastic job in setting that up. We provided Sign Language interpretation access and actually had a few Deaf consumers’ attend as well.
I will be flying to the state of Missouri in October for a few days for various interpreter workshops that offer Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) I am very much looking forward to attending this and hope to bring back even more knowledge and sharing it with the Deaf community.
Kathleen Riel, Program Manager – (based in SB)
I would like to thank the Board for the beautiful crystal plaque commemorating my 30th anniversary with the ILRC. It was a wonderful surprise and an honor to receive this at the September Board meeting following my report on the California Community Transition Program.
Other highlights for September include the new hire orientation and training of our new Community Living Advocate, DeAnna Grove who started on September 7th. This coincided with the information fair in Simi Valley and presented itself as an excellent opportunity to work with both Jennifer Martinez and DeAnna at an outreach.
I have been chairing an Access and Functional Needs steering committee of the Santa Barbara County Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster. Our committee is planning an event October 12th, to address how our network of non-profits can work together in an effort to utilize a common disaster preparedness training tool to educate seniors and persons with disabilities. I am working on a power point presentation together with Tony Mitchell of CAC and Eric Dahl, VOAD Coordinator.
Lulzim “Lu” Traga, Systems Change Advocate- SB)
Our advocacy effort thus far has been focused on the proposals that would limit Medicaid and Medicare services in scope and/or eliminate current programs entirely. The Super Committee’s budget decisions will have profound consequences in California. In response, Systems Change Advocates from Independent living centers all over southern region worked together, in collaboration, to hold a rally in downtown LA government building to protest the prospect of cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.
I was a keynote speaker at the event. My speech was focused exclusively on the populations it serves and the policy implications of these cuts. Most people are not aware, but Medicaid is a significant source of healthcare infrastructure in the US, accounting for 20% of all health-care spending, affecting essential services for individuals with disabilities, seniors,
In brief, I argued--what studies have demonstrated--that by: expanding community based services; demedicalize services; expand consumer direct service options; and reorganizing Medicaid to eliminate wasteful bureaucracy; states could contain Medicaid spending.
Locally, I am pleased to inform you that ILRC held a Disaster Preparedness Forum--with the First Responders in San Luis Obispo on September 13th-- for adults and seniors with disabilities who live independently in community in SLO County. Invited were guest speaker from Fire Dept, Sheriff’s Dept, Red Cross, OES, and VOAD. I moderated the forum. This was a product of a great collaborative work with my colleagues from Atascadero (Jerry, Kelly, Cary), and participation from Santa Maria office (Jennie and Beth). The Forum proved to be a successful event with respect to attendance, participation, and a great venue for education and outreach. Thanks to my colleagues for making this event successful.
Santa Barbara County
South Santa Barbara County:
Carol Baizer, CLA-Benefits Coord. -
A group of our consumers has gotten together top form the Goleta Valley Brain Injury Association. The founders feel that theirs is an inclusive group that will address the concerns of a wide range of clients. They are also affiliated with the National Brain Injury Association. 501c3 status is pending.
The majority of my time has been spent working on initial applications for SSI and /or SSDI and appeals. Many of the Santa Barbara referrals are from word-of-mouth.
Many of the people who subsequently become consumers at the ILRC use our other services as well. There is a great deal of interest in our role in the community as advocates, and much interest in the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Rosa Lopez, Bilingual Information and Referral -
This last month has been busy with a lot of calls from people looking for housing and work. I have explained how our Personal Assistant Registry works and everyone wants to sign up, but I also explain that it has been slow lately and it is just a waiting game to find a good employer. We have very good people on our registry but unfortunately not a lot of work as caregivers. I believe the economy is touching just about everyone and everyone is trying to save any penny they can. I did attend the Veterans Job Fair which Ryan Burke, our Veterans Outreach Specialist help put on along with EDD. It was a very good event and a lot Veterans and civilians attended the event and picked up a lot of information about our organization. I also attended the Santa Barbara City College Job Fair with Petra and that was a good turn out as well. We had at least 40-50 people stop by our table and pick up information and a lot of those picked up a Personal Assistant Application and seemed very interested in the position. We also gave a lot of information about what we do and our services. I also helped finish up the newsletters which took a lot of time and patience. It was a very productive month. Hope everyone is having a pleasant autumn.
Petra Lowen, Community Living Advocate-
My statistics for September 2011 are s follows: I had 6 self-care (personal assistant requests) intakes, 3 for new consumers. I had 3 self-care placements and an additional 6 consumers found a personal assistant not referred by the ILRC for a total of 9 goals met. I had 7 community living (housing) intakes, 3 for new consumers. I had 6 housing placements. I also talked to 11 non-consumers who had housing questions. This shows that finding affordable housing continues to be a great need. I had 132 consumer contacts.
I interviewed 4 personal assistant applicants and added 5 applicants to our personal assistant resource pool. I had 99 community contacts.
Rosa and I attended the Santa Barbara City College Job Fair. I gave out over 30 personal assistant applications and two of them have scheduled appointments. I am following up with the rest. We also gave out information about our agency and our services.
I was appointed to the Board of Directors at Pilgrim Terrace Cooperative Homes (there was no need for an actual election since there was an equal number of vacancies and candidates). Over the years some of our consumers have moved to Pilgrim Terrace (it is a great low-income housing complex) and others have requested personal assistant.
Ken McLellan, CLA- Deaf - (based in SB)
It seems like this year of 2011 has flown by - faster than before and now, it's the season of the school and fall.... football! Those of you that love football know what I mean. I often feel like telling you what I really think it's the most responsive to challenge as staff is to become a model of the self-directed learner, to welcome ambiguity ( it's impossible to follow ) as part of our personal learning culture. First, we should work together how to solve problems creatively and patiently. It's
Important that some consumers struggle with lack of understanding and thinking of failure as anopportunity. We can encourage critical thinking among our consumers while we search through content, as well as problem-solving skills and opportunities for their lives and careers.
Your help is much appreciated!!!
David Sierra, AT Advocate Program Coordinator –
This month brought some consumers, who requested assistive technology (AT) advocacy services. For example, a man, who is on both Medi-Cal and Medi-Care was having issues getting a referral for a seating and mobility evaluation due to the fact he did not have a primary care MD. After working out some issues with his previous MD, he was accepted as a patient. As a result this consumer obtained the necessary paper work and now has his seating and mobility evaluation scheduled. A second active senior, requested my AT advocacy services because he was unhappy with how long it was taking to receive his replacement power wheelchair. He followed my suggestions for self-advocacy with the DME dealer. My call to the dealer cleared up a misunderstanding, his wheelchair has been ordered, and it should arrive within the month. A consumer who is also a City College Student request help in ordering her textbooks online, something she felt was overwhelming. I am happy to report she now has another independent living skill. The consumer reported that the textbooks ordered had arrived. Next semester she will be able to search for and order her own textbooks at discounted prices. . All of these things added to the usual I/R calls that consisted of answering inquiries about hearing aids, van modification funding, wheelchair repair venders and self-advocacy tips with the Department of Rehabilitation.