ASA Projects

ASA DVBE Subcontracts (Click here)

ASA Primary Contractor

Moving GGRC’s Quality Assurance Standards From A Compliance to A Collaborative Process  
Working with GGRC’s QA staff as well as providers to integrate CMS changes and the principles and practices of person-centered  into residential quality assurance activities. Resulted in a revised residential quality assurance process.

BAQMS Quality Service Review
The Bay Area Quality Management System (BAQMS) looks at the life quality, health, and safety of individuals who transition from Agnews Developmental Center to a community residence. The Quality Service Review (QSR) provides the means to accomplish the following four purposes: ensure responsiveness to what is and is not working for the individual; facilitate a team approach for supporting positive individual outcomes and provider success; establish provider expectations that focus on individual quality-of-life outcomes and that include and go beyond health and safety compliance; and support continuous quality improvement of services and supports. Volume I of the QSR provides detailed information about the review process. Volume II provides guidelines for: (1) evaluating expectations and measures; (2) operational definitions of terms used; (3) links to resources that support the review and certification process; and (4) training modules for specific tools (e.g., Service Coordinator Review).

A Needs Assessment of School-Based Mental Health Services and Supports for Napa County
Under the lead of Mechele Small Haggard, ASA completed a study for the Napa County Office of Education, Napa County Health and Human Services Agency. The purpose of the study was to provide a picture of the current system of school-based mental health services and supports in Napa County from the perspective of schools, providers and parents.  A summary of current research begins each section and relevant models from the review of literature are presented in the conclusions and recommendations.

A Brief Overview of the Review of the Individual Support Plan System for Comprehensive Services
The Oregon Department of Human Services, Seniors and People with Disabilities asked us to see how the Individual Support plan (ISP) process is working and, to see what changes could make it a better process.  This is a brief overview of our findings and recommendations.

California Bridges to Youth Self-Sufficiency
For the past five years, ASA evaluation activities have included: providing monthly and quarterly reports on basic demographic information (e.g., employment data, usage of SSA benefits); reporting selected participant data to the Social Security Administration; collecting and analyzing information on selected topics (e.g., service coordination and benefits planning, participant and caregiver satisfaction, interagency collaboration); conducting site visits (e.g., delineating best practices, interviewing participants and family members); participating in quarterly team meetings; and, working with the national evaluation team. In addition, ASA has developed and maintained a website for the Bridges team which can be found at
https://www.allenshea.com/bridges.html.  Click here to download Part I of the final report.

SB 1270 Report
We were lucky enough to work with an incredible team of stake holders who support expanding opportunities and choice for community employment and participation in California’s day program services for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Napa County Mental Health Services Act Community Services and Supports Plan|
We’ve been working with Napa County Health and Human Services to write the first of many MHSA (Prop. 63) funding plans for the county.  This funding is focused on transforming county mental health services throughout the State to a wellness and recovery model of support for people with severe mental illness.  The website contains the complete plan and other supporting documents.

Reports from California’s Individual Self-Sufficiency Planning (ISSP) Project
California’s Individual Self-Sufficiency Planning (ISSP) project was designed to demonstrate the value of: (1) financial planning and assistance to reduce anxietyabout working at all, and (2) long-term employment support.

California’s Child and Family Services Review
We worked with Napa County HHSA Childrens Services to develop both a self-assessment and self-improvement plan for child welfare services.  Each county report is a part of the larger statewide redesign effort.

DUI AND THE COURTS: Getting The DUI Offender Through the System
The workshop was sponsored by the Contra Costa County Superior Court and the Office of Transportation Safety.   Along with Mony Flores-Bauer and a group of energetic recorders, we supported this conference through facilitation, graphic recording (Emily Shephard), documentation of proceedings and a summary report (excerpts).

Assembly Bill 649: Selected Human Resource and Financial Implications
This ended up being one of the more controversial pieces we have worked on.  If you don’t mind, we’ll take a break from those kinds of projects for at least the near future.

Expressions of Wellness: A Guide for Adults with Developmental Disabilities                                                                                                                                                                                                    Funded by the Department of Developmental Services and ‘abandoned’ by an unnamed regional center, it’s time that it sees the light of day.  This 380 page guide was developed some seven years ago (so some of the Internet resources are getting dated).  It includes 10 modules representing various systems of the human body. Each of the modules has two sections: (1) Health Information and Resources for Caregivers; and (2) Prevention Curriculum for Instructors of Adults with Developmental Disabilities.

First 5 Napa County Community Plan 2003
We have the opportunity to work with the local Commission on planning and evaluation activities.

Supported Living Project: A Final Report
The Idaho Governor’s Council asked us to look at Medicaid funded supported living services in that state. We report on challenges, best practices in other states, and some considerations for change in policy and practice.

The Lanterman Act and Related Literature in California
We have absolutely no way of proving this, but we are told that two of the five chapters in this text (from the Sadato Memorial Welfare Research Center in Japan) are documents we developed. One is titled General Information about Developmental Disabilities and the Regional Center System in California and the other is Looking at Service Quality (Provider Handbook) that we developed for the Department of Developmental Services.

The Napa County Early Learning Initiative
We were asked to develop a school readiness proposal for the Napa Children and Families Commission. 

Through the Roof: Conversations about the Housing Crisis in Napa County
We were asked to facilitate two community conversations on the housing crisis in Napa County. 

Recommendations for IHSS Mode of Service
We were asked to facilitate and support the process of selecting a mode-of-service and employer-of-record for In-Home Supportive Services in Napa County. This document is provided in pdf format.

Fiscal Analysis of A.B. 896
John Shea was asked to develop an economic blueprint for implementing the budget unification plan (regional and developmental centers) presented in Assembly Bill 896. In addition, he has developed a brief version in the style of an executive summary. These documents are formatted in .pdf files.

Our Children, Our Future
Proposition 10 provides tobacco tax money for early childhood services and support in California. This is the strategic plan for the Napa County Children and Families Commission. This plan is formatted to read in Adobe Acrobat.Caring for Napa County’s

Children 2000-2005
We had an opportunity to work on the strategic plan for the Napa County Child Care Planning Council. This plan is formatted to read in Adobe Acrobat.

Year 1 and Year 2
Direct Support Professional Training (First Edition)

Department of Education and the
Regional Occupational Centers and Programs
in partnership with the Department of Developmental Services

We had the privilege of working with a great team of writers on the first and second year training curriculum for Direct Support Professionals. Updated version can be found at the Department of Developmental Services website.

Service Coordination Orientation and Training Curriculum
We think this is one of the most information-packed, 800+ page pieces of work you’ll see. For more information, click here.

An Evaluation of Sacramento County’s InfoLine CARES Registry and Provider Referral Service
You can find the Executive Summary of this evaluation here.Developing Personalized Living Arrangements

One size does not fit all!
The potential for developing a variety of living arrangements has expanded considerably over the past few years. Allen, Shea & Associates is prepared to help people plan for cost-effective services and supports in a personalized living arrangement. Click here for more information. You can also find an information brief on a variety of living arrangements, with information on rates and what it takes to create such arrangements.

Listen to Me!
In this workbook, people have a chance to think about their lives and the kinds of things that are important to them. When they have completed it, the information can be used to help build an Individual Support Plan. It’s based on the process and values of Essential Lifestyle Planning.

Looking at Life Quality
With the assistance of individuals with developmental disabilities, family members, regional centers, service providers, advocates, professionals and other interested persons, the California Department of Developmental Services developed desired outcomes for individual life quality. Based upon these individual outcomes, the Department also developed a way to help people look at their lives and to look for opportunities to improve their life quality. It’s calledLooking at Life Quality and we were contracted to work on the initial version along with the training materials that accompany it.

A Resource Guide on Individual-Centered Planning was developed for the Rehabilitation Accreditation Commission. Click here for more information.

CSLA Evaluationis a report based on a 2 year look at CSLA funded supported living in California. It was completed with the help of Claudia Forrest and Mark Rice. It’s 10 chapters and about 350 pages of information. To order an Executive Summary (click herefor a preview) or a copy of the full report, call or write Julia Mullen at the California Department of Developmental Services, 1600 9th Street, Room 320, Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 654-2426.

A Workbook for Your Personal Passport was written for people with developmental disabilities & families who want to learn more about person-centered planning (the process) and prepare for their next IPP meeting (a workbook approach). There’s an all states version here

Building Partnerships, Supporting Choices: Developing Supportive Relationships through Positive Communication and Teamwork.
This curriculum on basic communication skills has been developed for regional center service coordinators (by Allen, Shea & Associates and Rhonda K. Mayerthrough a contract with a consortium of regional center agencies in Southern California). While we plan to develop ‘generic’ service agency applications, it can be easily adapted in its current format. Click here for a look the archive of One Person at a Time, a quarterly newsletter dedicated to supporting and enhancing quality lives and services for Californians with developmental disabilities in the late 90s.

Grant Preparation Guide
We just found this in the Archives.  It’s from 1992, but it still works great as an introduction for people who want to learn more about writing a grant. It relies heavily on summarized (and referenced) materials from The Grantsmanship Center in Los Angeles. In order to add some stimulation to an otherwise not-so-exciting topic, excerpts from grants have been included. Some excerpts are well written, some could have been written better. You’ll be the judge of that!

The names and addresses of our Associates without whom some of this work would have been impossible.

Mechele Small Haggard
mechele@mechelesmallhaggard.com

Mony Flores-Bauer
monybauer@gmail.com