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The Sonoma Developmental Center sits on the last large undeveloped property in Sonoma Valley. The nearly 1,000-acre state site is home to many native plants and animals. (Conner Jay / The Press Democrat) |
Changes are in store for Sonoma Developmental Center -- as well as California's other remaining centers for the developmentally disabled -- if the recommendations of the state's special task force are anything to go by. A coalition has formed around the issue for Sonoma Valley to make sure services are preserved for the disabled community and a valuable open space and natural resource is maintained for the community. Below are three articles and one petition that have been circulating the past few weeks as people continue to discuss and debate the way forward.
Agreeing on a vision for the future of Sonoma Developmental Center, by Susan Gorin (The Press Democrat, April 15, 2014)
from the article...
We are [again] at a crossroads, facing a challenge that requires communal courage as we navigate the threat of closure of the Sonoma Developmental Center. It is not enough to hope the state of California will do the right thing; instead, we must demonstrate the dedication of our community for the humane treatment of our most vulnerable population, as well as our commitment to preserving the bucolic lands that surround the center. ...read more
Treatment in transition: When a Developmental Center closes, by Lauren Gold (Sonoma Valley Sun, April 10, 2014)
from the article...
Like the Sonoma Developmental Center, The Lanterman Developmental Center in Pomona was one of California’s last large institutional care centers for people with profound developmental disabilities. When it was ordered closed by the state in 2010, the population of the 302-acre campus had dwindled from a peak of nearly 3,000 in the late 1960s to 398 when the facility was shut down. Over several years, in a process that will soon take place at the SDC, all but a few of those patients have been moved off-site. This article tells the story of some of those patients. ...read more
Preserving Sonoma Valley land, by Will Shonbrun (The Press Democrat, March 23, 2014)
from the article...
The Sonoma Land Trust, perhaps the county’s most outstanding land preservation group with a long and unmatched history, is eager and dedicated to preserving Sonoma Development Center land and maintaining the vital services that have been provided there for its population.
The Land Trust has joined with a coalition of other preservation groups including the Sonoma County Open Space District, Sonoma County Regional Parks Department, Sonoma Ecology Center, Sonoma Mountain Preservation and the Valley of the Moon Natural History Association. ...read more
MoveOn.org Petition -- Save Sonoma Developmental Center
Lobby to keep Sonoma Developmental Center open and operating so that the needs of the most severely developmentally disabled citizens are met. There is no other safety net at this time and too many developmentally disabled who have dangerous behaviors are ending up in the prisons -- and many of those who are frail with multiple disabilities are ending up in nursing homes. ...more on the PHA blog here
These are difficult days when the economy is pinching us to even consider closing down a community home!
ReplyDeleteThough money is needed to help communities like yours to continue to serve people with disabilities, I think that when society bases its decisions to act by way of looking only at the economy, people have the tendency to become short sighted in their endeavors.
As one who does work with people who have disabilities, and as a Christian, I continually find that keeping my focus on the promises of God's Word sustains me far more than 'hoping that my state will do the right thing for our people'.
I realize that there are no easy answers in all this (my heart goes out to you as we are like minded in our desire to care for awesome individuals), but by focusing on God's word, I find continual strength to forge ahead, and ways to help my people to life their lives more nobly.