July 2, 2015:
An agreement has been reached that secures continued federal Medicaid funding for the Eldridge facility, as previously stated here.
“Rogers (Director of the state Department of Developmental Services) said the federal funding will help the department transform the Sonoma Facility as described in a plan produced by a special task force that INVESTIGATED the future of the state’s developmental centers.”
Please read the rest of the article by clicking on the link below.
Deal reached to preserve Sonoma Developmental Center’s federal funding
Provided courtesy of the Press Democrat website, by Martin Espinoza.
Transform SDC 
So it this likely to have any impact on Brown’s decision? Are there petitions set up to write Brown and ask him to wait until funding options are explored? You keep mentioning stories without commenting on their implication for your goals. I’m still on your side, but frustrated at the lack of coordination of information,
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Cathleen,
As the article states, “The deal will not forestall the planned closure of the Sonoma Valley facility…The funding will be used to help with the transition of residents into community-based homes and programs…”
As for a petition, the only active one that most are aware of is here. It was founded in April of last year (2014), but is still collecting signatures. It is the most recent one that the Parent Hospital Association (PHA) is aware of. Most individuals belief of the current focus of efforts being put forth by county government types and others is to slow down the closure process and putting services in place that are adequate replacements to what will be lost when the center closes.
I would suggest that you check out the PHA blog site here as they really do try to get all the latest information posted right away, as we do, to let the concerned community construct their own educated opinion about the current events going on.
If you would like to view our goals for the transformation of SDC, please see our recent posts here and here.
Thank you,
transformsdc, Sonoma Land Trust
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Santi Rogers says the money will help to transform SDC as stated in DDS’ plan. Read the actual Sonoma Settlement Agreement, how can say this? CMS is paying just the usual funds necessary to care for the residents at SDC, less as each leaves, so is Rogers intending to take the funds necessary to care for existing residents to modify buildings, infrastructure and programs? Rogers and other California officials signed the Settlement with CMS agreeing that Sonoma didn’t meet health and safety and programming standards, and further that it was dropping its appeal of previous citations because DDS didn’t have a case to disprove that the citations were true (the legal term “with prejudice” was used to describe DDSs withdrawing its appeals, something a state government rarely admits to). The Legislature went back on its increased funding for regional centers and their vendors due to pressure from the Governor, leaving less than $50 mil of new money that is legally designated to be used by regional centers to move Sonoma residents into the community, but not to do anything with Sonoma itself. Isn’t the idea that SDC will be used in any large measure to serve SDC residents at the end of the second year of the Settlement Agreement just wishful thinking? Aren’t Brown and his guy, Rogers, speaking out of both sides of their mouths on this? And is the Legislature clueless or looking the other way? I’m confused, concerned, and feeling like a lot of lying is going on. Am I wrong?
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