Sonoma Valley Footrace and Festival Coming to Sonoma Developmental Center

The Sonoma Valley Footrace & Festival returns to the Sonoma Developmental Center on May 22, 2010. The event includes both a challenging 10K on- and off-road run through the stunning landscape surrounding SDC and a 5K run that takes a mostly level course through the SDC grounds.

Enter the race of your choice. Awards will be presented to the top runners in various categories, and all runners receive a T-shirt. Adult participants will also receive a commemorative glass and tickets for beer and wine tasting at the Festival.

Both races start at 8:00 a.m. Advance registration fees are $25 for adults and $15 for children 12 and under. You can register online at www.active.com or by mail. See the event brochure for details. On race day, registration is $30 for adults and $20 for children and begins at 7:00 a.m. (Don't be late, or you'll be running to catch up!)

For those not running - and for runners after the race - a number of other activities and entertainments are planned. The Festival part of the day's events runs from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and includes:

• Live music from Harvey and the Wallbangers
• Children’s carnival attractions - including a bounce house, velcro wall and games
• Free fun run for kids at 10:30 a.m.
• Car show
• Beer and wine tasting starting at 9:00 a.m. (adults only, ID required)
• Food available for purchase
• Raffle
  

The Festival entry is free. There will be ticket sales for the beer and wine tasting, raffle, and the children’s carnival attractions and games.

For more information and to register for the race, visit the Sonoma Valley Footrace & Festival website (www.dds.ca.gov/SVFF).

You Are Cordially Invited - Heroes with Heart 2010

Final details are in place for 'Heroes with Heart 2010', the Parent Hospital Association's annual fundraiser. This year's event - just like last year's - takes place at Cline Cellars in Sonoma Valley. The date is set for Saturday, March 27th, and we would love to have you join us for the evening's festivities.

“An evening in the Emerald Isle”
5.30 pm Guest Reception & Silent Auction
7.00 pm Dinner & Live Auction

Visit our website for more details including the names of this year's honorees and the night's dinner menu.

The Master of Ceremonies this year will be Rich Walcoff, Sports Director of KGO Newstalk Radio. Rich Walcoff, who manages to blend a measure of entertainment and intrigue with the usual scores and sports highlights, has been adding his special brand of high energy sportscasting to KGO NEWSTALK AM 810 since July 1984, and we expect a lively evening.

For more information, and to attend this year's event, visit the Parent Hospital Association website or email us at info@parenthospitalassociation.org.

Lanterman Act is Key Resource for Families of the Developmentally Disabled

The Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act (Lanterman Act) is the part of California law that defines the rights and responsibilities of persons with developmental disabilities. It also creates the agencies, including regional centers, responsible for planning and coordinating services and supports for persons with developmental disabilities and their families.

The central role of the Lanterman Act in the care of the developmentally disabled in California makes it a very important resource for caretakers and guardians, especially when it comes to advocating for residents subject to relocation. It's certainly well worth reading through in its entirety.
For example, some specific protections provided in the Lanterman Act include:

• Relocation must have been previously agreed in the resident’s IPP.
• The developmentally disabled person must receive the same level of medical and dental care as they received in the developmental center.
• The developmentally disabled person has the right to return to the developmental center for services.
• Postmortem rights include a mandatory autopsy.

Because of concerns about how the Lanterman Act is used or applied by the regional centers with respect to residents of developmental centers and the transitioning of those people to regional centers, the PHA recently began holding informal discussions on provisions of the Lanterman Act for interested family members. The first was held on February 1 and the next is planned for the evening of March 1, 2010. For details and directions for joining the conference call, email us at info@parenthospitalassociation.org.

California Department of Developmental Services Announces Plans to Close Lanterman Developmental Center

The California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) has announced its intention to close the Lanterman Developmental Center in Pomona, California. The announcement was made on Friday, January 29, 2010. DDS plans to submit a detailed closure plan to the state legislature by April 1, 2010. Legislature approval is required before beginning closure procedures.

The Lanterman Developmental Center, located on 302 acres of state-owned land in Los Angeles County, is an 82-year-old facility that provides 24-hour residential care for individuals with developmental disabilities, including cerebral palsy, epilepsy, down syndrome, autism and other lifelong conditions. Lanterman at one time served more than 3,000 residents. Today there are fewer than 400 people living at the facility, with the population declining 10 percent or more each year. Given the declining population and aging infrastructure, DDS determined that it is no longer economical to operate the facility.

In a press release announcing the planned closure, the DDS stated it will utilize a transition process that places each resident in a living environment appropriate for his or her needs. According to DDS this process is consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision.

“The decision to recommend closure was not made lightly, as it will impact the residents served, their families, and the staff, all of whom have worked hard to make Lanterman Developmental Center a caring and positive place to live,” said Terri Delgadillo, Director of the Department of Developmental Services, in the press release announcing the planned closure. “The well-being of all who live and work at Lanterman will be of our utmost concern and priority as we move forward.”

DDS went on to state that it will work closely with the local regional centers in defining and developing resources that will support the needs of residents who are identified through the individualized planning process as appropriate for transition to the community and will work with labor unions to assist employees in finding opportunities for future employment.

According to Friday's announcement, in identifying Lanterman for closure, DDS sets in motion a process defined in statute (Welfare and Institutions Code section 4474.1) for closing developmental centers that will include extensive community outreach and at least one public hearing. All interested parties, including residents, their family members, employees, regional centers, advocates, service providers, public officials, representatives from the communities surrounding Lanterman, and others are encouraged to participate.

A detailed closure plan is expected to be submitted to the Legislature by April 1, 2010 (just two months from now). Legislative approval must be received prior to beginning closure activities, which are projected for fiscal year 2010-2011. 

For more information about the planned closure and details on upcoming meetings and hearing, contact Nancy Lungren, Assistant Director of Communications at DDS at 916-654-1820 or nancy.lungren@dds.ca.gov.

Visit www.dds.ca.gov for information about programs and services.

Parent Hospital Association is Now on Twitter and Facebook

To make it easier to share information and keep in touch with our community, the Parent Hospital Association has waded into the social networking stream on Twitter and Facebook.

You can find Twitter updates in the margin of this blog - or follow us in real time directly on Twitter. There is a lot going on there (besides PHA updates) that you might find interesting.


Or become a fan of the Parent Hospital Association on Facebook where we expect to post regular updates. You can share photos and news and join in discussions with other people in the PHA community.

If you're not yet on Facebook, it's simple to sign up. Just click our link and follow the simple steps to create your own account. You must be 13 years of age or older and have an email address. (Remember to visit your settings page to set your privacy levels.) Then become a fan of Parent Hospital Association by clicking on the 'Become a Fan' box on our page.
See you online?