Navigating the San Diego Regional Center: An Interview with Rebecca Hamada and Michelle Flores

Dr. Juan Treminio sits down with two leaders from the San Diego Regional Center (SDRC). Rebecca Hamada, Assistant Director of Client Services, oversees Children's and Transition Aged Youth Services for individuals ages 6-22 and is passionate about supporting youth and families through critical transition periods. Michelle Flores, Employment Resource Coordinator with Community Services, oversees employment programs and services for adults ages 18 and older, including SDRC's paid internship program and Project SEARCH, and is passionate about expanding inclusive employment opportunities and building strong community partnerships.

The conversation tackles common misconceptions about Regional Center, starting with why families should keep their case active during the school years instead of inactivating it. Rebecca explains that school-aged clients can still access services such as respite, social recreation, and conference attendance, and that reactivating a case at 22 can mean a new intake process, lost planning time, and a gap in services. Michelle explains "exhaustion of generic services," the rule that school-funded resources must be used first, which is why a 16- or 17-year-old still in school cannot yet access an SDRC paid internship.

Rebecca and Michelle describe how SDRC connects with IEP teams: families can invite their service coordinator to IEP meetings (with at least two weeks' notice), and teams can align the IEP and ITP with the Regional Center's Individual Program Plan (IPP). They share advice for charter school leaders and case managers on building rapport with service coordinators and regional program managers, inviting SDRC staff to visit schools, and attending outreach events such as the SDRC Vendor and Family Resource Fair, the Employment Services Conference, People First, and Leading the Charge.

The episode also covers key timelines (SDRC begins transition and employment conversations around age 16, and families should explore programs at least a year before exiting school), the value of person-centered planning, how families can advocate without feeling like a burden, current employment vendor capacity and wait lists, and creative ways students can lead their own IEPs, from PowerPoint presentations to pre-recorded videos and letters read aloud.