The Independent
Published Quarterly. Volume 36, Issue 3
Printed and Published by Resources for Independence Central Valley
3008 North Fresno Street, Fresno, CA 93703, Tel:559 221 2330
www.ricv.org
Editor: Anuradha Gajaraj
Jan Masaoka Speaks At RICV Coalition Training
Jan Masaoka, considered one of the 50 most influential persons in the non-profit sector in the country was a RICV guest speaker at a training.
Jan was here to speak at the “Approaches to Effective Personnel Management” training organized by RICV.
The training held on August 16, is one of a series of mid management trainings that is being organized under Central Valley Coalition for Human Services, a community partnership program of RICV.
Jan is the CEO of California Association of Nonprofits.
The one day training had nearly 30 participants. Attorney Russell Ryan spoke on California Employment Laws and Consultant Jackie Ryle on Personnel Management. The training was followed by a closed door reception at RICV for Jan with top leaders of non profit agencies in Fresno.
City Council Moves Forward With Park Bid
The Fresno City Council has moved forward with the decision to put the construction of the Universally Accessible Park to public bid.
A directive to this effect was issued at the City Council meeting held on August 16.
The council further directed that the City staff work with RICV to develop a contract for management of the park.
This in effect, puts into motion the completion of the park.
The next steps are acceptance of the contract with RICV and acceptance of the final bid for the construction of the park. Both are expected to go before the City Council in two months.
Meanwhile, RICV continues to raise funds for the development and maintenance of the park. For more details on naming rights and sponsorship opportunities including engraved bricks, visit www. ricv.org
RICV Disability Awareness Videos Launched
RICV released two Disability Awareness Videos on June 8th.
The two short videos were created by the RICV Fresno Disability Advocacy Team (DAT) from the original concept to the writing of the script and filming. The videos focus on public awareness and disability etiquette.
They are now available on RICV’s website through YouTube and RICV’s Facebook fan page. The Fresno DAT will now work to spread information about these videos to the community at large.
Advocacy Team Leader Agustina Lopez made the first presentation of the videos at the Disability Advisory Commission for the City of Fresno on June 12th.
Swing With The Legends Golf Tournament
On October 26, you will be able to “Swing with the Legends!”.
Members of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni (MLBPA) will play golf with registered golfers during this fund raising event.
The tournament will be held on October 26 at Eagle Springs Golf and Country Club.
Organized in association with the Baltimore based League of Dreams and MLBPA, part of the funds raised from the event will go towards the Universally Accessible Park.
Jim Santos, Lead Faculty Area Chair-Health Sciences, University of Phoenix is taking a lead in organizing the event.
Jim has served in Washington DC as the Director of Athletics for Special Olympics International, directing two international special Olympic Games.
Registrations are $150 per person. The event starts at 8.30 am and includes a cocktail reception and awards, appetizers and auction.
Items used by the MLBPA players will auctioned at the end of the event.
Sponsorship opportunities are also available and will involve onsite signage and product display. For more details, log on to www.ricv.org
RICV Consumers Advocate In Sacramento
RICV consumers met legislative representatives and voiced their opinion on various disability related issues.
The consumers were at Sacramento to participate in the Disability Capitol Action day on May 30.
As many as 38 RICV consumers from the IChallenge, Peer Support and Disability Advocacy Teams were taken on the field trip by RICV staff.
They met with representatives of Senator Berryhill, Senator Cannella, and Assembly Members Halderman, Galgiani, Conway and Valadao.
The iChallenge group had a chance to meet with Senator Rubio personally.
Apart from the resource fair and educational rally, consumers had a chance to meet with legislative representatives and voice their opinions on different issues including Disabled Students Programs & Services funds, In-Home Supportive Services and SB 1186.
RICV staff chartered a bus for the consumers to enable them to participate in the Disability Capital Action Day.
Staff Joanna Zamora Illeana Perez and Alina Khammysouk, Agustina Lopez, Lyn Downum Hanzal and Anna Maria Havens organized and executed the field trip.
Re-elected SRC Chair
RICV Executive Director Robert J. Hand was re elected as chairman of the State Rehabilitation Council.
Bob completed his first year as SRC chairman for the year 2011-12.
He was re elected for another term at the SRC meeting held in Sacramento in August this year.
The SRC works in partnership with the California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) to review, evaluate and advise the DOR regarding its specific and overall performance and effectiveness.
When Employers Come Calling
Imagine sitting in the company of your peers you are comfortable with, in a neutral location and your prospective employer is the one who is telling you how to get the job!
Go a little further and imagine that the employer collects your application from you at the presentation and you are asked to attend a formal interview. You arrive with the confidence of seeing a familiar face, someone who knows that you have special abilities and knowing what the employer expects of you– beats any formal, job interview with unfamiliar
faces in an unfamiliar setting?
Well, this unique approach to developing jobs, is part of the initiative of RICV’s Creative Careers Department.
Job Developer Diann Perez and Job Development Coordinator Chandra Woods have been successful in getting many employers to address the RICV consumers’ job club.
Among the employers are Activision, Alorica, Target, Sears, Lowes, Fresno Pacific University, and many others. Nearly nine consumers have been placed since May through these sessions!
Establishing Employment Development
Are you interested in establishing an Employment Development Program at your agency?
Setting up this program has never been this easy!
RICV Executive Director Robert J. Hand is working closely with Executive Directors nearly nine ILCs in the state to establish new programs and assisting in strengthen existing job development programs. This is being done as part of a grant received by RICV.
Apart from this, we are also offering Employment Packages on sale for Independent Living Centers. The package contains samples of the components required to establish the program AND meet all the funding requirements!
Center for Independent Living-Berkeley was the first to purchase the Employment package from our Creative Careers department.
The package priced at $75.00 consists of different reports, handbooks, job search tools and information sheets.
It helps set up the program to offer comprehensive service to consumers and meet all reporting requirements.
The step by step guide contains samples of forms for monthly reports, information sheets on job development and a handbook.
Reports include Job development monthly report, situational assessment report, job placement and retention, individualized service plan, personal vocational situational plan, intake and employment preparation report, intake interview questionnaire, client job search activity sheet, job developers weekly contact list.
Also included are samples of master job application, job search websites, interview questions, consumer handouts, contact letters and a consumer handbook.
Examples of Safety Manual and HR Manual are also provided to promote the job development programs.
For more information contact Job Development Coordinator Chandra Woods at . Or call RICV at 559 221 2330.
First DAT Regional Meeting Held
RICV’s Disability Advocacy Teams (DAT) from Merced, Fresno and Visalia came together for their first Regional Meeting on July 13. Twenty-seven DAT members came together to collaborate with each other on their advocacy goals.
One member from each group gave a report on what their DAT has done in the past year, such as organizing legislative forums, participating in legislative visits, creating public service announcement videos and much more.
Then each group took time to develop their plans for advocacy for the second year of the DAT (2012-2013). Merced will be focusing on transportation issues as there are many changes occurring in their county. Fresno is thinking of organizing a series of public forums that would end with a visit from Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin.
Visalia wants to take advantage of the election year and organize a Candidate Forum.
All three teams have done so much in their first year and have ambitious and exciting plans for their second year.
Radio Announcements
RICV is in the process of preparing public service announcements (PSA) for radio broadcasting.
Five English radio channels, one Spanish and two Hmong channels will be broadcasting these PSAs.
Assistive Technology Advocate Reyes Sandoval worked with Peak Broadcasting for the PSAs that will be broadcast on KMJ, AM and FM, Mega 97.9, Y101, KISSCountry radio stations. The PSAs running on 30 seconds each, promote independent living and services offered by RICV. It will also speak about the Assistive Technology equipment loan program and AT Lab of RICV.
There will be 20 runs per week for a period of two months according to Reyes.
The broadcasting will reach public covering all the areas from Bakersfield to Modesto in California.
Accessible Garden For You
Would you like to play an active part in Community gardening? Would you like to rent an accessible plot and plant fruit or vegetables?
For as low as $ three monthly fee, Lowell Community Garden currently has accessible plots available for use by individuals with disabilities! Four U-shaped boxes with plenty of clearance all around are available for rent. They are about 3’ tall and 2 feet wide from edge to edge. Each plot will be set up with drip line and a timer. The annual registration fee to rent each plot is $5 with a $3 per month plot fee.
For more information, contact Community Gardens Coordinator Tom Matott at Fresno Metro Ministry at 559-485-1416 or ://www.fresnometroministry.org/fmm/gardens.html.
Save the Date: RICVs 3rd Annual Youth Conference
Resources for Independence Central Valley will be hosting its 3rd Annual Youth Transition Conference (YTC) on Thursday, October 25, 2012 at the Clovis Veterans Memorial Building. Last year was a great success with over 240 participants, including parents, professionals and 140 transitioning age youth.
This conference is the only one in the Central Valley that focuses on helping youth with disabilities build Self Advocacy, Leadership and Employment skills. Youth have access to workshops which provide valuable information such as Voting Rights and Collaborative Transitions. Interactive workshops and vendors empower Central Valley youth to “Become Tomorrow’s Leaders”.
Past keynote speakers have included young adults with various abilities; such as Buddy “1 Leg” Elias who is an Adaptive Sports Athlete and Isaac-Haney Owens, a short film producer who has Autism. These great role models have influenced other young adults with disabilities to reach for the stars by setting goals and accomplishing their dreams. Through workshops like Coping Skills and Budgeting, the conference provides youth with disabilities the tools and resources to become more successful in life.
“The only thing that can make this day better is playing a baseball game” expressed a young adult after participating in the Soft Skills in the Workplace and Tai Chi breakout sessions.
For more information and to donate for the conference contact Illeana Perez on 559 221 2330 or email
First “Leaders Without Limits” Cohort Held
The first Train the trainer program of the Community Leadership Academy was launched in Berkeley ILC on June 28 and 29.
Called “Leaders Without Limits”, this program is designed to train people to conduct workshops and training sessions for persons with disabilities on how to become effective board and committee members.
An initiative of Resources for Independence Central Valley, the program is available nationwide.
RICV Executive Director and Director Resource Development Darcy Pickens conducted the training that was attended by 14 participants. Staff from Department of Rehabilitation, California Foundation of Independent Living Center and other ILCs attended the workshop.
Director, Department of Rehabilitation Tony Sauer addressed the trainees at the workshop.
For more details on the workshop log on to ww.nationalcla.org.
Inspirational Book
Young consumers of our BRIDGES program will soon be setting pen to paper to create an inspirational book.
A project sponsored by a grant by Cultural Arts Rotary Club, the booklet will be in the line of Chicken Soup for the Soul.
Every aspect of the book including the design, art work and content will be developed by youth with disabilities. Guiding them in this project will be BRIDGES counselor Suzanna Gamez with the help of Alina Khammysouk and Illeana Perez.
Appreciation
Director Special Projects Tamala Fields and her staff were recently recognized by Smart 2 Children's program of WestCare California Inc.
In a letter, program Director Mary Ellen Pistalu of SMART 2, personally thanked Ms. Fields and her staff for everything they do for children in the community. A plaque was presented to RICV in recognition of the services.
Special Projects works with homelessness prevention, transition and other programs.
Farewell to QN4U BBQ House
RICV extends its deepest condolences to Kim Walton, owner of QN4U BBQ House at Clovis.
Kim’s husband and business partner Brent died in April.
The business was nominated and won a RICV business award in 2010 for supporting and actively participating in employment of persons with disabilities.
The couple had hired a RICV consumer to work for the restaurant and encouraged him in his endeavors.
Board of Directors
President
Janice Brown
(Director, Services for Students with Disabilities CSUF)
Vice president
Carol Rankin (Professor, CSUF)
Secretary
Selina Escobar
(Sr. Public Programs Administrator, HealthNet)
Treasurer
Gayle Black
(Vice President, California Trust and Bank)
Members
Arthur M. Lopez (Retired Deputy Director. Department of Rehabilitation)
Russell Ryan
(Attorney, Motschiedler, Michaelides, Wishon, Brewer & Ryan LLP)