PROGRAMS

Independence and community integration for

people with developmental disabilities

History

The service area of WATCH Resources is comprised of the entirety of Tuolumne County and the southern portion of Calaveras County, representing a total population of more than 50,000 people.  The area is geographically very large, rural, and has few generic agencies from which services for people with special needs can be obtained.  Prior to the inception of The Activity Center for the Handicapped of Tuolumne County, which incorporated as a private nonprofit corporation in 1971, there were no services available to adults with developmental disabilities within the service area.

The initial program, begun in 1971, was basically a program of arts and crafts offered 3 hours a day, 3 days a week, at the Youth Center in Sonora and served only 8 clients.  The program was primarily funded by the Tuolumne County Welfare Department.  This minimum program continued for approximately one year when it became apparent that the program had to have its own facility.  A county owned building, in Stent, the old Poverty Hill School building, was obtained.

In 1972, an Activity Center program began.  This program was conducted 5 days each week, 6 hours each day.  With a continuation of some funding from the Tuolumne County Welfare Department and regional center funding which was then secured, the number of clients increased to 10.

Regional center funding in 1973 was limited to no more than 30% of an agency's annual budget and even though, at that time our budget was less than $30,000, due to lack of fund, the program was forced to close and remained closed for one year.

In August of 1974, with approximately $3,000 in the bank, the program reopened at the Stent location with 12 clients.

A Program Development Fund grant in the amount of $30,000 was awarded to the Association, and with regional center funding which was again secured, in 1975 additional staff was hared and a fully functioning activity center was developed.

The program began providing services for their first southern Calaveras County resident in 1976 and some funding was generated from Calaveras County through their CETA program.

In 1978 the focus of the Corporation broadened to include services for developmentally disabled people of all ages; the Corporate name was legally changed to Tuolumne County Association for Handicapped, Inc., and new by-laws were written.

TCAH assumed responsibility for another project, Tuolumne County Independent Living Project (TCILP) in 1979; a program where out-of-home living opportunities are available for handicapped adults capable of living semi independently.  This program, which has received international recognition, continues in Sonora and is expanding into more independent living opportunities.

TCAH, in 1979, upon receipt of a two year program development grant in the amount of $113,000 and an establishment grant in the amount of $10,000 developed their project Work Activities for Tuolumne County Handicapped (WATCH).  Funds from these two grants plus an increase in regional center funding enabled the development of a shop component to the activity center.  The program situated in the old school building began offering pre-vocational and vocational training and paid minimal salaries, in a controlled work setting.

A mobil building of 1440 sq. ft. was obtained, housing Association offices, kitchen and lunch room.  This building also provided space for quiet instruction (reading, sewing, functional academics, etc.).

Enrollment at WATCH increased to 39 in 1980 and tuition funding responsibilities transferred from Valley Mountain Regional Center to Department of Rehabilitation, Habilitation Services.

TCAH began yet another project, Infant Child Enrichment Services (ICES).  The focus of this program is to provide center based services for children who have special needs in a fully integrated setting.  The program also provided services for children who have no apparent handicapping condition but are Title XX eligible.  Funding for Title XX eligible children is through the State Department of Education, Office of Child Development.  Other funding is generated through Valley Mountain Regional Center.

In 1982, the WATCH program moved from the Stent location to its present site in Mono Village.  WATCH elected to drop Habilitation Services funding and to return to the regional center as the responsible funding agency.  The activity and shop components continued and an adult development program began to provide more closely supervised services for people with very limited skills.

Upon attainment of the initial goals established for ICES, and with expansion further and further into the field of general child care, in 1983, responsibility for that program was transferred to the newly formed ICES corporation.

With additional training opportunities, the WATCH enrollment quickly expanded to 70 clients.

To more adequately describe the area served, in September of 1984, the name of the association was officially changed to Tuolumne/Calaveras Association for Handicapped, Inc. (TCAH); the day program name was changed to Work Activities for Tuolumne/Calaveras Handicapped (WATCH); residential program name was changed to Tuolumne/Calaveras Residential Programs (TCRP).

Because residential services for severely and profoundly disabled people did not exist in Tuolumne County, in November of 1984 a new group home, licensed for 6 severely and profoundly retarded adults opened in Volponi Acres.  This group home is operated under the direction of TCAH.

TCAH has consistently provided transportation to and from program since 1975, expanding from one 9 passenger vehicle at that time to the current 15 or 17 passenger vehicles.  Transportation service is provided 5 days each week and for evening and weekend transportation to HI-GEAR events.

In 1997, TCAH underwent an organizational restructuring.  TCAH was dropped as the parent organization name and WATCH has taken it's place.  All other programs under the former TCAH have been reorganized into departments under the new WATCH program.

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