Frequently Asked Questions
- Q. Who does The Arc help?
- A. We help people with developmental disabilities, their families and supporters. Our clients are transition age youth and adults living in San Francisco and San Mateo counties. We currently serve over 500 clients.
- Q. How do you help your clients?
- A. We provide a variety of services including job placement, housing advocacy, independent living skills training, health advocacy and recreational activities. Our goal is to empower individuals so that they can access more opportunities and create a future that is full of options and potential.
- Q. What is a developmental disability?
- A. Developmental disability is a term used to describe a life-long disability attributable to cognitive, neurological or other impairments manifested before the age of 22 and usually lasting for a lifetime. A developmental disability affects the activities of daily living in language, learning, living independently, mobility and self-care, among other areas. Autism, Down syndrome, intellectual disabilities, epilepsy and cerebral palsy are examples of developmental disabilities.
- Q. How can my family member get services from The Arc of San Francisco?
- A. The first step is to have your family member become a client of the Golden Gate Regional Center. To do this, call (415) 546-9222 and ask to speak to someone in the Intake Department. Then ask to apply to become a client. You will need to complete an application and provide the regional center with relevant copies of medical reports about your family member’s disability or information from their school or other records. The regional center needs substantial documentation in order to make an eligibility determination.
It can take up to 120 days to have your application approved. If approved, your family member will be assigned a case manager to help develop a personal plan and recommend services. If services are approved, the regional center will pay for them.
- Q. Who can I talk to about my family member with a developmental disability?
- A. Contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), our Advocacy and Intake Services Director, by email or by calling (415) 255-7200 x151.
