We will design our program to meet the unique needs of each individual by using a person-centered approach. This approach focuses on the individual’s strengths, preferences, interests, and goals to develop and support an Individual Service Plan of care. Our program will be adopting a holistic approach that recognizes and values the unique needs, aspirations, choices, and voice of each individual supported. The program also recognizes the cultural and linguistic diversity of the community and will offer services that are tailored to meet the specific needs of each individual participant. 

The program will work in partnership with consultants, other community-based organizations, and service providers to provide comprehensive services to individual participants. The program will form partnerships with community-based organizations that provide services for individuals with developmental disabilities. This collaborative approach ensures that individual participants receive the most appropriate and effective services and support.  

The program will provide assistance with the identification and pursuit of employment opportunities for individual participants. This includes employment development, job training, and ongoing on-the-job support to ensure the individual’s success in the workplace. The program will adhere to California’s Employment First definition of Competitive Integrated Employment, which promotes the employment of individuals with disabilities in integrated settings. The program will also implement California’s Paid Internship Program, which provides competitive integrated employment incentives to employers who hire individuals with disabilities as paid interns. The program will help individual participants gain valuable work experience and develop skills that will help them succeed in the workforce. 

The program recognizes the importance of work-life balance and will offer services that help individual participants pursue their interests and hobbies outside of work. These services may include recreational activities, social events, volunteer opportunities, and identification of a hobby.

The program will support individual participants as valued community members during activities of their choosing and will help them develop the skills they need to participate fully in their communities. The person-centered planning process will emphasize the discovery of how individuals identify their communities and how they want to be a part of those communities. This includes but are not limited to training and education in socialization skills, communication skills, safety awareness skills, money management and community navigation skills.

The program will promote self-advocacy by helping individual participants develop the skills they need to speak up for themselves and make informed decisions about their lives. This includes but are not limited to assertiveness training, decision-making skills, learning and exercising personal rights, learning and recognizing feelings and communicating their own feelings to others, understanding and identifying personal qualities and abilities and understanding one’s own cultural heritage and traditions