Our Mission
Our mission is to provide services to individuals with Developmental Disabilities and their families based on language and cultural needs.
We will help each individual develop and write their own Person-Centered plan. We make a promise to listen to your words and help you find a balance of What Is Important To and Important For. In Person-Centered thinking What is Important To, in your own words, that brings you happiness, joy, and fulfillment. We will focus on helping you identify goals and dreams that you want to accomplish and develop action steps towards achieving each goal. What Is Important For, refers to health and safety and what that means to you on your own terms, and being a valued member of your community. Our approach is assisting in finding a healthy balance of things that bring you happiness as well as staying healthy, safe, and being a part of the community.
Our goal is to help each person create a life they love and exercise positive control in everyday situations.
Our focus is to match people receiving services with bilingual staff that understand each person’s cultural background and language needs.
About Us
Hello, I am Rafael!
I have over 20 years' experience working with individuals with intellectual disabilities. I am bilingual and fluent in English and Spanish. I have worked as a Director of Services in various agencies for several years. I have supported people in Residential Homes, Supported Living, and Independent Living Services.
I started this agency with a vision in which underserved communities have access to necessary information to obtain services. That every person has the same opportunities and needed resources to enhance the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. A firm belief that services are unique and need to be tailored to each person using Person-Centered Practices.
My focus is to match people receiving services with bilingual staff that understand each person’s cultural background and language needs.
My agency is vendored with Harbor Regional Center to provide Independent Living Services, Coordinated Family Supports, Person-Centered Planning, and Self-Directed Supports for the Self-Determination Program.
As a credential Person-Centered Thinking Trainer, I can provide training to other agencies employees and community members on Person-Centered Thinking skills and practices. I can help individuals receiving services create Person-Centered plans. As a certified Independent Facilitator (IF) I can create and implement someone's Person-Centered Plan and help them enter The Self-Determination Program.
Resources
Harbor Regional Center
Harbor Regional Center is one of 21 such centers in California operating under contract with the California Department of Developmental Services. Our center began providing services in 1973. The legislation that created the regional center system is called the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act
Department of Developmental Services
Agency through which the State of California provides services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities. A wide variety of services are available to Californians with developmental disabilities in each stage of their lives. Services are person-centered and designed to meet a variety of unique needs and reflect the choices of individuals within their communities.
The Learning Community for Person-Centered Practices
We envision a world where all people have positive control over the lives they have chosen for themselves. Our efforts focus on people who have lost or may lose positive control because of society’s response to the presence of a disability or other conditions.