Our Mission Statement

Mission

The Center is dedicated to improving the lives of people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), through greater access to employment, affordable housing, community enrichment and equity in access to services.

The Four Pillars

Employment Research, Planning and Program Implementation for People with IDD

Employment rates for people with IDD have hovered around 13 to 14% for many, many years. A consumer may be placed in employment with short-term supportive training or oversight, or training that doesn’t prepare them for their job placement, which leads to frustration for employers and great disappointment for people with IDD. We work to identify best practices among successful employment service providers who work to place people with IDD in long-term jobs, and to develop new partnerships between these highly successful service providers and employers. Further, we seek out the most recent and relevant research to help guide our actions and inform future partnerships to ensure stability and support in long-term employment for people with IDD.

Suitable Affordable Housing

For many years, there has been a shift — from placing individuals with IDD in institutions that provide services to these consumers — to moving them into their communities and deliver services to them in their own independent living situation. Many people with IDD live with parents or relatives, or other caregivers — in many cases with aging parents that worry about the long-term housing circumstances. CPCIDD seeks to identify the barriers to independent living for people with IDD, and a high priority for us is to ensure appropriate housing is available and affordable for people with IDD who can live independently with supportive services.

Equitable Access to Services

California’s Regional Center system provides and/or links services for people with IDD. Regional Centers provide assessments, determine eligibility for services, and offer case management services. These services include the creation of an Independent Program Plans (IPP’s) that guide the coordination of services for each consumer. While Regional Centers are far-reaching in California, there remain communities that lack access to services, leaving many people of color and people with few resources without the supportive services that their loved ones have a right to receive. CPCIDD is working to identify gaps in access to services, and to identify and seek to implement policies that ensure every person with IDD entitled to services receives them.

Community Engagement and Reduce Social Isolation

CPCIDD has adopted a theme that every person deserves a job, a home, and a friend — and this theme drives our work to ensure that people with IDD are not isolated. While the goal to live independently is one that many consumers strive for, they are at risk for living without the important sense of community, of social interaction, and without building friendships. CPCIDD is working to create a sense of community through its Parent Network, and through identifying means to help consumers engage in their communities and create social circles that will enrich their lives.