July 2, 2015:
With almost 400 residents at the Sonoma Developmental Center, the rush to provide a closure plan by October 1 has parents and guardians searching for some sense of assurance that their loved ones will be cared for.
Please click on the link provided below to read this insightful article.
Parents, guardians not happy with rush to close SDC
Provided courtesy of the Kenwood Press website, by Jay Gamel.
July 1, 2015:
BREAKING NEWS:
California has announced its agreement with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to continue federal financial participation for Sonoma Developmental Center (SDC) for up to two years.
As said by Diana S. Dooley, Secretary of the Health and Human Services Agency,
Please click on the link provided below to view California’s Department of Developmental Services News Release, and don’t forget to click on the links within the News Release for additional information on their plan moving forward as well as the Sonoma Settlement Agreement.
These documents are also provided via the DDS’s website provided below.
Thank you!
Provided courtesy of the California Department of Developmental Services website, (at www.dds.ca.gov), under Highlights.
June 29, 2015:
Because California’s new budget did not include extra funds for programs geared towards those with developmental disabilities, Governor Brown has called for a special session in order to discuss how the state could raise the money.
Please click on the link below to read more on this update.
California senators chosen to discuss funding for developmentally disabled
Provided courtesy of the Los Angeles Daily News, by Susan Abram.
June 26, 2015:
With the approval of the state’s new budget for FY 2015-2016, the Legislature also passed a “budget trailer bill” that details the process and requirements for the preparation of a closure plan by October 1, 2015. Language in italics are new requirements for the closure plan process, and existing law is in regular font.
Please let us know if you have any questions or feedback.
Thank you!
June 25, 2015:
Revised to include the “Outside SDC” section of the article.
A great article from the Valley of the Moon Magazine describes the Sonoma Developmental Center by capturing the struggles the Center continues to face and the obvious fact that change will happen in the near future.
Because of the wealth of diverse habitats, maybe change to the build area at SDC should have a different footprint in order to protect the wildlife corridor and groundwater recharge as described within the “Outside SDC” section of the article on page 3.
Please take a few minutes to read this insightful article below.
Provided courtesy of the Valley of the Moon Magazine, with stories and photos by David Bolling and Caitlin Cornwall.
June 16, 2015:
With news of Governor Brown’s plan to close SDC by 2018, the Sonoma legislative delegation has been urging the Governor to include critical protections for SDC residents, staff and the property’s natural resources in the final version of the FY 2015-2016 state budget which directs DDS to submit a closure plan to the Legislature for review.
“Ensuring that appropriate and individualized community services are in place before residents are moved from the SDC to community placements. Ensuring that critical services…”
Please click on the link provided below to read the rest of this letter.
Thank you!
June 15, 2015:
A great article from the Valley of the Moon Magazine describes the Sonoma Developmental Center, capturing the struggles the Center continues to face and the obvious fact that change will happen in the near future.
Please take a few minutes to read this insightful article below.
Provided courtesy of the Valley of the Moon Magazine, with stories and photos by David Bolling.
June 8, 2015:
Working as a cobbler for the Sonoma Developmental Center, Lisa Glover has crafted shoes to fit those whose feet are contorted. She enables the residents to move around pain-free because of these shoes; propelling themselves in their wheelchairs, and protected their feet from bruises.
Please click on the link provided below to read more of this article or visit the website here to view the article at its source.
An anachronism, a cobbler and Alice
Provided courtesy of The Sacramento Bee website, by Dan Morain.
June 8, 2015:
With the recent closure of Lanterman Developmental Center, it has been decided that the land will be transferred to Cal Poly Pomona, despite that city’s desire to have a role in planning the reuse of the land. Due to the property’s size as well as the location of the center, if could have offered the ability for the city and the region to carry out pioneering projects that they would have benefited from for many years to come.
Please take a look at the article in the link below.
Closed SoCal developmental center will go to university, not private developers
Provided courtesy of the Sonoma Valley Sun website. The article first appeared in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, by Jason Henry and Monica Rodriguez.
June 5, 2015:
Following on the heels of our Transform SDC public workshop, we learned that the Governor’s budget calls for an expedited closure plan of the Sonoma Development Center.
Ultimately, the plan for Sonoma Development Center needs to represent a public-private partnership which creates durable solutions that are derived from the ideas and interests of the community.
Please take a couple of minutes to read the SDC update provided in the link below.
Sonoma Developmental Center, Sonoma Land Trust Update
Transform SDC 