Vallejo’s Arc-Solano has supported individuals with developmental disabilities for decades

VALLEJO — The Arc-Solano has been helping individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities reach their potential and integrate into the community for more than 70 years. 

Its nearly 80 clients receive services like regular instruction on day to day tasks, assistance with running errands, fun and social activities and art classes and literacy programs. 

The participants have all been diagnosed with a permanent disability such as autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, epilepsy or cerebral palsy.

“I want to provide quality services to our program participants,” said Stacey Martinez, executive director of The Arc-Solano. “Some of them are very lucky and have families  who like to travel and do things with them, but the majority don’t get a chance to learn about the world, so it’s important we give them opportunities to do that.”

Martinez didn’t anticipate a career serving developmentally disabled people. She initially studied English literature and art history. 

Her mother pushed her to become a respite worker while she was studying, giving a break to parents of developmentally disabled children and adults. It changed the trajectory of her life. “I just fell in love with my clients,” Martinez said. 

Eventually she worked her way up to manager of one of the respite programs, overseeing about 400 workers. In 2014, after receiving her master’s in nonprofit administration, she got a job at the Arc-Solano and in February 2020 was promoted to executive director.

Although The Arc-Solano is part of The Arc, a larger organization with over 600 chapters across the United States, each chapter is independent and creates their own programming. Martinez is very proud of the services her organization provides.

The Arc-Solano offers its three core programs and additional value-added programs in their offices at 3272 Sonoma Blvd. suite #4 in Vallejo and at the clients’ home or in the community. 

Helping clients thrive wherever they are

Arc-Solano offers the “Transitional Services” program for higher functioning adults that don’t require constant supervision. 

“These are adults who already live in their own homes, or they may still live with their families, but want to contribute more, or want to eventually move out,” Martinez explained. 

They are assigned an instructor who sees them once or twice a week and works with them to achieve independent living goals like opening a bank account or learning to budget. 

Other goals may be learning to make medical appointments, understanding prescription instructions, dealing with apartment managers, or making sure they wash their clothes and clean their fridge as needed.

“They are most likely always going to need some level of support,” Martinez said, “even if it’s us checking a few times a year and asking, ‘Hey, are your taxes done? Do you need help with those Social Security recertifications?’”

For some clients, Arc-Solano provides “Tailored Day Services,” another core program targeted at clients who need transportation or help with their daily activities outside their home. Arc-Solano staff pick them up at their house and take them to do whatever they need to do. 

“There’s a heavy emphasis in volunteering in the community because that’s a great way to encourage community integration and to develop employment skills,” Martinez said. “There’s also a heavy emphasis on education. We have a few clients who take classes at Solano Community College.”

Sometimes participants in the Tailored Day Services program come to the office and do crafts. Once a month they have a “game day” at the Fairfield library, where they bring and play games. “It’s technically open to the community, so anyone can come and play games with them,” Martinez said. 

Arc-Solano also offers “Alternatives in Curriculum and Training,” a behavior management day program which includes classes on various topics – such as anger management, self-esteem and vocational skills –  as well as community outings.

“We have three agency-wide expectations: be respectful, be responsible, and be safe,” Martinez said. “We teach that to the program participants in all ways. How do we follow these guidelines in the bathroom or a staff’s car? How are we going to follow them in class or in the community?” 

Clients who meet those expectations are rewarded with tokens that they can use to buy snacks, special community trips to the movies or other fun activities.

Participants in the day program meet monthly to decide which topics they want to learn the next month. “They tell our director of services, ‘We want to see a women’s club, we want to see a Cinco de Mayo class, we want to do these types of outings,’” Martinez said. “They also give us feedback on how the staff is doing.”

Arc-Solano offers additional programming such as Art@Arc and literacy training that are open to anyone who participates in one of the three core programs. Art@Arc currently has two art instructors and the participants create lovely pieces that are for sale in the Arc-Solano’s gallery. 

The literacy program teaches a broad range of skills and some of the instructors are highly functioning clients that have been trained. “The literacy levels of our clients vary greatly,” Martinez said. “You could be doing something as simple as teaching them how to write their name, or helping them blog, with everything in between.”

Funding for The Arc-Solano

The three core programs are funded by the North Bay Regional Center, one of 21 regional centers for persons with developmental disabilities in California, established in 1965 through the Lanterman Act. 

“We are the only state in the entire country that has an entitlement act for the disabled population,” Martinez said. “It says that California takes responsibility for ensuring that all residents with developmental disabilities will receive quality programming that will enable them to live the least restrictive life possible.”

The Arc-Solano’s services are free, which is the only way their clients could afford them as most are on Supplemental Security Income and get only around $1,000 per month. Sixty-five percent of the regional centers’ funding comes from the state, while 35% comes from federal funding.

There’s some anxiety that the federal funding may be cut, especially if there are cuts to Medicaid, which matches services provided by California’s Home and Community Based Services. 

“If that 35% went away, it would be devastating, because that doesn't just affect us. That affects Medi-Cal, it affects Covered California, it affects many in-home services,” Martinez said.

The Arc-Solano strives to expose its clients to the community at large as much as possible. They often take advantage of free museum days, go to San Francisco Giants games and volunteer with organizations like Meals on Wheels, the Humane Society and food banks.

The first two weeks of June, the organization will launch a fundraising Volunteer-A-Thon, with around 20 Arc-Solano clients doing community service while asking for contributions to the organization. Anyone can sponsor volunteer hours or give a flat fee. 

“We normally do volunteer work because the clients like it, and it gives them a sense of civic contribution, but I think a lot of people don't realize how much volunteering we do, and what my clients are capable of,” Martinez said. “I’d really like to use the Volunteer-a-Thon as an opportunity to demonstrate their contributions.”  

If you wish to make a pledge for the Volunteer-a-Thon, you can do it here.