DDS Director Santi Rogers to Retire Effective December 1

STATE CAPITOL UPDATE:
DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES DIRECTOR SANTI ROGERS TO RETIRE EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 1
Surprise Announcement Made by California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Diana Dooley At the Beginning of the Developmental Services Task Force Meeting – Search for Replacement Will Get Underway – Dooley and Advocates Praise Work and Commitment of Rogers

[Photo of Santi Rogers, Director of the Department of Developmental Services, March 2015 (Marty Omoto Photo)]SACRAMENTO, CA [BY MARTY OMOTO, CDCAN LAST UPDATED 10/28/2015 11:40 AM] –  Santi Rogers, Director of the Department of Developmental Services will retire from state service, effective December 1, 2015.  The surprise announcement was made by California Health and Human Services Secretary Diana Dooley at the beginning of the California Health and Human Services Agency Developmental Services Task Force meeting Wednesday morning, who praised the commitment and work of Rogers.  She thanked Rogers, widely respected for his long career working for the rights of children and adults with developmental disabilities, noting that he ended up serving beyond his one year commitment as director of the Department of Developmental Services.  Task force members and the audience in the room gave Rogers a strong ovation acknowledging his lifelong work.
    Secretary Dooley said that Santi Rogers “…is finally going to actually take his retirement. It is a great disappointment to me, but approaching that age myself, I am very appreciative how well earned this is.  Santi was ready to do this two years ago” but that because of his commitment to this community, “…he stepped up and said he would help us move through the transition that we were embarking on at that time two years ago…”
    She noted that Rogers “…agreed to serve for a year and we have wrung two years out of him. And believe, he has been through the wringer. This is very hard work we are doing together,” adding that “he has a life and I respect that ever so much.”
    Rogers, whose appointment was announced January 14, 2014, took office in March 3, 2014, He was confirmed by the State Senate in February 17, 2015 by a vote of 36 to 0. Rogers succeeded Terri Degadillo who retired from state service in December 2013.
    No replacement has yet been selected and a search for a new director will be underway, with Secretary Dooley encouraging task force members and members of the audience to submit their ideas for a “generation of new leadership”.  Dooley said that given the short time frame that it was “doubtful” that Rogers’ replacement would be decided by his retirement date of December 1st but that “interim leadership” possibly California Health and Human Services Agency Under Secretary Michael Wilkening, would be put in place as it was before when Delgadillo, the previous director before Rogers, retired from state service two years ago.
    The Department of Developmental Services is an agency under the California Health and Human Services Agency, serving over 296,000 children and adults with developmental disabilities through the 21 non-profit regional centers and a network of community-based organizations and individuals who provide services and supports.  The latest budget for the department in the 2015-2016 State Budget is over $5.9 billion ($3.5 billion of that is State general funds), an increase of $456.7 million above the last year’s 2014-2015 State Budget (an increase of 8.3%).
    Children and adults with developmental disabilities may also be eligible for other services administered by other state agencies, including In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), intermediate care facilities funded by Medi-Cal, Medi-Cal health benefits, Medicare health benefits, SSI/SSP (Supplemental Security Income/State Supplemental Payment) grants, Medicaid Waiver Personal Care Services, community-based adult services, foster care, adoption assistance, special education, Early Start, and more.

SECRETARY DOOLEY PRAISED ROGERS COMMITMENT FOR “ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE & INSPIRED US TO DO…”
    Dooley praised Rogers saying that he in “…so many ways embodied the decades of commitment that created the Lanterman Act,” and that she was “…deeply grateful and appreciative” for all that “you have done and all that you have inspired us to do…”
    Rogers, in response, playfully looked around the table where he sat next to Secretary Dooley, as if trying to find something and then held up his copy of the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act book that contains the landmark California civil rights act for people with developmental disabilities - the only state in the nation to have such protections for people with developmental disabilities.  The gesture caused a round of warm and affectionate laughter, because everyone knew that was his signature opening to nearly every speech he has given to countless audiences through the years across the State. Now he was holding the Lanterman Act booklet at his last meeting of the Developmental Services Task Force as director of the Department of Developmental Services.
    He recalled the commitment of parents and families who helped to push the passage of the historic civil rights act for people with developmental disabilities who told lawmakers 45 years ago that “we are here to speak for justice” to bring the “essence of a better life” for their children.  The landmark act was authored by Republican Assemblymember Frank Lanterman, passed by a then Republican controlled Legislature, and signed into law by then Governor Ronald Reagan.
    Rogers spoke of his father when he took him to visit Porterville Developmental Center when he was 12 years old, and how that experience of seeing thousands of children and adults with developmental disabilities residing there changed his life. He said he was “…honored to be a part of the service system” that has served so many people and that this was a “forever relationship”.
    Members of the task force around the table and members of the audience all praised and thanked Rogers for his work and commitment to the lives of people with developmental disabilities.

ROGERS BORN AND RAISED IN FRESNO – SERVED PREVIOUSLY AS DIRECTOR OF SAN ANDREAS REGIONAL CENTER
    Born and raised in Fresno, California, Rogers had long experience in state government dating back to Governor Brown’s first administration, working 27 years within the Department of Developmental Services as a Special Education Teacher; Director of Title I Early Education Program; Program Director; Deputy Director for the division in the department that oversaw regional centers.
    He served as an Director at four Developmental Centers: Stockton (1976), Sonoma (1985), Porterville (1987) and Agnews (1992).  Rogers retired from his first tour of duty in State service in 1995.  From 1995 to 2014, for over 19 years, Rogers served as executive director of San Andreas Regional Center covering Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties, before his temporary return to State service as Director of the Department of Developmental Services in 2014.  .
    San Andreas Regional Center is one of 21 non-profit agencies under contract with the Department of Developmental Services to provide assessments, determine eligibility and coordinate regional center funded services for over 296,000 children and adults with developmental disabilities, including infants and toddlers in California’s early intervention program called “Early Start”.

CDCAN - MARTY OMOTO YOUTUBE CHANNEL
    A CDCAN (Marty Omoto, family member and advocate) youtube channel was set up and has several videos dealing with current – and previous state budget issues, disability and senior rights, and advocacy.
    To see the current videos, including March 2014 San Andreas Regional Center Aptos Legislative Breakfast, January 2014 panel discussion on services for adults with autism spectrum and related disorders in Palo Alto, and older videos including video of April 2003 march of over 3,000 people with developmental disabilities, families, providers, regional centers and others from the Sacramento Convention Center to the State Capitol (to attend and testify at budget hearing on proposed massive permanent cuts to regional center funded services, go to the CDCAN (Marty Omoto) Channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEySEyhnr9LQRiCe-F7ELhg<http://cdcan.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6d5ff1c64c58f56239b63cf14&id=b3788cf710&e=bb1b2a9da5>
    More videos – including new current videos (an interview with longtime advocate Maggie Dee Dowling is planned, among others) – plus archive videos of past events – will be posted soon.

CDCAN DISABILITY-SENIOR RIGHTS REPORT
CALIFORNIA DISABILITY-SENIOR COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK
OCTOBER 28, 2015 -  WEDNESDAY EVENING
Advocacy Without Borders: One Community – Accountability With Action
CDCAN Reports go out to over 65,000 people with disabilities, mental health needs, seniors, people with traumatic brain and other injuries, people with MS, Alzheimer's and other disorders, veterans with disabilities and mental health needs, families, workers, community organizations, facilities and advocacy groups including those in the Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino, American Indian, Indian, African-American communities; policymakers, and others across the State.
Sign up for these free reports by going to the CDCAN website.  Website: www.cdcan.us<http://cdcan.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=6d5ff1c64c58f56239b63cf14&id=2aa75a140f&e=bb1b2a9da5>
HELP IS NEEDED TO CONTINUE CDCAN (SEE BELOW)
To reply to THIS Report write:
Marty Omoto (family member & advocate)  at martyomoto@rcip.com<mailto:martyomoto@rcip.com> or martyomoto@att.net<mailto:martyomoto@att.net>  [new email - will eventually replace current martyomoto@rcip address]  Twitter: martyomoto
Office Line: 916-418-4745  CDCAN Cell Phone:  916-757-9549

  PLEASE HELP!!!!!!
  OCTOBER 28, 2015 - WEDNESDAY EVENING
  HELP CDCAN CONTINUE ITS WORK
  CDCAN Townhall Telemeetings, CDCAN Reports and Alerts and other activities cannot continue without YOUR help. To continue the CDCAN website and the CDCAN Reports and Alerts sent out and read by over 65,000 people and organizations, policy makers and media across the State, and to continue and resume CDCAN Townhall Telemeetings, trainings and other events, please send your contribution/donation (please make check payable to "CDCAN" or "California Disability Community Action Network" and mail to:
  CDCAN
1500 West El Camino Avenue Suite 499
Sacramento, CA 95833

Many, many thanks to all the organizations and individuals for their continued support that make these reports and other CDCAN efforts possible!

Copyright ©  2015 - Can be posted or re-produced without permission if full credit is given to CDCAN

Our mailing address is:
Marty Omoto - martyomoto@rcip.com<mailto:martyomoto@rcip.com>  or martyomoto@att.net<mailto:martyomoto@att.net>