Scotts Valley is leading the way as the first community in Santa Cruz County to become officially named an autistic-friendly local government.
“The city as an organization just received our certification—that means that our staff have accomplished the training threshold required,” City Manage Mali LaGoe said in an interview.
LaGoe said this represents the first step toward a city-wide autism-friendly designation. “If we can get enough health care, and education, and tourism, and travel, and recreation-type businesses in the community to also get trained, then we can get certified as a community—which is a goal that will take longer.”
The city received its certification on March 31.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, about one in six children aged 3-17 have a developmental disability, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, cerebral palsy or similar conditions.
A study published Oct. 30 in the the JAMA Network Open found Autism Spectrum Disorder rates “increased substantially between 2011 and 2022, particularly among young adults, female children and adults, and children from some racial or ethnic minority groups.”
The leadership at the destination marketing agency for Santa Cruz County has been credited with promoting the autism certification scheme as a way to make the region attractive to an even larger group of travelers than currently want to visit the area.
While officials in places like Scotts Valley see the diversity benefits, they’re also hoping it will help to invigorate hotel tax revenues, which cratered during the pandemic.
On April 2, as part of its community grant process, Scotts Valley City Council agreed to give out $5,192 to groups looking to go through the certification process. Kumon of Scotts Valley got $1,745 for the training of one employee, while the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce got $3,447 for the training of two employees.
Council had originally voted to carve off $10,000 out of the $50,000 in community grants to put towards a community autism certification drive, but it only received those two requests for autism-friendly certification funds during the month-long application period.
LaGoe said she’s pleased to see the enthusiasm building for the project—particularly among her own team.
“I think it’s fantastic,” she said. “I think it’s such a great testament to our community’s values, and then how our staff reflect those values. We gave staff until the end of April to complete the training. And everybody completed it in the first week or two they had it. So, it really showed the staff’s commitment to wanting to receive this information, be better informed and be able to serve the community better.”
Community grants
The city received nonprofit proposals totaling $113,670.
Community Bridges requested $20,000 to run Meals of Wheels—exactly double what the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz asked for (and got)—but scored the lowest under the system the City uses to evaluate proposals.
The rest all submitted four-figure proposals, and got what they asked for. Council decided to give Community Bridges the unused autism-certification funds, so that organization still got more ($6,274, for home-delivered meals and wellness checks for seniors) than all the other applicants besides the Boys & Girls Club and the Multicultural Fair group.
The Scotts Valley Multicultural Fair / SVEF received $7,500 towards tents, tables and chairs; Hospice of Santa Cruz County got $5,000 for youth grief support for teens aged 7-17 (Camp Erin); Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired got $5,000 for no or low-cost vision rehabilitation service; the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz County got $10,000 for facility updates and to purchase a new automated external defibrillator (AED) device; Monarch Services – Services Monarca received $5,000 to enhance crisis intervention support services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking in Scotts Valley; the Conflict Resolution Center got $1,034 for skills training for Scotts Valley residents; and Dientes Community Dental was given $5,000 for its Dientes Cares program, which offers reduced and free care to uninsured children, adults and seniors.
Autism certification efforts begin
Last Tuesday afternoon, May 6—National Teacher Appreciation Day—Marwan Mezher, owner of Kumon of Scotts Valley, took a break from the quiet learning efforts underway at his business in Kings Village Shopping center to speak with Press Banner about why he signed up for the autistic-friendly training program.
“If we get the autism certification, it will provide our afterschool program with more knowledge,” he said. “It’s crucial for us to have these communication, social skills to better deal with those kids.”
At one point, Mezher paused the interview to give a “Kumon buck” (fake currency used as a reward system) to a young girl who had completed an assignment.
His business sometimes works with learners who have autism or other special needs, he explains.
“It’s a scale—not all kids with autism need similar help,” he said. “It’s important to let everybody know we care about those kids.”
Mezher first heard about the certification option by way of a message blasted out from City Hall by Clerk Cathie Simonovich.
“It’s really important,” he said of Scotts Valley’s proactive approach to addressing a rising societal challenge. “Because we couldn’t know about it if the city didn’t send us an email. They introduced us to this program.”
This year, Mezher will be the one taking the training, though he says he’d love to apply for more certification slots for other staff members in the future.
In fact, just an hour or so before the impromptu visit by the Press Banner, he’d sent an email to the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards to find out about the next step in the process.
Mezher was a little surprised to hear no other for-profit business had applied.
He says he hopes more companies get on board over the course of the next year.
“I would encourage them, definitely, to get the certificate,” he said. “Because it will help the kids, you know. You will have a better place for them.”
