Community Engagement at Inland Regional Center

Overview of Community Engagement (CE) at IRC Responsible for the development and proactive management of both public and Consumer affairs; paying specific attention to: Matters of Diversity Disparity in Purchase of Service (POS) Agency Performance Contract All Social Media Content on Inlandrc.org Brand Management Public Input Outreach Program Development Special Events Liaison to the Consumer Advisory Committee Liaison to the IRC Kiwanis Aktion Club

Matters of Diversity/Inclusion We address the boundaries and barriers by: Creating inclusive events that promote our core values and inclusion. Partnering with critical units at IRC to create, monitor, and report on the agency’s Annual Performance Contract. Work closely with Community Based Organizations (CBO) to ensure our Consumers have an understanding of services, and the ability to advocate for said services. Educate the community about diversity and inclusion through seminars, workshops, forums, etc.

POS Expenditures 2016/2017 2017/2018 $373,675,948 $406,450,801

Community Engagement Outreach - 275 events in 2018 Trainings: New Parent Orientation, How to Advocate for Your Child, IRC 101 English – 51 Spanish – 40 Partnerships ASIE CVASA SCDD Parent support groups

2018 Projected & Completed Goals Related to Disparity Monthly Cultural Competency Staff Trainings IRC Spanish website - IRC Conference for Consumer parents Disparity Task Force Increase partnerships in the community including support groups CBOs – TASK, IMHP, Fiesta Educativa Approved transportation proposal from DDS Increase APEP attendance Continue outreach efforts specific to disparities Technology Completed 9 planned CC staff trainings IRC Spanish website now available Conference took place on October 13, 2018 187 attendees Disparity Task Force – trainings and Q & A session Victorville, San Bernardino, Corona New support group in Cathedral City CBOs – TASK and Fiesta Educativa Transportation grant 275 educational and outreach events Livestream

2019 IRC Goals

2019 CBO’s Fiesta Educativa- APEP and Fiesta Familiar University of California Riverside Exceptional Parents Unlimited ASIE Learning Rights Law Center 2019 CBO’s

Brand Management at IRC Improving, and upholding a brand so that the name is associated with positive results. We accomplish this through a strong web presence, social media, outreaches, special events, CAC, and IRC Atkion Club.

Why a Strong Web Presence? Establishing our identity as a subject matter expert and a professional organization We can connect with our community Encouraging conversation - Contact Us option on inlandrc.org Monitoring our reputation 1. Establishing your identity. Your organization is more than just a product or service and establishing that identity is one of the most important steps to take on social media. Your posts can be fun, sincere, passionate etc., but should be true to your organization. Once you’ve established your identity, consistency is key. Altering your voice or your tone too often will not only confuse your followers, it’ll affect how you connect with them and share your messaging. 2. Connecting with your audience Social media is an important tool that allows you to directly reach your organization’s audience. It allows you to connect with people who are already interested in what you stand for and provide timely updates on your organization. Utilizing social media is also an efficient way to expand your audience and the reach of your messaging. Users of social media look to follow brands that they can connect with and relate to. Whether it’s through an aesthetic, a product they believe in or a cause they can get behind, social media users seek out brands they can make a true connection with. By maintaining an authentic voice, you’ll begin to see your key audience grow as users seek out accounts and organizations that fit their interests. 3. Encouraging conversation Social media allows organizations to interact directly with the people they’re trying to reach. It also allows the audience to communicate openly in return. When a customer has feedback they can now tag, mention or direct message your company. In return, you can respond quickly, addressing their needs and controlling the message that you’re getting across. With Camp Corral, for example, we try to respond to people as quickly as possible on Facebook Messenger. We can then better meet the needs of our families, campers and supporters while learning what information we might need to be more vocal about. 4. Monitoring your reputation Social media provides real time feedback on what people are saying and how they view your organization. Keeping a constant eye on not only your followers, but the conversations surrounding your organization is key. Creating and maintaining a strong social media presence is a great way to take advantage of the internet and use it to your organization’s advantage, for example, driving traffic to your we

Why a Strong Web Presence? At it’s core, a strong online presence is a crucial step to leading our organization towards success. Allow people to reach us in the manner they prefer. Social media is integrated in how we live our lives and is a major form of communication for MANY people. 77% of adults use at least 1 social media platform. It’s interactive and allows us to provide info/resources/support. Allow us to learn more about our community, likes, complaints, concerns, ideas, trends.

Inlandrc.org Whether they’re a returning visitor or a new visitor, the impression inlandrc.org makes on an internet user is crucial. We have less than three minutes to give our visitors what they’re looking for before they look elsewhere or give up.

Inlandrc.org We have focused on: Concise, clear copy Attractive and organized design Responsive design, allowing visitors to easily navigate on any device – laptop, tablet, phone, or otherwise English and Spanish Search capability Blogging – ability to tell the stories of our Consumers/Staff Calendar – keep community in the know on IRC and community events Specific info for different groups…new to IRC, parents/Consumers, Vendors, etc. Inlandrc.org

Social Media By having a strong social media presence, a well laid out website, and understanding and utilizing search engine optimization (SEO), we can create and maintain a strong platform for others to learn about our organization, while we stay connected to our community. All post are in English and Spanish Facebook @inlandregionalcenter Instagram @inlandregionalcenter Twitter @InlandRegional IRC’s web presence is only as strong as our search engine optimization, or SEO. SEO is a tactic used to increase inlandrc.org discoverability on a search engine and can be the difference between ranking on page one or page five of the search results. There are technical aspects of SEO that can be handled by web developers, but from the front end, your SEO relies on the quality of our content and how it serves visitors of our site. A higher search ranking will allow searchers to see you as a viable option to serve them and their needs, leading to sales, subscriptions or, in our case, more campers and donors.

Constant Contact- NEWSLETTER Sign up at inlandrc.org Newsletter 1x a quarter Updates as needed Please do not report our newsletter/emails from constant contact as spam Newsletter is in English and Spanish Opt. in Opt. out Constant Contact- NEWSLETTER

Consumer Advisory Committee Created to give Consumers a voice at IRC. Gives IRC information about important issues that affect Consumers in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. Provides Consumers information about things that IRC is doing. For IRC Consumers ages 16 and older. Host up to 16 events, trainings, and meetings annually. Participates annually in the ARCA Legislative Day in Sacramento.

IRC Aktion Club IRC Aktion Club is a free community service and leadership club sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of San Bernardino since October 2018. Aktion Club is the only community-service club for adults living with disabilities. Aktion Club allows members to develop initiative and leadership skills in serving their communities, while enabling their integration into society.

IRC Special Events Annual IRC Fall Festival – Themed Consumer resource fair IRC Parent Conference English and Spanish – Driven by the Performance Contract and public input. IRC 5K/Fun Walk in 2020 IRC CAC Presents June 21, 2019