A decade ago, I was at a meeting with other Jewish community professionals in Los Angeles trying to figure out how to create a more coordinated and comprehensive response to the growing number of children, teens and adults diagnosed with special needs in the Jewish community. Survey results from parents and professionals showed that the number one issue was creating new housing and employment options for adults with special needs, but that was going to cost a lot more money than was available. Next on the wishlist was help with navigating the complicated educational, medical, and governmental programs which each family was having to do so on their own, with gleanings whispered to each other in doctor’s waiting rooms and in corners during a Shabbat Kiddush.
We went with option #2, and in 2006, created HaMercaz, the central resource for Jewish children with special needs and the families who love them. The targeted ages were from birth to age 22, when special education programs end. With initial funding from the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles, and later the Jewish Federation, HaMercaz has since helped thousands of families with access to timely, accurate information and referrals, sponsored educational and family fun events, held inclusion trainings, and created a robust network of Jewish-affiliated partner agencies who come together for joint planning and action.
But what about adults with special needs over the age of 22? One of the members present at that long-ago meeting, Amy Gross, who was then Director of the Chaverim program at Jewish Family Service for adults with special needs, pointed out to us that “God willing, all kids grow up, and they stay adults a whole lot longer than they are kids”. Everyone agreed with Amy’s reasoning but with limited resources, the decision was made to start with the younger children, and work our way up to adults.
On Sunday, June 14, that plan was realized with the formal launch of the Los Angeles Jewish Abilities Center (LAJAC) by the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles. Designed to be the central community resource for special needs and their family caregivers, this program is supported by a Cutting Edge Grant from the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles. At the launch party, OurSpace from Valley Beth Shalom/Temple Aliyah offered a community mosaic arts project; JFS/Chaverim adults had a bingo game; Zooz Fitness ran fitness routines; ETTA’s adults with special needs, trained through a grant from DWP, facilitated interactive water and power conservation demonstrations; and Shemesh Organic Farm at The Shalom Center had guests mix their own drinks using a bike blender. And talented teens and young adults artists with special needs from The Miracle Project provided the entertainment.
Michelle Resnick, Director of Los Angeles Jewish Abilities Center at the Federation, and also a parent of a teen with special needs, said that “We like to think of LAJAC as the one-stop-shop community resource for Jewish adults with special needs and their caregivers. LAJAC has three components: a web-based virtual resource center at LAJAC case management, and the convening of community partners to make it easier for clients to access the supports that are available.”
The website is very clear and easy to navigate, with two different portals; one for young adults who have special needs and want to learn more about their own rights and responsibilities as well as information on a wide range of issues, from residential options to building positive relationships, and the other portal is for family caregivers (most often parents, but also siblings and other relatives). The family caregiver side mirrors most of same issues as the portal for young adults with special needs, but from the different perspective.
At last count, LAJAC was servicing over 110 clients though the case management services, contracted with Jewish Family Service and ETTA. According to Resnick, the case management inquires cover the gamut from needing assistance in obtaining regional center services or SSI, to seeking information about housing, vocational opportunities/training, social opportunities and/or legal help. The one common thread is relief that there’s a place to contact, and that's a great first step into adulthood.
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