• Persons served are in safe and supportive settings that promote a life of independence, acknowledge diverse cultural perspectives, and that respect the inherent risks and valuable learning experiences that come from living in the community.
  • Persons served and their families have knowledge of their healthcare needs, access to qualified medical communities, and support necessary to utilize recommended health services that prevent illness, promote wellness, and are sensitive to their unique needs.
  • Persons served have the right to be educated about ways to live longer, experience better health, and practice health-promoting behaviors such as exercising regularly, refraining from smoking, and obtaining timely health checkups and screenings.
  • Persons served and their families have knowledge of, access to, and opportunity for participation in any community activities and resources of their choosing.

  • Persons served make decisions about all aspects of their lives.
  • Persons served choose the members of their Circle of Support.
  • Persons served have the opportunity and choice to have relationships, get married, and have a family.
  • Persons served live, work, learn, and socialize in settings that maximize opportunity to be with persons not paid to be with them.

  • Families are informed advocates for their loved ones with developmental disabilities.
  • Families are the decision-makers for their minor children.
  • Family support services are flexible and innovative in meeting the family’s needs as they evolve over time, are tailored to the preferences of the individual family, and are consistent with their cultural norms and customs.
  • Services and supports for families recognize, facilitate, and build on family strengths, natural supports, and existing community resources.
  • When preferred by the person served, RCOC supports the ongoing involvement of family members of adult children.

  • Prevention and early intervention services, supports, and public awareness activities are designed and implemented to prevent the onset of a disability and/or to improve developmental outcomes.
  • Persons served are provided with needed services and supports in a family-focused and collaborative fashion.

  • Culturally-sensitive services and supports are provided so that persons served can make informed choices on where and with whom they live, including owning or renting their own homes.
  • Families whose minor or adult children choose to remain in the family home are supported through available resources.
  • Persons served live in homes where they receive quality care and can form relationships.

  • Persons served have the opportunity to be educated with their peers without disabilities in classrooms at their neighborhood schools.
  • RCOC advocates for appropriate educational opportunities for the school-aged persons it serves.
  • Persons served have lifelong learning opportunities to enhance and ensure full participation in community life.

  • Persons served have the opportunity and support to work in integrated employment settings that are meaningful, valued by the community, and in which they are appropriately compensated and respected.

  • Leisure skills and socialization opportunities are important aspects of life and are considered essential in the development of the Person-Centered Plan.
  • Persons served have the opportunity to participate in personally meaningful leisure activities of their choosing.
  • Families provide and encourage the development of socialization skills and opportunities for their children.
  • Integrated recreation and leisure activities in the community are a valuable part of developing socialization skills and building social networks.

  • Service coordinators are caring, knowledgeable, and competent in service planning, coordination, and resources.
  • Service coordinators inform families of their rights and the services and supports available to them.
  • Service planning and coordination is a collaborative effort between RCOC, persons served and their families to identify needed services and supports.
  • Person-centered planning is based upon the choices and preferences of the persons served and their families, and the identification of generic services and natural supports.
  • Services and supports assist persons served and their families to develop support networks leading to reduced dependence on paid supports.
  • Services and supports are sensitive to the diverse religious, cultural, language, socioeconomic and ethnic characteristics of persons’ served and their families’ communities.

  • RCOC will maximize all alternative sources of funding for necessary services and supports including federal and generic funding.
  • The public funds that support the service system are expended in a fashion that is cost-effective, consumer-directed, consistent with good business practices, and that reflect RCOC’s Guiding Principles and diligent stewardship.
  • RCOC’s staffing pattern reflects and is sensitive to the cultural and ethnic characteristics of its service areas.
  • The RCOC Board of Directors is representative of, and accountable to its stakeholders and the community it serves.
  • RCOC maximizes community involvement in decision making.
  • RCOC aspires to the highest standards of ethical conduct: doing what we say; reporting information with accuracy and transparency; and maintaining full compliance with the laws, rules, and regulations that govern RCOC’s business.
  • The RCOC Board of Directors will possess the highest personal and professional ethics, integrity and values, and be committed to representing the long-term interests of the Orange County community it serves.
  • The RCOC Board of Directors will be actively involved in the organization (e.g., attendance and participation). The Board will provide appropriate support to maximize effective participation by all its members.