Thoughts from the CCO Executive Board, plus a recommendation from the former Executive Director of Agnews Developmental Center.
» Click Here for CCO Board Info
Sibby Coxhead
Former President, Board of Directors
California Community Opportunies, Inc.
Thank you for your interest in California Community Opportunities, Inc. (CCO). CCO is a non-profit organization founded to make the Family Teaching Model (FTM) and the Extended Family Teaching Model (EFTM) available to California families in the Bay Area. The models offer people with severe developmental and behavioral challenges the opportunity to live in their own home in the community and develop a lifestyle they choose. Even severely disabled clients served by these models are able to exercise their rights and have opportunities for free choice, in some cases for the first time.
CCO's board of directors is made up primarily of family members of people with developmental disabilities. Our goal is for the people we serve to be able to live a normal life in their community. The models are superior because the founders, board and staff demand a level of training, certification and quality assurance that is rigorous and uncompromising. Families of clients are encouraged to be as involved in the daily life of their family member as they are comfortable with. If you choose CCO, you will work closely with staff members and family teachers to set up individualized supports that best fit your family member.
As a parent of two developmentally disabled young men, living in the community, I find in the FTM and the EFTM what I want for their support. Parents in Kansas who wanted to move their children from a large institution developed these community-based models in collaboration with university faculty. Parents in Tennessee adopted the models for their children when they were faced with the closure of the large institution where their children lived. It is reassuring that the FTM and the EFTM have been used successfully for over 35 years under the ongoing guidance and scrutiny of university faculty. These same professionals are consulting with CCO as we adapt the models to work here in California.
We intend to continue this legacy of excellence as we provide residential and day services, behavioral consultation, health care services, training and staff certification, organizational behavior management, consulting and family teaching.
We look forward to hearing from you and will be happy to answer any of your questions.
Harold Pitchford
Retired Executive Director
Agnews Developmental Center
A number of the residents of Agnews Developmental Center have the unique opportunity to live in a small individualized home that is locally controlled and supported by an organization with a rich and proud service history. They will live with a trained couple in a community that is close to their friends and family.
I have worked with CCO for some time and I am convinced that they are committed to providing opportunities for choice and learning in a setting that promotes the person’s health and safety.
The staff and the board of directors have impressed me with their caring and their expertise. They will rely on a well-established quality management system that includes extensive staff training and ongoing supports and monitoring. They have demonstrated a commitment to working with the person and their family to create a fulfilling lifestyle.
Each of us have a responsibility to carefully consider a range of service options and to assist the current Agnews residents in the development of a individualized service strategy that will not only meet the person’s needs but also provide opportunities for them to pursue their dreams.
I believe that the family teaching home and the extended family homes that are being developed by CCO merit the careful consideration for a number of people.
back to top
