Access ServicesVolume 5, Issue 12

February 3, 2012

On January 21st, Access participated in the West Valley Occupational Centers (WVOC) community Resource Fair. WVOC is a research and educational institution that provides learning opportunities and employment training for students and adults with physical disabilities. The center offers a variety of classes including business, technology, family services and health/sciences.

Held in Woodland Hills, Principal Veronica Montes provided salutations and the opening statements for this well attended event. West Valley citizens were given the opportunity to explore a vast number of organizations

providing home-care, Family Guidance Centers, Senior Citizen Housing, Gang and Drug Prevention Programs, and ADA Paratransit.

As the newest member of the Mobility Management team, Stephen Wrenn and I were moved by our customers who stopped by the Access table to relate their personal stories of family members and loved ones who used our services to assist in hopes of a better life.

Erik WashingtonMobility Management Coordinator

West Valley Center Resource FairAccess hosted the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Complementary Paratransit Service Training on January 26th. The course was presented by Dr. John Cleveland and was attended by 40 representatives from regional centers, non-profit organizations, and public transit agencies including Access’ providers. Access’ eligibility department staff, Geoffrey Okamoto, Norma DeAlba, Torrance Johnson, and Vince Calderon also participated.

The objective of the training was to enhance the participant’s knowledge of the ADA and the regulatory requirements for paratransit operations. Dr. Cleveland provided participants with a wealth of information and a very thorough overview of the subject. Additionally, he introduced the Department of Transportation’s Final Rule change to 49 CFR Parts 37 & 38, made effective on October 2011, clarifying the definition of a mobility device.

Access is working with Dr. Cleveland to develop a more in-depth training for our local

Executive Report

Behind the Scenes

Community Meeting Kickoff …… 2Parents with Children Program … 2Supervisor Boot Camp ………… 3TAP Card Award ………………… 3Project Management Initiative … 4Rider Comments ………………… 4

In this issue:

Continued on Pg. 4

Access kick-started the 2012 Community Meetings in the Santa Clarita Region. Twenty-three Access customers, PCA’s, relatives, and friends attended the meeting on January 31st at the Valencia Library. The goal of the meeting was to meet our customers and talk with them about what concerns they have. Some of the issues discussed were the new Access TAP cards, information on visiting other states, travel training, and the Access Operations Monitoring Center (OMC). Customers also inquired about our Mobility Device Marking and Tethering Program. Access staff had the opportunity to mark and tether a customer’s mobility device which will make that customer’s

trips safer in the future. In addition, Community Advisory Committee Member, Nicole Maguire, discussed travel training with some very interested customers.

Overall, the meeting was positive and productive. Most customers acknowledged that the service just continues to improve. Access thanks the City of Santa Clarita and MV Transportation for continuing to provide excellent ADA paratransit service for Access in the Santa Clarita Region. Please check our website for the next Community Meeting in your area.

Alfredo ToralesProject Administrator

Community Meeting Kick-off

Access recently received New Freedom funding to begin a new paratransit service called the Parents with Children Program. The program will provide an additional level of assistance and freedom to Access customers who are either parents or guardians of children and have special transportation needs to help their children travel to and from locations such as school, play dates, or after-school events.

To help develop the policies for the program, Access staff hired a consulting team lead by the transit consulting company, Nelson/Nygaard based out of San Francisco.

On January 31st, Access hosted the Parents with Children Program kick-off meeting. The meeting was attended by Richard Weiner and Adina

Ringler of Nelson/Nygaard as well as representatives from the Family Focus Research Center of Northridge and Arellano Associates whose specialties are in the field of public outreach. They will develop outreach programs to guarantee that Access reaches all of the potential users of this new service and find out what their needs and wants would be for this new service. Also attending

the meeting was Yael Hagen, who worked with Access to develop many of the basic elements of the grant as well as Access staff from the Operations and Planning divisions to provide input and share ideas at the outset of this new program.

This consulting phase, including outreach and policy design for this new program, is scheduled to last for the next six months. The first meeting on this program with the public will take place in late March or April. If you are interested in further information on this program, please feel free to speak with either Matthew Avancena or myself.

Eric HaackStrategic Planner

Parents with Children Pilot Program Kick-off Meeting

2

On January 12th and 13th, Access Staff members Evie Palicz, Alfredo Torales, Luis Pacheco, and I attended the third part of their Supervisor Boot Camp. This Training was hosted by “Train Me Today” Corporation and facilitated by Chief of Human Resources/CEO Jacquelyn Thorp and Jo An Malagon. The training was a two day event and covered several important subjects such as:

• SupervisorSkillsandBehavior

• EmotionalIntelligence

• TeamDysfunctions

Emotional Intelligence was a very important component that was discussed in our training. “Emotional and social intelligence is a different way of being “smart.” It involves the ability to accurately assess, interpret, manage, and express emotions in order to analyze situations and solve complex issues. Supervisors with high Emotional Intelligence are able to make good decisions and positively influence staff members.

The five most common dysfunctions of a Team are:

• Absenceoftrust

• Fearofconflict

• Lackofcommitment

• Avoidanceofaccountability

• Inattentionofresults

In order to cultivate a strong and harmonious team, a supervisor must be able to communicate effectively the team goals and objectives, while ensuring they

are aligned with the company’s mission and vision. Group meetings give staff members a chance to voice their opinions and offer suggestions for improvements.

The “Best Boss” is normally characterized as caring, approachable, a great communicator, good listener, and motivating. Staff members who believe their boss will listen and seriously consider their concerns and suggestions are more likely to keep them informed of potential risks before they become a problem.

Supervisor Boot Camp III really put the participants through the paces of working through complex issues and developing win-win solutions.

Juan JimenezSr. Customer Support Representative

Supervisor Boot Camp III

A five-judge panel for the 2012 Paybefore Awards selected the Access TAP Card (ReadyCARD Visa Prepaid) as one of the three winners in the Best Government-Funded Prepaid Program category. This year’s Paybefore Awards were extremely competitive, with companies from across the globe vying for recognition as the best in the world in 20 diverse categories. Paybefore is the leading provider of information to the prepaid industry and its family

of media properties include the Paybefore News, Paybefore News International, Paybefore Update, Paybefore Legal email newsletters, the Paybefore.com online portal, and the Paybefore Magazine print publication.

The Access TAP program is now a contender to be named “Best in Category” at the 2012 Paybefore Awards ceremony to be held during the Prepaid Expo USA in Las Vegas on March 12, 2012. The Prepaid Expo is the gold standard

of Prepaid events with 1,700+ attendees and over 100 exhibitors, providing keynote and regulatory sessions, networking with leading companies in prepaid and access to emerging and mobile payment technologies, distribution challenges, and consumer insights changing business.

F Scott JewellDeputy Executive Director, Administration

Access TAP Card - Finalist ‘Best in Category’ Award

3

10-2

159

©20

10 A

cces

s Se

rvic

es

For the last six months Access staff has been redefining roles and practices in the way various projects are managed. The creation of a dedicated Project Management office will establish timelines, schedules as well as introduce tools and practices that improve upon the quality and timely delivery of key projects.

Since the introduction of our Project Management practice, many projects have benefited

from these methods. In the chart illustrated above are projects built upon Project Management methods.

I am excited about being part of the Access team for this process. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about current or upcoming projects.

Richard RodriguezSenior Project Manager

Project Management Initiative

“Access makes my life easier and it makes me independent to run my errands and to attend school. It is a blessing to have a company that I can count on so I am thankful that Access and its employees can provide me with their services.

Thank you very much. God Bless you.”

Jose, Van Nuys Rider since 2003

Rider Comments

Access Services Consolidated Transportation Services AgencyPO Box 5728 El Monte, CA 91734

Tel: 213.270.6000Fax: 213.270.6055 Email: info@asila.org asila.org

4

fixed route partners in spring 2012. This course will be tailored to provide an overview of ADA legal requirements as they relate to the management and operations of fixed route transit in Los Angeles County.

Shelly VerrinderExecutive Director

Executive Report (cont.)