Developmental Services: Family Focus Group Children and Youth with High-Support Needs

In partnership, the Department of Developmental Services and regional centers will be hosting a series of family focus groups to hear from families who have children and youth with high-support needs. We want to listen to the experience of families in accessing services for their children who are experiencing behavioral complexities or crises that impact the child, family, and living or home environments. We also want to hear from families about what will improve service experiences and what services would meet their child and family's needs.

Experiences shared in these family focus groups will be held in confidence, with only the ideas, suggestions and recommendations about services and supports being used to reimagine services for children and youth with high-support needs.

The family focus group participants selected will be culturally diverse, inclusive and reflective of the local regional center community. Attendance is limited, as our goal is to create a safe space to share and to make sure all voices are heard.

Applications for the family focus group are for families who want to share about the family and child's experiences and share ideas about services and supports for children and youth with high-support needs. We encourage you to apply if you have a child or youth that is:

  • Served by a regional center;
  • between the ages of 6 and 21 years; and,
  • experiencing complex behavioral and/or high-support needs.

Family focus groups will be held across California starting in 2024. This application is for the Northern region and will be held late summer. Families from the following regional center catchments are encouraged to apply: Alta California Regional Center, Golden Gate Regional Center, North Bay Regional Center, Regional Center of East Bay, and Valley Mountain Regional Center.

If you are selected to participate, you will receive a participant stipend for your time and expertise. Additionally, regional centers are able to support families' attendance by helping to coordinate any additional services, that will help families to participate, depending on the needs of the individual and family.

We thank you for your submission and are grateful for your willingness to share your experience and strength.

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* 1. Attendee's Name

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* 2. Preferred contact phone or email

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* 3. Will you be bringing another family member with you?

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* 4. Which Regional Center serves your child?

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* 5. How old is your child?

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* 6. Do you need translation, interpretation or accommodations?

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* 7. Please describe the translation, interpretation services or accommodation needed. Please put "N/A" if none are needed.

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* 8. Please pick all the times that work best for you to be able to join the Focus Group.

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* 9. Is your preference for an in-person meeting, or a virtual meeting like Zoom?

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* 10. Which of the following most accurately describes where you live?

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* 11. Please check any of the supports and services that have been used to support your child?

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* 12. What is your preferred language?

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* 13. What is your ethnicity?

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* 14. Which group best describes you? Check all that apply.

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* 15. Are there any services or supports that you may need, in order for you to be able to attend?

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* 16. We will have your service coordinator contact you and support you in planning for your attendance. Additional services may be available, to help family's ability to participate, depending on the needs of the individual and family. Please provide us with your child's first and last name, or the name of your service coordinator so we can follow-up with them to support you

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