After 20 years in “The Gardens,” J.S. moves into the community

J.S. had made it clear to the staff of an institution called The Gardens, and to anyone else who would listen, that she did not like living there. However, it was not until she became one of the named plaintiffs in PAI’s lawsuit (Capitol People First v. Department of Developmental Services) about the slow pace of transitioning Californians from institutions into the community, that J.S. received any concrete support to move.

A team of PAI developmental disability peer self-advocates and attorneys working on the CPF case (including Marinda Reed, Eric Gelber, Daniel Meadows, ThoVinh Banh, Jonathan Elson and Sujatha Branch) helped J.S. to develop a plan to move into the community and to advocate for support from her regional center to implement it.

Finally, in June after 20 years of institutional confinement, J.S. moved into a home of her own with five other adults with developmental disabilities in a residential community. When a few PAI staff visited recently, J.S. was able to report plans to attend local People First meetings and how she had resolved some differences with a staff member. Reed complimented J.S. on having become an effective self-advocate.