 Hello, I'm Grant Lynn Johnson. What you're about to see is an example of the services provided by the regional center system for persons with developmental disabilities. Since the late 1960s, regional centers have coordinated services and provided support for parents and families of persons with developmental disabilities. Please join us in watching this video in order to learn more about these centers. They provide a vital resource for California families. Lynn was kept in the hospital in an ICU for six and a half months roughly. After we discharged from the hospital, the hospital social worker already helped us hook up with the regional center. When we get back home about two weeks, they're ready. They contact me and they come to the home to the assessment of Orion. Maybe within another month, we start to get in-home services for Orion. Because he's medical fragile and also he needs oxygen 24 hours, we can't even go out. So that's why they provide in-home services for us. When Ryan was born, the doctor told me that the director of the ICU told me that Ryan should be a vegetable. He's hardly having a chance to survive to the age of two. In 1969, state law established a network of community-based services for persons with developmental disabilities through legislation known as the Lanterman Act. California's 21 regional centers provide and coordinate services and supports for people with developmental disabilities and their families throughout the state. As publicly funded agencies under contract with the state of California, collectively regional centers serve more than 150,000 children and adults with developmental disabilities, people with mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, and similar disabling conditions. Each year, the number of persons with developmental disabilities served by regional centers has increased. That number has grown to more than 150,000 persons today. This increase reflects outreach efforts and the important role regional centers perform. Regional centers provide services by linking physicians, psychologists, nurses, social workers, and providers of services for persons with developmental disabilities. Regional centers coordinate individualized services and supports for persons with developmental disabilities and their families. These include information and referral, assessment and diagnosis, counseling, funding needed services, development of an individualized program plan, assistance in finding and coordinating services, advocacy for the protection of legal, civil and service rights, early intervention services for at-risk infants and their families, genetic counseling, family support, planning, placement and monitoring of 24-hour out-of-home care, training and education, resource development and community education and outreach. Services also teach independence, promote community involvement, and encourage gainful employment. Many of these services are monitored by state or local agencies and the regional centers. Community service providers adhere to regulatory requirements. Regional centers make decisions on a local level and are accountable to their communities and the State Department of Developmental Services. This happens because regional centers are nonprofit organizations run by local boards of directors made up of persons with developmental disabilities, family members and other community professionals. The regional center board is comprised of what I believe is just the right mix of people that have knowledge of the developmentally disabled community. It's comprised of consumers themselves, those that actually have developmental disabilities. It's also comprised of family members, those like myself who themselves do not have a disability but they have a family member or a child that does. I think you need input from all of those various sectors if you're truly going to drive the policy-making decisions that a board needs to drive in order to truly meet the needs of the developmentally disabled. What can a person or family expect when they contact a regional center? They will receive an assessment to determine eligibility and identify strengths, capabilities and goals, along with information about supports and services that are available. The regional center will create an individualized program plan, IPP, for persons who are eligible to receive regional center services. Each individual is also assigned a case manager employed by the regional center to help them achieve their goals. To be eligible for services, the disability must begin before your 18th birthday, be expected to continue indefinitely and present a substantial disability. Also, the disability must be due to one of the following conditions. Mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy or disabling conditions closely related to mental retardation. People with developmental disabilities have the same rights and wants as you and me. A place to live, a place to work, friendships, recreation, family, health care and a feeling of self-worth. They want the opportunity to make choices that will help them achieve their goals and aspirations. California's regional centers will be their partners to help them to achieve these goals. It is very important for those parents to get hold of the regional center as early as possible. Ryan, what is that? Bus. Yeah, bus is coming. Just for example, like Ryan, he was diagnosed with severe multi-handicap and the professional who has been working in this field, the director of neonatal, they've been working in this field for years, 20, 30 years. From their experience, Ryan will be a vegetable, should be a vegetable in the future. 100% for sure, there's no question. Just look at the TC scan, all the exam we get is to report. It's definitely, he should be a vegetable. But look at, it's awesome for us to get our whole regional center in time and we get the service right after Ryan get off on the hospital. Ryan has been progress a lot during the past year because he's been fully included. He's been surrounded with normal kids, he cannot eat enough stimulation and the kids are very nosy and he enjoys that a lot. His verbal language has been amazing. Before he only can say about, maybe about 10 words. Now he's able to say a whole sentence. And last year, he cannot even sing any song. He used to sing very flat. He's seen the tune and also he can feel out the words in the different song. And his memories has been improved a lot. Amazing. For 30 years now, regional centers have been instrumental in creating services and supports for persons with developmental disabilities and their families. With a total budget of more than $1.5 billion, these 21 regional centers carry out the department's programs and new initiatives, including the Early Start program for infants and toddlers with developmental disabilities, at-risk infants and their families. The DDS Wellness Initiative, more than 100 wellness projects to promote the health and well-being of persons with developmental disabilities through increased access to medical, dental and mental health care. Community care facility staff training, creating new community living options and consumer advocacy efforts. Through a person-centered approach where individuals plan their own lifestyles and futures, regional centers help persons with developmental disabilities achieve their goals. The regional center always can step in and help me to straighten everything up for me, which makes me feel very comfortable. A regional center is very great, meaningful to me. If it wasn't for a regional center, the dream for my son would never come true.