SUCCESS STORIES
Creative Arts * Creative Education * Creative Therapies
Luis Navigates the DMV
June 2021
Luis is an intelligent boy and he proved it the day his mom and his Case Manager went to DMV to get his handicapped parking placard.
Last month we met Luis and his mother at DMV to assist with this process. While in line, a DMV employee asked Luis’ mother, "does your child have a disability?” She answered yes and showed our client’s card that Family Mentoring made for them. The employee let them pass immediately, and after filling out paperwork the employee asked, “all that is missing is the paper from the doctor; can you tell me the boy's diagnosis?” Luis immediately pointed to his pants, and we turned to see him take out the card. Thanks to the intelligence of Luis, who remembered that he brought the card the Case Manager gave him earlier, the card was filled with all his personal information, including his medical diagnosis. What’s more, thanks to his card, his handicapped parking placard was free!
IHSS Process Successfully Paid Hernandez Family Retroactively
July 2021
The Hernandez family asked for help to enroll in the IHSS Program, and though they did not qualify to enroll, their older daughter did. Forms, live scan, and directions were sent to her email quickly by our Family Mentoring program case manager.
During the process, there were some concerns that our case manager helped to clarify. The process took about 8 months. The family filled out and sent an enrollment packet and back payment form in case they (IHSS) would process and pay for the long period that the process took.
The case was approved within 82 hours and after family returned their paperwork, they were happy to receive a retroactive payment approval! This check was a significant amount that helps the family in their moments of need.
Mother's Day 2021
May 2021
Mothers are pretty special to us here at OCCTAC, and we were honored to celebrate some mothers from our Family Mentoring and Older Adults programs this year. Participants in the Family Mentoring Program had a wonderful time creating special Mother’s Day cards for their loved ones.
Meet M. Salinas
January 2021
Miss Juana Olmedo, mother of our client M Salinas has impressed us with her perseverance. She has five children, two of whom have a special disability. She is the primary caregiver for her children, as her husband is the main provider and works full time. With all the work she has to do at home and caring for the children and other obstacles she has to face, she has managed to study for her driving permit and has passed it! She is currently practicing her driving skills to take the behind the wheel test. We are very proud of Miss Salinas for her work ethic and hope for the best to her future endeavors!
Daisy Nava
Meet Victor
October 2020
Victor is a very attentive boy, but during these times of pandemic he has had a hard time adapting to the changes. He does not like to be in front of the monitor for a long time, he does not like to be ordered or denied things, sometimes he becomes aggressive when they do not let him do the things he wants. Thanks to the activity or the stones, he is able to entertain himself and the mother family has noticed a huge improvement on behavior, with less aggressiveness and more participation on other tasks. He feels comfortable doing these activities as they have helped him feel at ease.
Meet Lorena
September 2020
Lorena is a 10 year-old girl in our Family Mentoring Program. She is a very active girl and very restless. Lorena likes to explore all parts of her house but she cries a lot without explanation and without any known reason. She even scratches and becomes aggressive in some moments. But Lorena’s mother noticed that with an activity using pebbles, with a little help, Lorena could decorate a mini blackboard. The activity consists of using small stones and painting on the mini canvas. Lorena stops crying during this activity and she is very happy when she hears that she is going to participate in this activity. Lorena’s mother is very satisfied and arrives punctually to her sessions. She has been given new materials so that Lorena can continue her new favorite activity at home.