Member benefits | California Disability Services Association CDSA

Membership | Member Benefits

CDSA members never have to face a challenge alone. Membership gives you direct access to a wide range of collective and individual benefits.

Informationwcc_admin2024-02-26T23:22:37+00:00

Information

Our members can stay informed in a variety of ways. You’ll receive alerts about news that could impact your programs and about opportunities to act. CDSA peers and staff share resources for you apply in your programs. And you’ll receive regular updates on state and national policy, programs, labor law, and CDSA activity. You can also call or e-mail our knowledgeable staff with questions.

Peer connectionswcc_admin2024-02-26T23:24:50+00:00

Peer connections

CDSA provides a ready-made network of professionals to exchange ideas and solutions. With access to our listserv, you are only an email away from peers who face the same issues you do. Every year, you have multiple opportunities to connect with experts at conferences and regional meetings. When you contact CDSA about an issue, you connect to someone who understands it from your perspective.

It can be very lonely in this industry as a CEO or an executive director. People join because they like that camaraderie, that ability to connect and hear what’s going on throughout the state and not just their local area. – Wendy Forkas, CEO, Adjoin

Professional developmentwcc_admin2024-02-26T23:25:07+00:00

Professional development

You and your staff have opportunities for interactive training designed specifically for IDD service providers. CDSA’s Annual Meeting, Regional Policy Meeting, and Legislative Affairs Conferences provide education on policy concerns, program issues, and administrative challenges. You can also access educational events or webinars offered by CDSA’s partner organizations.

Committee involvementwcc_admin2024-02-26T23:25:22+00:00

Committee involvement

Committees offer an opportunity for members from a variety of professional backgrounds to learn from each other and make decisions that guide our work. Current Committees include Public Policy, Membership, Public Relations, and Audit.

Regional caucus participationwcc_admin2024-02-26T23:26:02+00:00

Regional caucus participation

Member organizations meet regularly in three Regional Caucuses to discuss topics impacting service programs in their communities or regional center catchment areas. These member-led groups solve problems and keep participants informed on matters of local importance such as:

Best practices in delivering services and managing the business.
Challenges with implementing funding and policy changes, including interpretations by Regional Centers.
Activities and strategies to raise community awareness and gain legislators’ support.

As California’s largest and longest-running association of disability service providers, we bring your concerns to the attention of policymakers. We build relationships with legislators and state agencies to seek the information you need. You can focus on running your organization and serving your clients, while CDSA monitors every policy that could impact your programs. When the time comes for service providers to act on a pending bill or regulation, we give you everything you need to get engaged without disrupting your important work.

Membership allowed me to get into the rooms that I wouldn’t have gotten in by myself. – Michael Pereira, MA Ed., Executive Director, Ala Costa Centers