Community Support and Advocacy | UC Davis MIND Institute

The Business Advisory Council gives advice, guidance, and support for increasing the number of high-quality workforce development programs for people with disabilities. The planning meetings create a space for support agencies to share information and effective strategies.

For more information, please contact sruder@ucdavis.edu

The California Early Start Network (CESN) was developed with the purpose of using videoconference technology to host interactive conversations and establish a support network of early intervention programs and providers across California. Our goal is to build partnerships and community. The group meets 3 times a year to pass on information about California Early Start issues, policies, and practices, to share resources and techniques, and to support each other. Our partners include California State University Sacramento’s Early Childhood Education Department and Desired Results Access Project.

CAPTAIN is a multiagency network developed to support the understanding and use of Evidence Based Practices for autism across the state. They have over 400 trainers (called CAPTAIN Cadre) from Schools, Regional Centers, Family Resource and Empowerment Centers and Institutes of Higher Education throughout California who provide information, training and coaching on evidence-based practices that are culturally sensitive, family centered, cost effective, and competency based.

CEDD supports the UC Davis Campus Aggie Neurodiversity Community. The group includes neurodivergent students at UC Davis who provide presentations on topics related to improving inclusion, acceptance, and knowledge about people who are neurodivergent.

The National Autism Network of Statewide Implementers, established in 2020, is a network of State level implementers who are working to increase awareness and use of evidence-based practices at scale across their respective States. The network meets several times per year to share resources, troubleshoot implementation challenges and discuss recent research and policy related to autism services.

The UC Davis Redwood SEED (Supported Education to Elevate Diversity) Scholars Program is a first-of-its-kind inclusive college program for students with intellectual disabilities in the state of California. Students in the program have an opportunity to live on campus, engage in social activities and organizations, take college classes and pursue an internship or job. This is a collaborative effort between the UC Davis MIND Institute and the UC Davis campus' Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

The partnerships for inclusive research project provides training and community connections to researchers at the MIND Institute. The goal of the project is to increase the confidence and capacity of researchers to work alongside people with developmental disabilities and people in their support networks to develop research projects that are responsive to community needs.

The Community Advisory Council (CAC) of the Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at the UC Davis MIND Institute is a group of people who work together with the our team to make sure that programs and services for people with developmental disabilities are what people need.

The council is made up of people with developmental disabilities, their family members, and representatives from state agencies and community organizations that serve people with developmental disabilities. The council helps us plan our work to improve the quality of life and community inclusion of people with developmental disabilities and their families through advocacy, partnerships, training, support, and research.

CEDD Community Advisory Council Members

Aaron Carruthers
Alvaro Rodriguez
Barbara Boyd
Cameron Newton
Charlaine Hamilton
Chioko Grevious
Christine Mirzaian
Eden Donahue
Elaine Linn
Emily Woolford
Jaclyn Pasko
Kelly Ko
Kelsey Hancock
Kim Connor
Laurie Newton
Linda Thrift
Lisa Cooley
Mary Rittenhouse
Matt Ibele
Natalie Moriarty
Robin Dewey
Sarah Leff
Scott Lorigan

We work together with the other federal partners in California to support inclusion and change for people with developmental disabilities and their families.

• The Tarjan Center at UC Los Angeles
• University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at USC
• California State Council on Developmental Disabilities
• Disability Rights California
• Association of University Centers on Disabilities