ACC Programs is Now “HCBP”

By Jeri Shikuma, Administrator,
ACC Home and Community Based Programs

I have been in my new role as ACC’s Home and Community Based Programs Administrator for over a month now and am happy to have this chance to say hello to our ACC community.  

You might be wondering, “What is Home and Community Based Programs or HCBP?” It certainly is a mouthful compared to the “Programs” moniker we used to go by!  HCBP is a standard term for programs that provide “person-centered health and human services to individuals who need assistance with everyday activities in their home or community.” HCBP helps people age in place at home, rather than moving into a facility for care.  

Here at ACC, our vision for HCBP is more expansive than this normal definition, which is often associated with Medi-Cal. The HCBP Division at ACC consists of our in-person and online lifelong learning and wellness programs, our caregiver support programs, and our essential services such as ACC Rides.  Many of these are typically viewed as Home and Community Based Programs and Services, while others are not, such as our array of fitness and health promotion offerings (think Pickleball!) and our computer technology and job skills training.  

So why did we decide to change our name?  The shift in our division’s name represents ACC’s commitment to provide a true continuum of services from active aging and lifelong learning and wellness, to long-term support services and end of life care.  In our last ACC Newsletter, Darrick Lam, our President and CEO, talked about his focus on researching and developing more home and community-based services for ACC.  Over the last several months, we have been exploring opportunities like PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) to see what other models and programs we may want to add to our continuum of services that will help increase the health, well-being, and independence of older adults in our community.

The name change to Home and Community Based Programs also highlights our commitment to person-centered care.  That means addressing and respecting all aspects of what makes someone who they are, taking into account their social, economic, and cultural attributes as well as their physical and mental conditions.  It also means creating a system or network of services that is user-friendly and accessible across many types of programs in-house at ACC as well as in our broader community.  To that end, HCBP has been working with staff from all divisions at ACC to create effective ways to assess individuals, inform them of available resources, and connect them to the people and services they need both in-house and in the community.

Our goal is to create a “no wrong door” approach to ensure that our clients, residents, participants, and community members are able to navigate the system of services, make informed decisions, and resolve their issues successfully.  

There is a lot of work to be done, but it is all good and important work.  We look forward to welcoming many of you back to in-person classes and expanding our online offerings and events, we’re delving into expanding our long-term care and essential services, and we’re piloting new ways to build our referral and follow-up capacity.  Home and Community Based Programs staff and volunteers are working hard to create useful services and engage you in meaningful experiences.  If this resonates with you, I hope you’ll support us, and let us know your thoughts and ideas and even share some of your talents and resources.  I look forward to meeting many more of you personally in the months to come.  In the meantime, you can always send me an email or check out one of our great classes, workshops, or programs!