About

Our Mission:

To promote best practices in supporting all adults with developmental disabilities in living self-determined, community-inclusive lives of purpose and benefit to society.

Who we are:

A group of parents and family members of adults with developmental disabilities who have experienced the struggles and challenges of finding the supports our family members need to be full participants in community life.  The challenges include difficulties in obtaining necessary staff support for their choices in housing, daytime activities, and generally living their lives. 

What we do:

  • Research essential elements needed in staffing, staff training, and organizational oversight models for supporting adults with developmental disabilities.  Research modes include a review of written materials, interviews, listening sessions, surveys, site visits,  meetings, and conferences.    
  • Promote excellence in staffing and other supports needed by adults with developmental disabilities.  Promotion may include models of excellence in service provision, training, organizational oversight, pay rate, and other staff incentive structures, plus collaboration with partners to create career ladders, mentorship, internship and certificate programs.

Activities of this corporation include researching best practices in staffing, staff training, and organizational oversight of services to adults with developmental disabilities through research of online and written information, interviews, surveys, listening sessions, meetings, and conferences.  Based on research findings, the corporation will promote excellence in services through activities such as:

  • Develop staffing, training and organizational oversight models based on findings from research
  • Share resources for staff recruitment, training, and oversight models via website, meetings, and conferences
  • Collaborate with partners in the field of developmental disabilities to promote pay rate structures and other incentive programs to recruit and retain quality staff
  • Collaborate with partners in the fields of both education and developmental disabilities to professionalize the field of direct service professionals through possible mentorship programs, internship programs, and certificate programs
  • Formally recognize individuals and organizations which demonstrate excellence in the provision of services and promote individual choice, community inclusion, and self-determination.

We are focused on California but are also researching program models outside of California.

Accessing Community Choices and Engagement in Supported Self-Determination is a tax-exempt organization.

All donations and contributions are tax-deductible 
to the extent allowed by law.  
FEIN is 84-1803638