COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Resources & Information for our Community

At this time we are confronting unique public health care challenges and are being asked to adhere to new social distancing policies. As a result this is requiring all of us to rethink how we structure our daily lives.  At WRC we are here to support our community while ensuring we are following the guidance and direction of the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) as well as the state and local health departments.  The offices at Westside Regional Center will not be open to the public at this time since we want to discourage people from traveling and increasing social contact.  However, WRC staff are working and we will be accessible to help support the individuals that we serve.

• We will be accessible through our normal working hours from 8:30 to 5:30 Monday through Friday and you can call and email us for support and assistance.

• We have set up a number to call if you are not able to reach your service coordinator or are not sure of the person you need to contact.  That phone number is 310-258-4001.

Our priority is the protection of the health and safety of every person that we support; whether staff, individuals we serve, their families, our service providers, or our community partners.  At this time we are all being asked to adhere to social distancing policies.  This means trying to minimize social contact as much as possible and only going out of your home for essential needs.  We will need to be creative however about how we all care for ourselves through this period and how we access the world.  This may mean doing conferences and meetings using technology and finding new recreational habits such as taking walks or doing online exercise classes for example.

SERVICES

DDS recognizes that the current COVID-19/Coronavirus pandemic will require regional centers to be more flexible in order to support the individuals they serve for their safety and the safety of the general population.  Therefore DDS has waived certain requirements of the Lanterman Act and The California Early Intervention Act and/or certain provisions of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations.

What does this mean?  It means that WRC may be doing business a little different than usual during this period.  Service coordinators will be relying more on technology to conduct individual meetings such as having a phone meeting instead of a face to face meeting. Read the directive regarding Requirements Waived here.

For our service providers, there is a specific directive regarding keeping individuals with compromised immune systems, those at higher risk of respiratory illness, and those in specialized residential settings at home at this time. WRC has been and will continue to be in communication with our providers on this matter. Read the directive regarding Day Services for Consumers at High Risk for Serious Illness due to COVID-19 here

Additionally, due to the state of emergency statewide, regional center will pay vendors for absences that are the direct result of the COVID-19 outbreak in California.   Read the directive regarding the State of Emergency Statewide here

MEETINGS

WRC has either cancelled, postponed or will be adapting our public meetings and training events through April. Please check our Calendar page as to the status of any meeting or training that you may have planned on attending.

INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

• The Department of Developmental Services has updated information on COVID-19/ Coronavirus  at www.dds.ca.gov/corona-virus-information-and-resources/

Updated information on COVID-19/Coronavirus in our community can be found at the websites of our local Southern California Public Health Departments:

• Los Angeles County Public Health at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov

• Pasadena Public Health at www.cityofpasadena.net/public-health/

Other important resources:

• California Department of Public Health (CDPH)

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Resources for People with Developmental Disabilities and their Families

• DVU: Resources and Recommendations for People with Developmental Disabilities and their Families 

Resources for Providers

• California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Community Care Licensing Division Provider Information Notices, Adult and Senior Care (ASC) Program

FUTURE PLANNING

This current situation as everyone can see is regularly changing and evolving.  Please refer to our Website and Facebook page for current information and resources.  We are looking forward to getting back to “business as usual” soon.  In the meantime however we will all need to work together and be creative to take care of ourselves and our loved ones.