Through our partnership with the Nevada Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, FSC would like to present the following disability resource list. Our hope and goal with this project is to raise awareness for services available for individuals in Douglas County, especially youth who are in the process of transitioning from high school and may need support with their next steps.
Named in honor of the late Joyce "Jessie" Seeman, a local woman with Down Syndrome, Jessie's Ranch began support services through Family Support Council in 2017 in response to a persistent need expressed by Douglas County families, schools, community members, and individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) for personalized services.
The Jessie's Ranch Program is dedicated to providing support for the growth and development of healthy families through person-centered planning and customized services to individuals in various in-home, work, and community settings. Jessie's Ranch envisions a future in which all individuals are living and striving for independent and better-quality lives, as valued members of the community who are empowered to make their own decisions regarding where they live, work, play, and form relationships.
Service goals are based on an individual's own preferences through discussions with the individual, their family, their Regional Center representative, and/or other supporters in their circle. All support services are community-based and may include a combination of the following:
Supportive Living Arrangement (SLA) services provide a wide range of support with a focus on improving independence in daily living. Services are available to RRC (Rural Regional Center) qualified individuals and can include activities for socialization, IADL (instrumental activities of daily living such as shopping or home maintenance), health and fitness, money management, communication, recreation, transportation, and safety/emergency needs.
Jobs and Day Training (JDT) is a program that aims to help individuals achieve community inclusion, independence, and productivity by assisting them in obtaining meaningful employment and interpersonal skills. The program caters to individuals who are 18 years or older, have an open case with RRC Developmental Services, and express a desire for the service. JDT has two main support categories:
Job Coaching enables individuals to participate in selected goals such as volunteering to gain job skills and résumé development, complete and submit applications for employment, and engage in on-the-job tasks for paid employment.
Day Habilitation offers individualized activities tailored to the participant's definition of a meaningful day. Day Hab aims to increase or maintain the participant's capacity for independent functioning and decision-making. The program consists of functional activities that help with the acquisition, retention, or improvement of self-help, socialization, and adaptive skills in various community settings.
Respite is a flexible service option that allows primary caregiver(s) to take time away from the ongoing care of a qualifying child or adult family member with a disability, who will instead be supported by a Direct Support Professional (DSP). Service hours are limited to specialized service authorizations through RRC.
Vendor Provided Care (VPC) is JR's newest service as of August 2023. Qualified individuals through ACRC (Alta California Regional Center) are able to take advantage of supported social opportunities and events within Douglas County and nearby areas and improve their social and/or vocational skills as part of community integration services.
Nevada Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities
Created through the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 1971, the NGCDD is a federally funded organization that works to promote systemic change to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities through law, self-advocacy, education, capacity building, and community inclusion. In accordance with Nevada law, the NGCDD is composed of a minimum of 60% of Council members with disabilities or their families, as appointed by Nevada's governor. The Full Council holds quarterly meetings and committee meetings are also held throughout the year.
Rural Regional Center is a State of Nevada Aging and Disabilities Services Division Agency that provides support and services to children and adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Services offered include service coordination, supported living, jobs and day training, psychological services, family preservation program, and respite. RRC serves the majority of Nevada counties: Douglas, Carson, Churchill, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Lyon, Humboldt, Lander, White Pine, Storey, Mineral, and Pershing. Intellectual (nv.gov).
A nonprofit based in Minden, NV, aimed at providing peer support groups in safe and educationally productive environments for youth ages 13-25. Moxy Up encourages civic engagement in teens and young adults and offers opportunities to build social, emotional, employment, and leadership development skills. A safe and respectful skill development program including autism testing is offered to school-aged youth who are neurodivergent. Additionally, Moxy Up supports young people with substance use prevention, crisis mental health services, and connection to community resources.
Special Olympics Nevada offers FREE year-round training and competitions to individuals with intellectual disabilities. Douglas County offers the following: Bowling, Bocce, Swimming, and Basketball. All individuals who would like to participate are required to complete an Athlete Application with a physical from a licensed physician. To find more information visit www.sonv.org.
Douglas County Social Services
From their Gardnerville, NV office, Douglas County Social Services offers a spectrum of services to Douglas County residents. Services include:
Adult Day Club for individuals with cognitive and/or physical disabilities–activities and supports include pet therapy, lunch and snacks, medication cueing, and therapeutic recreation.
Homemaker Program for individuals with a physical disability who are under the age of 60 or individuals who are 60+ and in need of essential homemaker services or who have functional limitations that make them unable to perform their desired homemaker services–supports include light housekeeping, assistance with social services such as Medicaid or food stamps, transportation to medical appointments or to run errands, meal planning and preparation, and grief support.
Community Health Clinic for all residents with sliding scale fees–assistance includes women's health, immunizations, health screenings, family planning, and STD/HIV prevention and education.
Human Services programs are designed to assist those in need with essential resources and services. Douglas County Social Services' team of caring and dedicated professionals provides support for individuals and families struggling with food insecurity, housing instability, and financial hardship. They work closely with community partners to connect individuals with resources that can help them regain stability and thrive.
Partnership Douglas County (PDC)
Located in Minden, NV, PDC aims to improve the lives of all Douglas County residents by developing a network of local resources and enacting dynamic policy changes and programs surrounding substance-use prevention. Through their Empower YOUth program, local middle and high school students are able to engage with health issues that impact them and partake in active roles within their community. Additionally, PDC promotes Legislative Day, which enables Nevada students to attend a Floor Session at the Nevada Capitol Building to experience the legal process in real-time and engage in self-advocacy.
Through their connection with Partners Across Communities, Pulse Fitness in Minden, NV runs a program called the Al Del Vecchio Development Task Force where they work with young adults on both fitness and occupational empowerment. Members from the Task Force meet at Pulse Fitness once a week, where they first practice gym exercises and then participate in hands-on skill building to help prepare them for future employment, such as point of sale and customer service activities.
Group fitness courses–including classes for seniors, Zumba, yoga, spinning, Pilates, and line dancing–as well as personal training are also regularly offered Pulse Fitness services. Prospective clients can obtain a free, week-long VIP pass from the Pulse Fitness Nevada website.
Nevada’s Autism Treatment Assistance Program (ATAP)
A statewide program that helps with temporary funding and support for qualified individuals with professional ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) diagnoses up to the age of 20. Monthly funding assistance is available for ongoing, evidence-based treatment but varies depending on factors such as age, income, and individual treatment plan needs. Providers are able to receive funding for hours used toward daily intervention, applicable equipment, program training, and development and supervision services as well as Speech, Occupational, and Physical Therapy under qualifying circumstances.
Born from the Nevada Communication Access Project, ASL Anywhere allows qualifying individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities in the state of Nevada to receive free ASL interpreting services through the ASL Anywhere app.
Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities (NCED)
The Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities (NCED) is the state’s leading resource for community-based services, pre-service training, research, and knowledge production and translation promoting a high quality of life for Nevadans with disabilities and their families.
As part of the University of Nevada, Reno, the Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities develops and provides exemplary services, programs, education, research, and knowledge translation in order to foster interdependence, inclusion, equity, and opportunities for all Nevadans with a disability by proactively collaborating with individuals, their families, and with various community-based organizations and systems.
Some of the NCED’s projects include the Path to Independence (P2I), Nevada Positive Behavior Support Technical Assistance Project (PBISTA), Family Navigation Network (FNN), Nevada Assistive Technology Resource Center (NATRC), and NCED's newest project, the Nevada Special Education Technology Assistance Project (NSETAP), plus many others.
Eagle Valley Children’s Home (EVCH)
EVCH offers a Residential Program that provides individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities skill training in a caring and home-like environment. EVCH's philosophy is person-centered and based on respect for each individual's capabilities and civil rights.
EVCH offers a Respite Program to support families and primary caregivers of people with developmental disabilities through temporary, short-term care of the dependent person in the family’s home. The goals are to support family unity, reduce stress, and unwanted placement outside the home.
Northern Nevada R.A.V.E. Family Foundation
The Northern Nevada RAVE Family Foundation (RAVE), an acronym for Respite And Volunteer Experiences, RAVE is a dynamic center & community-based program that provides respite care, a much-needed break, to families caring for children age 3 months through 22 years with developmental and physical disabilities, including autism, children with mental and behavioral challenges, as well as children in foster and adoptive care. RAVE's programs recruit local junior high and high school student volunteers and train them in the care of children. Most notably, the RAVE Family Center, Jr. RAVE, and Teen RAVE programs offer support services to both the child with a special need, and their siblings who reside in the home. This attention to the whole family fulfills RAVE’s mission to provide comprehensive respite to parents and caregivers to assist them in strengthening their family unit.
Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA)
Navigating hearing loss can be a difficult journey and HLAA works to empower people with hearing loss to participate fully within their communities and receive affordable access to necessary technologies. The Southern Nevada Chapter of the HLAA (HLAASNC) offers Zoom meetings to support and educate Nevadans on the impact of hearing loss at home and in the workplace, self-advocacy, assistive technology, and peer support. Meetings currently occur on the second Thursday of every other month, although ideas for hybrid meetings in Douglas County are being explored, with the hope of cultivating enough support in other areas of the state to create new Chapters–a minimum of four members are needed to form a Chapter and the Chapter paperwork process can begin on the HLAA website–in Northern Nevada. HLAASNC can be reached by emailing HLAASNC@outlook.com.
Nestled on the Lake Tahoe waterfront, CampCare Nevada is a nonprofit and non-sectarian summer camp for individuals with disabilities. Campers hail from across the United States to take part in a week of swimming, wildlife, crafts, conservation, and music and dance. CampCare services include three meals each, queen beds, wheelchair-accessible private restrooms, one-on-one support from assigned onsite counselors, and a variety of enriching social opportunities.
This project is supported by the Nevada Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities through 75% of grant funds from the Federal Department of Health and Human Services; Administration on Community Living grant #2201NVSCDD-01 and 25% matching funds appropriated by the Nevada State Legislature under NRS 232.320 administered through the State of Nevada Department of Health and Human Services for a total of an estimated $49,498. The contents are solely the responsibility of the Family Support Council and do not necessarily represent the official views of any other associated or supporting agencies.