Brother Fred’s poem, click to enlarge

After everyone had a chance to speak, a group headed down to the garden to plant an apple tree in memory of Tom.  Lots of hands made for light work and we can’t wait for our first harvest of apples!  The tree planting was followed by a karaoke party filled with Tommy’s favorite snacks – Coke, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cheese, chocolate pudding, Jell-o and, best of all, Coca-Cola cupcakes!!!  The cupcakes were donated by Shelley Silva, an Alpha supporter who was touched by Tom’s story and offered to bake these delicious treats for the celebration.  She made an assortment of sugar-free and regular cupcakes so that everyone could enjoy them together.  They were so beautiful that they were almost too good to eat…ALMOST!!!

Shelley and her beautiful Coca-Cola cupcakes!

THANK YOU SHELLEY!

The room was decorated with pictures of Tom, Coca-Cola signs, train books and a special “Tommy bear”.  This

Train books that Tom loved and the “Tommy bear”

stuffed bear was brought in by Brother Fred the day after Tom passed away.  He brought it as a gift for the social center without even knowing that Tom had passed.  The serendipitous timing turned this bear into something special.  Over the past 2 months anytime someone has felt sad or starts to miss Tom, they have been able to use this bear for comfort.  It has been extremely healing for many people.  This bear, along with pictures of Tom and some of his favorite things, will become a memorial in his social center so that he will always be a part of the group.  Tom’s social center is planning one more celebration of Tommy’s life – a bowling outing for the whole group!

Tom’s family next to his newly planted apple tree

Today was a very special day for everyone at Alpha and we were grateful that some of Tom’s family (his brother, sister-in-law, niece, and great niece and nephew) was able to join us for the celebration as well.  It was wonderful to have so many people who loved Tom gather together in his memory!  Tom will always be deeply missed, but he lives on in our hearts and memories and in his newly planted apple tree!  Tom will forever be a part of the Alpha family! We love you Tom!

Jessica, Chris and Jessica hanging out at camp

This past weekend we went on our annual Alpha camping trip to Lake Cachuma. We left last Friday and we had lots of fun! When we got there we set up camp. We set up our tents, but it was really windy and for some of us it was a challenge to set up our tents. Then Amy Buesker called out who is tenting with who; then we got our stuff and put them in our tents and set up our sleeping stuff. Then we had dinner. We also had a campfire and roasted marshmallows and put them on chocolate, peanut butter cups or York peppermint patties and graham crackers (fancy s’mores!!). The next morning we had breakfast and got ready for our day. Some of us went to the Nature Center and watched an

Jessica with her scavenger hunt group pointing to everything they collected

animal show. The rest of us did an A-Z scavenger hunt where we searched for things that started with every letter of the alphabet. That was fun! After lunch we did friendship bracelets and hung out at our campsite. Then most of us did a boat cruise on the lake and that was fun. We all got wet with the lake water, but two of the girls got drenched! They were laughing and had a blast.

Then we came back to camp and had “hobos” for dinner. To make “hobos” you get raw meat and veggies with cheese and seasoned salt and wrap it all up in tin foil and roast them over a BBQ. It is really good!

Tim tending to the “hobos”

Sunday morning we broke down camp, put everything in vans and trucks and went back to Alpha to get picked up and go home. I had lots of fun with all my friends. I like being in nature and not having to take a shower and sleeping in. Also I liked getting together around the campfire and telling the new Westmont volunteers about ourselves so they can get to know us. Camp was so much fun and I cannot wait for next year’s trip!

The group on Sunday morning before heading back to Alpha. Good times!

New to our Blog: Bruce MacKenzie

He has served on the board (on and off) since the mid-1980s. A native of Massachusetts, Bruce attended Boston University, Chapman College and American International College where he earned his BA degree. He attended the graduate school of journalism at UC Berkeley and graduated from law school at UC Davis. He and his wife, Louise, have four children: Walter, Elizabeth, David and Emily. Elizabeth was born with cerebral palsy, epilepsy and the experts believe she has cognitive impairments. Bruce is active in statewide client rights advocacy and previously served as attorney for the four Community Imperative regional center defendants in the Capitol People First class action lawsuit.

Bruce represents Alpha on The Arc California Board of Directors, where is he Treasurer-Elect.

Bruce will be writing for the Alpha Blog on issues of Public Policy that impact the lives of children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families. Bruce provided this list of budget items and a platform of bills that are coming up in the legislature which are generally agreed upon by the various advocacy groups in Sacramento as being the ones to watch.  This list was compiled and distributed by Disability Rights California.

Budget and Bills affecting Californians with Disabilities: 2013

This list shows only some of the bills and budget items which affect people with disabilities. Organizations supporting these positions are: Californians for Disability Rights, Disability Rights California, The Arc and United Cerebral Palsy California Collaboration, Silicon Valley Independent Living Center, www.cfsfacts.org

BUDGET ITEMS:

Restore IHSS, SSI and Medi-Cal:

People with disabilities suffered from the income and services cuts of the last few years. Now that the budget picture is brighter, the legislature and the governor must restore those cuts and build a system which meets the needs of all Californians.

Coordinated Care Initiative (CCI):

The Coordinated Care Initiative (CCI) changes the way one million Californians receive their health care and long term services. People who are eligible for both Medicare and Medi-Cal (referred to as “dual eligibles”) and seniors and persons with disabilities who have Medi-Cal only will get long term services only through managed care. People on Medicare can opt out of managed care but only for their health services. A short list of major concerns:

1. Size: too many people are being forced into a new system; 2. Speed – Readiness: managed care plans and the state must prove they are ready to serve people before they start enrollment; 3. Enrollment: Should start with voluntary enrollment; 4. Continuity of Care: simplify the process; 5. LTSS Benefits: Include a broader range of long term services in the benefit package; 6. Ombuds: Create and fund independent assistance services for consumers; 7. Funding: Show more facts about the expected savings and rates so people can see if quality is threatened.

BILLS WE SUPPORT:

AB 420 (Dickinson):

Prohibits the suspension or expulsion of a K-5 student for “willful defiance.” Prohibits the expulsion of a grade 6-12 student for “willful defiance.” Limits the circumstances in which a grade 6- grade12 student can be suspended for “willful defiance.” Needed because suspension and expulsion do not help; also, some students with disabilities are suspended because of behavior related to a disability.

SB 22 (Beall):

Requires every health care service plan and insurer to submit an annual report proving they comply with specified state laws and the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Requires the reports to be a public record available upon request and published on the department’s website. Prohibits identifying information. Needed because not all plans are complying.

SB 320 (Beall):

Prohibits a health care service plan contract or policy from denying coverage for medically necessary medical or rehabilitation treatment for an acquired brain injury (ABI) at a facility within the plan’s or insurer’s network that is properly licensed and accredited, including a hospital or a long-term acute care hospital. People with ABI must be able to get treatment at home or in a facility.

SB 330 (Padilla):

Requires the California Department of Education to bring people together from the mental health and education fields to help develop instruction on mental health within the comprehensive health education plans. Stakeholder group must be culturally, racially and ethnically diverse and include people living with a mental health challenge.

SB 391 (DeSaulnier):

Creates the California Homes and Jobs Trust Fund, from fees paid on specified real estate transactions. The Fund would be used to acquire, develop, rehabilitate and preserve affordable housing for people with low and moderate income. Acceptable uses are foreclosure mitigation, emergency shelters, homeownership opportunities, transitional and permanent rental housing.

NOTE:  We would like specific provisions in SB 391 requiring accessible housing and allowing funds to be used for the Grants for Ramps program.

SB 468 (Emmerson):

Allows up to 2,500 regional center clients to participate in the self-determination project, an alternative and more flexible method of providing regional center services whereby consumers and their families arrange for needed services and supports and receive an individual budget to purchase the services.

SB 550 (Jackson):

New building standards for fully accessible units, in buildings built with public money, go into effect next year; this bill doubles the percentage of units which must comply with the new standards. The bill requires that 10% of units be fully mobility accessible and 4% of units be communications accessible. SB 550 also requires developers and managers of publicly-funded housing to give priority for the accessible units to people who need the access features.

SB 651 (Pavley):

Ensures that a resident of a developmental center or a state hospital, who is a victim or suspected victim of sexual assault, is provided a medical evidentiary examination away from the facility. It makes a center’s failure to report an incident to local law enforcement a class B violation

SB 705 (Block):

Restores funds to the Disabled Students Program at California’s community colleges, which were cut by over 40 percent while the number of students being served in DSPS statewide has increased by approximately 5 percent. Funding cuts to DSPS have caused delays, reductions and even the elimination of some services; they deny equal educational opportunity to students with disabilities and create legal risk for the individual colleges, the CCC system, and the state.

Sayonara for now

Paul

Scott with his handcrafted walking sticks

Scott’s favorite part of working at Alpha is being out in the community with the participants and helping to educate our community about people with developmental disabilities. Scott explains that he likes ”showing folks that they’re just like us – they worry, have fun, do funny things, call each other names. I treat them exactly like I treat any of my other friends”.   He enjoys spending time with his social center and experiencing our beautiful city. They can often be found down by the Harbor or at various parks or museums around town.  He emphasizes everyone’s best qualities, but acknowledges that “they have bad days just like the rest of us. The community offers so much more than just pretty sights” he explains. “Every time we’re out there’s a learning opportunity – whether it’s counting money while buying lunch at Zodos, shopping for a new camera at K-Mart, or adding up a bank deposit, our community always offers an opportunity to learn. Scott believes his success as an instructor stems, in part, from a very positive and realistic outlook on life and his work as a Boy Scout and his work in the Special Education Department of Santa Barbara Junior High with his mother as a teenager.

When he’s not at Alpha Scott enjoys many hobbies including playing guitar and writing songs.  He is also a talented woodworker and has a small side business crafting unique walking sticks.  He calls himself an amateur “tinkerer”, saying that he loves to fix things.  He has also recently discovered a passion for skydiving and looks forward to the next time he can take a leap! 

In addition to all of this, Scott is a talented photographer and enjoys exploring ghost towns and mines of California and Nevada, camera in hand.

In response to an inquiry about how to improve Alpha, Scott stressed the need to increase staff retention.  Alpha has many long-term staff that have been with the organization for more than 10 years, but there is also quite a high turnover rate in Direct Support staff.  Scott is interested in finding a way to remedy this in order to create a more cohesive staff unit and a more consistent environment for participants.  This is often a challenge for many organizations in this field and Alpha is looking for ways to address this more effectively.

Scott is a very valuable part of the Alpha family and we are glad that he has been on our team for so many years.  Scott we thank you for all of your hard work, your dedication to ensuring the happiness and safety of all the participants, and your positive and upbeat personality and outlook.  We are grateful for everything you do and we look forward to many great years to come!

Time: 9:30-11:30am

Where: Alpha Library-520 E. Montecito (Tri-Counties Regional Center)

Description: For parents of kids with special needs of all ages.  Come meet other parents, share concerns, offer advice, and learn about resources in a relaxed and supportive setting. It is held on the 2nd Wednesday of every month. For more info, contact Jennifer @ (805) 683-2145 X 103

May 9 (Thurs) – Parent/Child Playgroup

Time: 9:30-11:00am (children birth-18 months)  11:00am – 12:30pm (Children 18 months – 3 years)

Where: St Marks Preschool – 3942 La Colina Rd.

Description: Families who have children enrolled in Early Start are invited to join Alpha Resource Center staff for a fun morning of play, “make-and-take” activities, and resource sharing. Siblings are welcome.  Please let us know if you will join us. RSVP to Amy at (805) 683-2145 or abuesker@alphasb.org.

May 10 (Fri) – Alpha Open House

Time: 10:00am – 1:30pm

Where: Alpha Resource Center – 4501 Cathedral Oaks Road

Description: Meet & Greet throughout the day.  Guided Tour @ 11:00am.  RSVP and join us for lunch at 12:00. Call Maria at (805) 683-2145 to RSVP or for more information.

May 14 (Tues) – Reunion de Padres-Para la Familas de Bebes con Sidnrome Down

Time: 10:00am – 11:30am

Where: 520 E. Montecito St (Edificio del Centro Regional de los Tres Condados)

Description: El Centro de Recursos Alpha de Santa Barbara y El Centro Regional de los Tres Condados nuevamente nos brindan la oportunidad de reunirnos con Sandra Toro de Health Linkages y en esta ocasión el tema será: “Cuándo llevar mi hijo/a al doctor?” Obtenga ideas, haga preguntas, comparta sus experiencias.

May 27 (Mon) – Adult Day Program & Administration Office CLOSED for Memorial Day

June 7 (Fri) – Lompoc Parent Group

Time: 10:00am – 10:30am

Where: Mc Donald’s – 835 N. H Street

Description: For parents of kids with special needs of all ages.  Come meet other parents, share concerns, offer advice, and learn about resources in a relaxed and supportive setting. Meets every 1st Friday @ Mc Donald’s in Lompoc. For more information, call (805) 347-2775.

SAVE THE DATE:

July 13 (Sat) – Imagine A World Cycling Classic and Family BBQ

Oct 5 (Sat) – AlphaFest (Performing Arts Original Production, Art Sale, and Silent Auction)

Nov 2 (Sat) – Denim and Diamonds 60^th Anniversary Gala Event

Executive Director, Kim Olson with Diane Gaunt

We have exciting news! Diane Gaunt has joined the Alpha family. Diane is a young woman who has been waiting to participate in Alpha’s programs for over 7 years.  We are overjoyed to announce that Diane had her first day at Alpha on Monday and she is loving it! Diane is beside herself with happiness at being here with her friends. Her first week has been a flurry of new activity; and Diane has the enthusiasm and energy to take it on with gusto.

If you have attended Alpha’s Circle of Life luncheon, you may be familiar with Diane’s story as she was featured in the luncheon video. She has been frustrated at having to wait so long to participate at Alpha. Alpha consistently has a “wait list” for services because of a lack of physical space and staffing. With the recent development of SlingShot, Alpha Art forum, our new offsite art center (more info to come about SlingShot soon) we have been able to serve many on that wait list. Diane is one of them.

Diane has been through some hardships over the last year. Her mother

Diane and Maria hanging out in their social center

passed away in 2012. Diane told us, “My Mom said that you (Alpha) would take care of me.” Diane’s mom was right and Diane is fitting right in at Alpha. “I am so inspired to be here. I have waited a long time. I just can’t believe it!”.  Welcome Diane! We also want to welcome Isaac, Cynthia and 7 others who are on their way in!

Thanks to YOU, our community of support, we are making progress in serving more people and reducing our waitlist.

Kathy Gulje, Tony Paulsen and Lee Appleton

presented to Special Education Teacher Tony Paulsen.  Tony has been teaching at Montecito Union School for the past 6 years, but has been working in Special Education much longer.  Lee Appleton, a parent of a former student in Tony’s class nominated him for this award because of his tireless work in supporting all of his students and his genuine care and concern for each student.  Tony has helped to create a truly inclusive environment at the school where all of the students, teachers, and staff work together to support one another.  The level of support and respect between all those involved is almost tangible.  As described by one Alpha staff member who was at the award presentation, “it was like a mini Imagine A World!”.  Tony is very creative in his approach to working with his students, coming up with different plans for each individual.  He works closely with his instructional assistants, the general education teachers, and the students to be sure that everyone feels supported and successful!

The award presentation was well-attended by many of the MUS teachers, staff, board members, and families.

Tony Paulsen and Kim Olson, Alpha Executive Director

Kim Olson, Alpha Executive Director, presented the award to Tony and thanked him for his work in creating an inclusive and welcoming community.  After the official presentation, many staff members and parents spoke about the positive impact that Tony has on their lives.  Tony was quick to deflect all the praise and point out that it is a successful program because of the participation of everyone involved.  ”It takes a village,” he said.  He also echoed the Special Olympics “More Alike than Different” campaign by stating that everyone has special needs.

Tony, thank you for all your work in Special Education over the years, but most of all for living a life that truly exemplifies the concept of treating all people with dignity and respect.  We are thrilled to have you as a part of our Alpha extended family and we look forward to hearing many more success stories from you in the years to come!

Jessica: Mother’s Day is special because I get to celebrate the love that I have for my mother. I honor her and respect how great of a mother she is to me.  She has taught me many lessons in my life – how to live life with no regrets and how to be happy and healthy.  I can tell you that my mother raised me to be that strong person that I am today.  She told me that when I set my mind to do something I can do it and never give up on anything.  Just keep trying; if you do not succeed the first time, then get back on the saddle   again! Remember you are never too old or too young to listen  to your mother and your mother knows her kids best.

Have a question for Jessica?? Leave a reply below and she’ll be happy to answer your questions!!

Jessica: Growing up with the school systems I felt included with my peers. Sometimes I was chosen to help with talking on the intercom in the office with reading the meal menus and help with the attendance. Other times I was treated like other people. And the one thing my parents did was they mainstreamed me into regular classroom settings so that I was with my peers on the same age levels. I thought that helped me to be the person that I am today because all my life my parents advocated for me and that is why I have a community that has inclusion.

Have a question for Jessica?? Leave a reply below and she’ll be happy to answer your questions!!