BRC’s clients range from community based advocacy groups, nonprofit organizations to state and federal government agencies. They come to us with the desire to increase their effectiveness and impact. BRC acts as a bridge connecting facilitative consulting with visual strategies that make complex ideas simple.

California Department of Developmental Services (DDS)

DDS is the state department through which California provides services and supports to 255,000 individuals with developmental disabilities and their families living in the community and developmental centers.

DDS won a design award from the California State Information Officers Council for the BRC’s innovative “Ways to Make Complex Information Simple.” BRC developed the effective and successful decision making process — Think–Plan–Dosm — for the DDS statewide advocacy project that continues to provide new opportunities for people to “live the life they want.” BRC and the DDS Office of Human Rights and Advocacy continue to collaborate on a variety of person-centered and choice-making media and learning projects that increase community inclusion, employment opportunities and Homeland Security funded emergency preparedness training. In addition, BRC produced statewide publications that describe self-direction and family participation. Videos, publications and presentations can be viewed from the Library menu on the BRC website.

BRC has provided consultation services to the DDS Office of Human Rights and Advocacy Services and Consumer Advisory Committee since 2002. We coordinated a multi-year assignment to advance statewide Leadership through Personal Change that included producing and publishing more than 20 advocacy videos and planning guidebooks. BRC developed numerous easy-to-use publications that outlined strategies and action plans for “Making Choices.”

In addition, BRC created statewide emergency preparedness webcast training video series and worksheets funded by U.S. Homeland Security, Feeling Safe, Being Safe, which has been distributed nationally and adapted by Hawaii, Minnesota and Oregon. The full series and tools can be obtained at http://www.dds.ca.gov/ConsumerCorner/fsbs/

California’s Regional Center System

Regional Centers are large community based non-profit private organizations with a collective budget of $3.5 billion annually. Regional Centers provide or coordinate services and supports for persons with developmental disabilities and their families. There are 21 centers serving more than 250,000 individuals and their families. Videos, publications and presentations can be viewed from the Library menu on the BRC website.

BRC has a long-term relationship with numerous Regional Centers providing leadership consultation, governance facilitation, organizational development and training services. BRC has worked with more than half of the 21 Regional Centers, their boards of directors, advisory committees and parent support groups throughout California. In addition, BRC was the key consultant and facilitation team to assist the statewide Association of Regional Center Agencies (ARCA) in establishing their Consumer Advisory Committee.

BRC training and consultancy for Regional Centers has included topical series ranging from nonprofit governance to school/community inclusion, advocacy, rights, employment and parent collaboration. In addition, BRC developed multimedia trainings, easy to understand and use materials and plain language versions of significant Regional Center and legislative policies for use by staff and community members.

Highlights:

• Establishment and facilitation of pertinent governance advisory committees
• Parent community inclusion curricula, series & media (Partners in Community Inclusion)
• Consumer advocacy training and “How To” manuals
• Board of Directors annual retreats, governance training and coaching
• Development of employment video, decision-making and transition guides

California State Council, Developmental Disabilities Area Boards, University Centers for Excellence

State Councils on Developmental Disabilities are established in each state through the federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act. They have a federally-assigned responsibility to improve services for persons with disabilities and their families.

BRC provides facilitation, content expertise and multimedia production services to SCDD, the Statewide Self-Advocacy Network, and has provided services to nearly half of its 13 statewide regional Area Boards. BRC was called to address agency priorities through facilitation and training, governance development, accessible media and assist with building community alliances.

Key outcomes include facilitation of the SCDD Self Advocate Advisory and Employment First Committees, and the production of reports and legislative summaries in accessible formats. In addition, BRC produced media, adapted materials and facilitated consumer groups to support Senate Bill 1270, Assembly Bills 2424 and 287. All videos, publications and presentations produced as part of BRC work with SCDD and Area Boards can be viewed from the Library menu on the BRC website.

Area Boards are affiliated offices of SCDD that protect and advocate for the civil, legal and service rights of people with disabilities. They were created by California law to monitor responsibilities of agencies that assure persons with disabilities and their families have access to services they need. BRC completed an important citizen advocacy tool and website for Area Board 9 in 2011. Advocating with your Elected Officials has been presented at international conferences as an easy-to-use tool that opens doors for community members to express their opinions to their elected representatives.

University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities are authorized under federal law to work with persons with disabilities and their families, state and local governments and community agencies. They focus on projects that provide training, technical assistance, research and information sharing which builds communities to sustain all their citizens.

BRC provided the tools, training materials and webinar sessions for Success Defined, an innovative project designed for families who wish to obtain success in the areas of employment, post-secondary education, inclusive volunteer service options, and community resource development.

Service Providers and Volunteer Agencies

Community-based service and volunteer agencies carry out the work of program delivery to children and adults to improve the quality of their lives, advocate for rights and develop career opportunities. Service providers and support groups provide avenues to skill building, networking and finding opportunities to engage with and contribute to their communities. Video and publications produced by BRC can be viewed from the Library menu on the BRC website

BRC provides training, coaching and media development services to numerous service agencies and volunteer groups at local, state, national and international levels. BRC focuses on assisting each agency to express and direct their mission, involve their constituencies and build community networks. BRC assists agencies with providing organizational development, agency-to-agency collaboration, community building, media adaptations and advancement of public policy.

BRC produces easy-to-understand and use publications and media to increase citizen awareness, rights and responsibilities, advocacy and action. Emphasis is on best practices that inspires quality service delivery, personal responsibility, volunteerism and community collaboration.

California Coalition for Compassionate Care, Sacramento, CA

A statewide partnership of regional and statewide organizations, state agencies, and individuals promoting high-quality, compassionate end-of-life care for all Californians.
http://finalchoices.org/

STEP, Carmichael, CA

STEP provides a range of services to adults with disabilities, shaped by person-centered planning and directed by individual preferences. STEP is known for serving persons who are deaf and those who are both deaf and blind.

People First of California, Sacramento, CA

People First is a California nonprofit organization of people with disabilities learning to work together on how to find their voice, speak for themselves, know their rights, and be valued members of communities.

School Transformation and Community Collaboration

Community and Charter schools that encourage and practice meaningful inclusion of students in typical classes, family involvement and creative thinking provide their learners with tools to become engaged citizens.

BRC collaborates and coaches schools and community associations to develop community alliances, vision-based strategies that lead to transformation and higher student achievement.

BRC and its partners support schools and their districts to build shared visions, drawing on their community’s strengths and resources. Through training, coaching and media development, BRC guides administration, teachers and leadership groups to develop long-term vision and planning. BRC utilizes multimedia and group facilitation to guide school teams to reach goals, increase achievement and personalize education and interactions.

The SCILS Group

Provides a wide variety of services to school and community agencies, families and adults to ensure person-centered inclusion and agency system change that increases community connections and increased quality of life. Services include group process and facilitation, coaching, training, and strategic intervention with agencies and community organizations.

Los Angeles Coalition of Essential Schools (LACES), Los Angeles, CA
LACES facilitates networks of schools, educators, and organizations in the continuous improvement of learning for all students and to support ongoing school change. http://www.essentialschools.org

State, National and International Organizations

National advocacy and service organizations play an important role in setting priorities and direction for personal and community empowerment. Stakeholder engagement can drive policy making and result in increased quality of life. Successful organizations build sustainable partnerships that ensure high performance and sustainable stakeholder engagement.

BRC collaborates with organizations to provide services to research, education and advocacy organizations at the state and national levels. Teamwork focuses on identifying tested and effective approaches to inform and involve their constituencies in accomplishing meaningful outcomes.

U.S. International Council on Disabilities, Washington, DC

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is a United Nations treaty that promotes quality of life, choice and inclusion of people with disabilities. The purpose of the CRPD is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities. CRPD requires countries that ratify the treaty to afford people with disabilities dignity, choice and participation in decisions that affect their lives.

Additional clients and collaborations

INCLUSION – CONNECTION – TRANSFORMATION

The ARC of California, Sacramento, CA

Facilitate statewide input meetings to bring California's perspective to the national Community Imperative Conference, WDC.

Provide training and technical support to the ARC collaboration to increase effectiveness through plain language, organization and use of multimedia for its Partners in Policy Making training.
http://www.thearcca.org/

Human Services Research Institute, Cambridge, MA

Allen, Shea and Associates

Project Collaboration

Self Directed Services community training manuals and public information
Department of Developmental Services

SafetyNet DDS: Statewide focus group on accessible web design, icons.
Acumen/Department of Developmental Services

National Core Indicators: Statewide training, provide facilitation and training support to peer advocate trainers.
HSRI/Department of Developmental Services
http://www.allenshea.com

Alpha Resource, Santa Barbara, CA

Nonprofit Board Governance Retreat
http://www.alphasb.org

HCAR, Eureka, CA

Nonprofit Board Governance Retreat and series to support the Board in strategic planning, accessible formats and money management.
http://www.hcar.us

SEIU California

Graphic adaptation describing the importance and purpose of unions.
http://www.seiuca.org/

Regional and National Business Groups

Acumen Fiscal Agents, Orem, UT

Fiscal Information adaptations for state and national Self-Directed Services program.
http://www.acumenfiscalagent.com