Guam CEDDERS continues to make progress towards its mission to “create pathways that enhance, improve, and support the quality of life of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.†Working in partnership with individuals with disabilities, their families, agencies, organizations, and service providers, Guam CEDDERS provides a wide array of services and supports through 31 projects to address critical needs in the Guam and Pacific Basin community. A summary of these projects is organized under three Initiative Areas.
Leadership & Systems Change (LSC)
Ginger Porter, Initiative Area Coordinator
This Initiative Area is tasked with facilitating on-going systems change and program development efforts within the community that reflect and respond to emerging and persistent needs affecting the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families.
Projects under this Initiative Area focus on training and technical assistance to councils, boards, and commissions whose missions relate to improving services to individuals with disabilities. Promoting the concept of “Individualized Budgeting†and facilitating systems change related to transportation are also activities under this Initiative Area.
Leadership & Systems Change Projects
Health, Wellness, & Prevention (HWP)
Elaine Eclavea, Initiative Area Coordinator
The Health, Wellness, & Prevention Initiative Area facilitates technical assistance and training efforts that specifically address early intervention and health care issues affecting persons with disabilities throughout their lifespan.
Current projects under this Initiative Area focus on enhancing early childhood services and supports, facilitating the development and enhancement of a System of Care for young children birth to eight years, building local capacity in child caregiver training, newborn hearing screening, and supporting a ground breaking children’s mental health project through facilitating training and technical assistance, implementing culturally and linguistically competent services, and evaluating program effectiveness.
Health, Wellness & Prevention Projects
Inclusive Communities (IC)
June De Leon, Acting Initiative Area Coordinator
The Inclusive Communities Initiative Area is charged with facilitating activities that provide a variety of training and technical assistance opportunities which promote the increase of meaningful community involvement of individuals with disabilities and their families.
Included in this Initiative Area is the federally funded Guam System for Assistive Technology (GSAT) Project that provides for a continuum of technology and rehabilitation research, training, and community-based services promoting increased experience and knowledge of assistive and adaptive devices for individuals with disabilities.
Local and regional activities under this Initiative Area focus on improving transition, employment, education, and assistive technology supports and services for individuals with disabilities across the lifespan.