OCRA serves over 1,400 consumers in first six months

The Office of Clie

nts’ Rights Advocacy (OCRA) is off to a strong start. Hundreds of regional center consumers and applicants have already benefited from OCRA services. OCRA started providing independent advocacy services on July 1, 1999. Before that time, each regional center hired its own clients’ rights advocate (CRA). OCRA, which is part of PAI but has its own advisory committee and offices, now hires those CRAs.

From July 1 to December 31, 1999, OCRA provided advocacy services to more than 1,400 regional center consumers and applicants, their families, and interested community members. CRAs presented more than 100 trainings and outreach meetings.

Offices are fully staffed

OCRA finished its final round of staff hiring in early December. All 21 offices, which serve the 21 regional center catchment areas, are fully staffed. Each office has a CRA and a CRA assistant. Additionally, OCRA has been providing advocacy services at Napa Developmental Center since August 1, 1999.

Diverse advisory committee sets priorities

OCRA’s advisory committee has been central in helping to establish priorities and commitments. Those priorities will assure that OCRA provides services that benefit the majority of regional center consumers. The seven-member committee is composed of three people with developmental disabilities and four parents of persons with developmental disabilities. Members represent a broad geographical diversity—rural and urban, north and south. They are also diverse in the type of developmental disability and ethnic background they represent. The committee meets four times a year in various California locations. Meetings are open to the public.

MOUs set out working relationship

Regional centers entered into Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with OCRA. Each MOU sets out the areas of law that the regional center believes most important for its CRA to cover. The MOUs also set out the working relationship between OCRA and the regional center. Initially, ten advocates were located at regional center offices, five at community based organizations, one at an area board, and six at PAI offices.

Services reflect individual needs

Nancy Clyde, a member of the OCRA advisory committee summed it up best when she said, "It is important for consumers and families to know that OCRA is their agency, and that OCRA will be their advocate in making certain the service delivery system provides the services needed according to each consumer’s goals and aspirations."

During the first six months, CRAs provided information or representation in:

• 324 regional center matters;

• 234 special education matters;

• 228 family law, guardianship and conservatorship questions;

• 137 income maintenance and Social Security problems;

• 112 abuse and neglect concerns;

• Fewer than 100 in each of these areas—health, privacy, personal autonomy, housing, licensing, placement, assistive technology, employment, consumer finance, right to receive or refuse treatment, discrimination, confidentiality, consent, and other matters.