General Philosophy and Standards – 5101

SERVICE POLICY GUIDELINES

GENERAL PHILOSOPHY AND STANDARDS

Tri-Counties Regional Center provides outreach and public information, early intervention, at-risk prevention, diagnosis and evaluation, assessment, purchase of service, monitoring, advocacy, quality assurance and other components of service planning and coordination to all persons living within its service area who are diagnosed with a developmental disability, who are suspected of having a developmental disability, or who are significantly developmentally delayed.

The provision of these direct and indirect services is guided by a comprehensive network of Service Policies developed and approved by the Tri-Counties Association for the Developmentally Disabled, Inc. These Service Policies are in accord with the Tri-Counties Regional Center Vision Statement, Mission Statement, Values, and Code of Ethics, within civil and human rights, the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, and the California Early Intervention Services Act.

The Tri-Counties Association for the Developmentally Disabled Vision Statement is:
Persons with developmental disabilities live fully and safely as active and independent members of their community.

The Tri-Counties Association for the Developmentally Disabled Mission Statement is:
Tri-Counties Regional Center provides person and family centered planning, services and supports for individuals with developmental disabilities to maximize opportunities and choices for living, working, learning and recreating in the community. Tri-Counties Regional Center thereby enhances the quality of life for persons with developmental disabilities by working with individuals and their families to:

• Construct lifelong plans;
• Provide information and support;
• Create and develop opportunities;
• Coordinate resources;
• Assure plan achievement;
• Educate the broader community.

The six Tri-Counties Association for the Developmentally Disabled Values from the Code of Ethics are Caring, Civic Responsibility, Fairness, Respect, Responsibility, and Trustworthiness. In addition, the following organizational values are pursued –

Community Ownership: The Tri-Counties Association for the Developmentally Disabled Board believes community ownership of the regional center is a unique and critical component of the service system for persons with developmental disabilities.

Individual Life Quality: The Tri-Counties Association for the Developmentally Disabled Board believes in supporting the hopes and preferred future of persons with developmental disabilities toward maximum community inclusion and participation.

Community Building: The Tri-Counties Association for the Developmentally Disabled Board believes that inclusion, participation and community-belonging for persons with developmental disabilities are realized by supports to and investments in the communities in which persons served and their families reside.

Responsive & Person/Family-Centered: The Tri-Counties Association for the Developmentally Disabled board believes that in carrying out the mandated activities identified in the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Act and the Early Intervention Services Act, all activities must be respectful, timely, and focused on the person/family.

Organizational Excellence: The Tri-Counties Association for the Developmentally Disabled board believes responsible stewardship, organizational integrity and a person served focus will ensure a learning, evolving, value driven organization.

In accordance with civil and human rights, the Tri-Counties Regional Center will strive to:

• Ensure that supports and services are available to enable persons with a developmental disability to live a more independent and productive life in the community;
• Ensure that supports and services provided will enable persons with a developmental disability to approximate the pattern of everyday living available to non-disabled people of the same age;
• Prevent the person’s dislocation from family and community;
• Foster support and service options that promote the most inclusive and least restrictive alternative and which provide an opportunity to live, learn, work and socialize in environments that enhance a person’s functional skills, productivity, independence, social support networks, and integration into general community life, with access to the full range of assistive technology;
• Promote support and service options that are designed to assure physical health and safety, development of skills for independent living and productivity, relationships with families and friends, and a high quality of life for individuals, regardless of where they live;
• Promote support and service options that are accountable, accessible, and culturally appropriate; that identify each individual’s strengths and needs; that advance person served and family empowerment; that respect the choices and rights of participants; and that involve individuals with developmental disabilities and their families in all aspects of development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of their supports and services;
• Respect and foster the relationship between persons served and their parents/family members;
• Give high preference to those supports and services which would allow minors with developmental disabilities to live with their families, adults with developmental disabilities to live as independently as possible in the community and that allow all individuals served to interact with persons without disabilities in positive, meaningful ways;
• Select those supports and services which most effectively meet a person’s needs while making the most efficient use of public funds;

Persons with developmental disabilities have the same legal rights and responsibilities guaranteed all other individuals by the United States Constitution and the Constitution and laws of the State of California. Supports and services will be purchased for eligible individuals without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, citizenship, gender, age or condition of physical or mental disability.

Approvals:

• 2011 05 25: DDS