PWDF’s Public Awareness and Education Program is currently planning our next public awareness seminar, Seminar 18 – Older Adults (65 and over) and Mental Health Issues: Planning and Solutions. We hope to present this seminar January/February 2020, and will send out a Save the Date notice when the seminar has been scheduled. PWDF is currently vetting expert speakers, as well as speakers with lived experience. Please contact education@pwdf.org if you are or know of someone who may be interested in sharing their expertise or experience with PWDF and our community.

PWDF staff attended the launch of the California Master Plan on Aging on Friday, September 20, 2019 at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero, where PWDF had the opportunity to discuss the potential effects of the Plan with representatives from the San Francisco Department of Aging and Adult Services, US Census Bureau, San Francisco Village, Dementia Enrichment Center, Medi-Cal, and California Collaborative for Long Term Services and Supports. Governor Newsom discussed his executive order calling for the creation of Master Plan for Aging (The Master Plan) to be developed by October 1, 2020. He has charged a cabinet-level workgroup to figure this out. California’s over-65 population is projected to grow to 8.6 million by 2030. San Francisco Mayor London Breed is committed to helping develop and launch The Master Plan. San Francisco is taking charge because older adults (OA) are leaving California and the Bay Area leads the state and nation in “outward migration.” The Master Plan will serve as a blueprint that can be used by state government, local communities, private organizations and philanthropy to build environments that promote an age-friendly California.

PWDF staff also went to the monthly Autism Asperger Spectrum Coalition for Education, Networking and Development (AASCEND) Resources for Spectrum Adults meeting at The Arc of San Francisco, on Saturday, September 21, 2019. AASCEND is a San Francisco-based all-volunteer collaboration of autistic adults, family members, and professionals working together to advance the interests of autistic adults. PWDF’s Program Director for Public Awareness and Education, as well as Nicole Bohn, Director of the San Francisco Mayor’s Office on Disability, and Porsche Bunton of the San Francisco Department of Human Resources, Access to City Employment (ACE) Program all spoke about services they provide for people with disabilities in general and for people on the autism spectrum specifically and took questions from the attendees. We received feedback from people that showed how vital our outreach and advocacy can be. Many who have encountered Social Security Administration regulations and rules expressed feeling overwhelmed by the process, and thanked PWDF for offering outreach, clarity and assistance through the process.

PWDF staff also attended the Golden Gate Self-Advocacy Conference at the Milton Marks Conference Center on October 3, 2019.  PWDF provided attendees with information about PWDF and the services we provide.

PWDF has VHS copies of Seminar 2 – Accommodating Employees and Job Applicants with Psychiatric Disabilities [link to: http://www.pwdf.org/seminar-2/] to donate to “needy” agencies, such as nonprofit agencies and libraries. If your organization is interested in receiving a copy of this seminar on VHS, please contact education@pwdf.org.

PWDF is available for speaking arrangements and training sessions regarding reasonable accommodations, employment, housing and other issues regarding the mentally and/or developmentally disabled population. We have particular expertise in Social Security/SSDI and SSI disability post-entitlement/eligibility issues. See our website for event updates and subscribe to our contact list for future event notifications.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel for all the latest information and media updates from PWDF. For inquiries about PWDF’s Public Awareness and Education Program, please contact us at education@pwdf.org.