Project Description: California is one of the largest and most diverse states in the nation (36 million citizens, over 40 languages and dialects, 58 counties) with a complex system of services ($3.7 billion industry with 21 regional centers statewide coordinating and purchasing services for over 230,000 clients across the lifespan, a DD Council with 13 Area Boards, 5 Protection & Advocacy Offices (Disability Rights CA) statewide, 29 independent living centers, and numerous state agencies coordinating services which IWDDs must access), all of the work of the USC UCEDD is done in partnership with local, state, and consumer organizations and we are strategic in how we use our core funding. Through our ongoing needs assessment and participation on numerous coalitions, advisory boards, task forces, and routine input from our CAC, we select priorities and targets for programs which address gaps in and disparities in accessing services, emerging needs, or require inter-agency coordination, i.e., avoiding duplication of efforts, leveraging existing resources, and maximizing our impact. Given this context, the USC UCEDD has targeted the following areas of impact: access to health/mental health services, special education (disproportionality, inclusive service learning, spec. ed. legal and advocacy services), early intervention and infant mental health, justice for victims with DD, transition, Autism, access to services for communities of color, parents and consumers in the DD workforce, end of life care for people with disabilities, and aging caregivers of people with DD. We promote systemic change through personnel preparation and training (pre-service and in-service), technical assistance to a broad array of local/state programs/agencies, strengthening the voice of consumers and family members in shaping responsive policies and systems of service, building the capacity of under-represented groups to actively participate in systems reform, development and dissemination of information, evidence-based standards, practices, and policies.
Goals/Objectives/Activities. (1) to meet the existing training needs of future and current professional leaders, who are expert in the designand delivery of systems, services, supports, research, and policy which promotes the promises of the DD Act by training long-term, intermediate, and short-term trainees from 11 disciplines annually, and through promoting disability content and coursework at USC. (2)Improve the quality and accessibility of evidence-based services and supports for IWDDs and their family members in targeted areas of emphasis. (3)meet the eixsting and projected training needs of professionals, policymakers, parents, and consumers andshape better systems of service through community education, TA, and information dissemination. (4) Develop the capacity to become a state and nationally recognized resource for research, evaluation, and policy studies related to individuals with developmental, behavioral, and special health care needs.
Outcomes: Systemic change, advocacy, and capacity building in targeted areas of emphasis
Core Function areas: Training, Clinical/community services, community education and information dissemination, research, policy, and evaluation.
Targeted populations: Individuals with diverse needs across the lifespan (but focusing primarily on children, youth and young adults), with special emphasis on under-served, under-represented groups.
Geographic area served: LA County. California
Partnerships: We work in collaboration with our Federal DD ACT Network Partners--Disability Rights CA, the State Council on DD and their 13 Developmental Disabilities Boards throughout the state, the Tarjan Center at UCLA, and the UC Davis UCEDD. We have 5-year goals which leverage our cumulative influence to promote systemic change in 2-3 common areas of emphasis. We also collaborate with key departments at USC, other universities, other agencies, parent, consumer, and advocacy groups related to our areas of emphasis
Years of funding: 2007-2012
Project Director: Robert A. Jacobs, M.D., MPH
Contact: Barbara Wheeler, Ph.D., Associate Director, 323.361.3829,
[email protected]
