What is the VLF?
This is Doug's version. Corrections, disagreements and additional information are welcome in the comments section. Oh, and to people unacquainted with California's system for community-based support to people with developmental disabilities the following post will be approximately gibberish. Sue me.
Around 2000/2001 The East Los Angeles County Regional Center (ELARC) perceived that resources were not available to fully offer their clients the kinds of services (individualized, integrated and dignified) that clients were increasingly requesting. Frances Jacobs, ELARC's liaison to the vendor community, approached Yvette Baptiste, then employed by a major vendor and chair of the Vendor Advisory Committee, about the Regional Center's interest in stimulating innovative new approaches to serving clients. In response, and with ELARC's interest and support, Yvette founded the Vendor Leadership Forum (VLF).
Since that time, the VLF has grown increasingly active in innovation, reform and learning towards a future where people with developmental disabilities have ready access to whatever support is needed for a full and integrated life.
Now under the Leadership of Joe D'Onofrio, the VLF has chosen to position itself as containing the vendors' responsibility for innovative approaches to change, in partnership with the Regional Center, clients, families and other stakeholders. Specifically, we are working to broaden and deepen Person-centered Thinking (PCT) as an approach to the delivery of support.
Over the past year, the VLF has retained Michael Smull as a consultant, and begun regular meetings for the purpose of cooperatively learning about PCT and its delivery and for the purpose of effecting change, wherever necessary, to make PCT-based services available to Regional Center clients.
The team decided to start this weblog in order to make our work as transparent to the community as possible, to invite feedback from other stakeholders and to document our journey so that we learn better along it. Minutes of VLF meetings, notice of upcoming events, records of past events and other documentation will be available here.
Any questions?
Around 2000/2001 The East Los Angeles County Regional Center (ELARC) perceived that resources were not available to fully offer their clients the kinds of services (individualized, integrated and dignified) that clients were increasingly requesting. Frances Jacobs, ELARC's liaison to the vendor community, approached Yvette Baptiste, then employed by a major vendor and chair of the Vendor Advisory Committee, about the Regional Center's interest in stimulating innovative new approaches to serving clients. In response, and with ELARC's interest and support, Yvette founded the Vendor Leadership Forum (VLF).
Since that time, the VLF has grown increasingly active in innovation, reform and learning towards a future where people with developmental disabilities have ready access to whatever support is needed for a full and integrated life.
Now under the Leadership of Joe D'Onofrio, the VLF has chosen to position itself as containing the vendors' responsibility for innovative approaches to change, in partnership with the Regional Center, clients, families and other stakeholders. Specifically, we are working to broaden and deepen Person-centered Thinking (PCT) as an approach to the delivery of support.
Over the past year, the VLF has retained Michael Smull as a consultant, and begun regular meetings for the purpose of cooperatively learning about PCT and its delivery and for the purpose of effecting change, wherever necessary, to make PCT-based services available to Regional Center clients.
The team decided to start this weblog in order to make our work as transparent to the community as possible, to invite feedback from other stakeholders and to document our journey so that we learn better along it. Minutes of VLF meetings, notice of upcoming events, records of past events and other documentation will be available here.
Any questions?
posted by Doug The Una at 1:52 PM
2 Comments:
I may have taken responsibility Doug, but I would have been meeting by myself, if people like you, Alana, Millet, and others had not come to support the effort.
Truth, it's an excellent question. Our goal is to do the vendor portion of bending the system so we can respond more fully to the clients. We hope to meet end-users, as you put it, on the road. Your input will be much appreciated.
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