Special Needs

Advocacy, Support and Referral Services

Blind Babies Foundation

Website: blindbabies.org
Address: 1330 Arnold Dr. Suite 24: Martinez, CA 94553
Telephone: (925) 370-3100
Toll Free: (323) 295-4555

Provides home counseling for parents of blind children birth to 3 years old. Assists in the growth and development of child-mobility, orientation, adjustment to family life, walking, talking, eating, etc. Focus is on what the child can do at a critical point in development.
Services are free.
Services are available in Spanish.

CARE Parent Network

Website: careparentnetwork.org
Address: 2051 Harrison St. Suite C, Concord, CA
Telephone: (925) 313-0999

Support for families of children ages 0-22 with developmental disabilities, developmental delays, and special health-care needs. Provides support for Individual Education Plans, Individual Transition Plans, Individual Placement Plans, community resources and integration of support services. Offers emotional support in the form of one-to-one support, mentor support, and support groups.
Services are free.
Spanish services are available.

Contra Costa Child Care Council: CocoKids

Website: cocokids.org
Telephone: (866) 262-6543

Parent education and support, including classes, a warm line and resources on choosing quality childcare, child development, health, nutrition and safety. Childcare subsidies for eligible low income families.

Deaf Counseling, Advocacy & Referral Agency (DCARA)

Website: dcara.org
Address: 14895 E. 14th St.,Suite 200, San Leandro, CA 94578
Telephone: (510) 343-6670
Interpretive Service: (510) 722-7004

“Of, by and for” deaf, deaf-blind, deafened and hard of hearing people. Information and referrals to community services and agencies, peer counseling for everyday problems and crisis situations, independent living skills, communication access, legal advocacy, employment services and community education.

Down Syndrome Connection

Website: dscba.org
Address: 101 Town and Country Dr. Suite J, Danville, CA 94526
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: (925) 362-8660

Exists to empower, inspire, and support people with Down Syndrome, their families, and the community that serves them, while fostering awareness and acceptance.

Independent Living Resource

Website: ilrscc.org
Address: 1850 Gateway Blvd., Ste. 170, Concord, CA 94520
Telephone: (925) 363-7293

Serves Contra Costa County and Solano Counties. Helps people with disabilities rise to their highest level of independence. Benefits include advocacy, counseling, housing referral, peer counseling, interpreter-reader registries, career counseling workshops and support groups. Caregiver Registry.
Services are free.

LEAP (Literacy for Every Adult Program)

Website: ci.richmond.ca.us/788/Literacy-Program-LEAP
Telephone: (510) 307-8084

We offer GED preparation classes and testing; ESL – English as a second language; Basic Skills for work; Computer Skills (BTOP). Office hours are Mon-Thurs 8:30 AM-5:00 PM; Applications are accepted Mon-Thurs 9:00 AM-4:00 PM.
Our services are free of charge.
Spanish services are available.

Paws With A Cause

Website: pawswithacause.org
Address: 4646 Division, Wayland, MI 49348
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: (616) 877-7297

Paws With A Cause is a national non-profit organization that trains Assistance Dogs for people with disabilities.
Hours: Mon-Fri, 8:00 AM-4:30 PM (EST).

Planned Parenthood, Northern California

Website: plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-northern-california
Administration: (925) 676-0505
Arrange classes/presentations: (925) 887-5327
Antioch: (925) 754-4550
Concord: (925) 676-0300
El Cerrito: (510) 527-5806
Richmond (Hilltop): (510) 222-5290
San Ramon: (925) 838-2108
Walnut Creek: (925) 935-3010

Sexuality Education for People with Developmental Disabilities; Sexual Safety Curriculum, Parent-with-Child Workshops, Talks for Parents Only about Talking to Their Kids about Sex and Sexuality, Staff/caregiver training, individual consultations.
Cost for services is on a sliding scale.
Some presentations in Spanish are available.

Mental Health Connections: Connections House
(formerly Putnam Clubhouse)

Website: mentalhealthconnectionsca.org
Website: connectionshouseca.org
Address: 3024 Willow Pass Rd. Suite 230: Concord, CA 94519
Telephone: (925) 691-4276

Mental Health Connections, Inc., which operates Connections House, Peer Connections Centers, and Connections Transit Support, provides a safe and welcoming place where participants (called members, not patients or clients or consumers) build on personal strengths instead of focusing on illness. Members learn and improve vocational and social skills while working together to run all aspects of the Clubhouse. Hours of services are Mon-Fri 9:00 AM-5:00 PM; Wed 4:00-7:00 PM; and Fri 4:00-7:00 PM.
Our services are free of charge and we offer services in English and Spanish.

Through The Looking Glass

Website: lookingglass.org
Address: 3075 Adeline St., Suite 120: Berkeley, CA 94703
Telephone: (510) 848-1112

An infant mental health and family support program that serves families and their medically at-risk or disabled babies and children, as well as the families, babies, and children of a disabled parent. Services to families include support groups, referrals through the Regional Center for home-based infant mental health and family therapy services, and developmental services. Also the National Resource Center for Parents with Disabilities. Provides information and referrals, advocacy (custody), publications, research, parent to parent network and phone consultations.
Free to RCEB eligible.
Spanish services are available.

SonRise Equestrian Foundation

Website: sonrisekids.org
E-mail: [email protected]
Telephone: 925-838-7433

TRAVELING TAILS: Traveling Tails is a program that brings miniature horses into children’s hospice and care homes to visit children who are near the end of life or facing serious medical issues. The minis also visit special needs schools and camps, working with children who have autism and other developmental delays.
HELPING HANDS: Helping Hands pairs together teens with social or emotional challenges with teen volunteers and adult mentors, forming a team that works on ranch chores, learns various aspects of horsemanship, and participates in group discussions about maturing into adulthood. Tuesdays from 4:15PM – 5:30PM.

Education and Treatment Services

Center for Early Intervention on Deafness

Website: ceid.org
Telephone: (510) 848-4800

Intervention program for babies and young children with hearing impairments and/or severe speech and language delays. Infant, toddler and transition classes. Contracts with local school districts. Evening sign language class for families and the public. Sliding scale fees or free with NPS or Regional Center Contract. Scholarships also available. Signing Exact English (SEE) & American Sign Language (ASL).

Child Health and Disability Prevention Program (CHDP): California Children’s Services

Website: cchealth.org/chdp
Email: [email protected]
Address: 1220 Morello Ave., Suite 200, Martinez
Telephone: (925) 313-6150

Diagnostic and medical treatment for children from birth to 21 years of age with serious illness or physically disabling conditions; including case management, and occupational therapy. Our hours are Mon-Fri, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.
The cost of service is client specific.
Services are offered in English, Spanish and all languages via an interpreter.

Contra Costa County Head Start

Website: ehsd.org/community-services
Telephone (enrollment info): (925) 272-4727

Federal and State funded child development programs for low-income children ages birth to 6 years of age, pregnant women, and their families. Comprehensive services include individualized child development, health, nutrition, mental health, disabilities and family services.
Low or no cost.
Spanish, Vietnamese, Farsi and Arabic services are available.

Contra Costa County Office of Education: Special Education Services

Website: cccoe.k12.ca.us
Telephone: (925) 942-3376

Information and referral for special education services available in various districts for the severely handicapped, severely emotionally disturbed and severely multiple handicapped students ages 3 to 21. Call the school district nearest you for referral to a program to suit your child’s needs.
Services are free.

Contra Costa Selpa

Website: ccselpa.org
Telephone: (925) 827-0949

Serves Contra Costa school districts (with the exception of Mount Diablo, West Contra Costa and San Ramon Valley) Provides coordination of services, maximization of resources and assures provision of special education services for all eligible children. Offers parent education and staff development opportunities and alternative dispute resolution services for member LEAS and parents.
Office hours are Mon-Fri, 7:30 AM-4:00 PM.
Our services are free of charge.

George Miller Center

Concord: (510) 374-3981
Richmond: (925) 646-5710

Early intervention services, center and home-based, for children from birth to18 months with special needs (developmental delays or disabilities). After school social recreation program for developmentally disabled students 11-22 years of age. Must be eligible for Regional Center Services.
Spanish services are available.

Lynn Center

Pittsburg: (925) 439-9628

Lynn Center is an early intervention program serving children birth to 5 years of age with developmental delays or who are at risk for delays in a center-based program or in their natural setting. The center also serves children with behavioral issues and assists preschools and day care facilities who have children with challenging behaviors.
Sliding scale fee and free services.
Spanish services are available.

San Ramon Valley Unified SchoolDistrict: Special Education Programs

Website: srvusd.net
Telephone: (925) 820-6815

The San Ramon Valley Unified School District serves population from birth to 22 years of age with identified special education needs with a wide range of disabilities. Please call for general information. For specific programs and referrals, please contact your local school. If you are outside of the San Ramon school district, contact your local school district.

Spectrum Center Valley Campus

Website: spectrumschools.com
Address: 1026 Oak Grove Road, Bldg. D, Suite 11: Concord, CA 94518
Telephone: (925) 685-9703

A program for children and young adults 5-22 with developmental disabilities and challenging behaviors who are without appropriate public school placement. The program addresses students’ needs in the areas of independent living, community integration, recreation, vocational training and functional academics. Speech pathologist, behavior clinicians, and classroom staff

Through The Looking Glass

Website: lookingglass.org
Address: 3075 Adeline St., Suite 120, Berkeley, CA 94703
Telephone: (510) 848-1112

An infant mental health and family support program that serves families and their medically at-risk or disabled babies and children, as well as the families, babies, and children of a disabled parent. Services to families include support groups, referrals through the Regional Center for home-based infant mental health and family therapy services, and developmental services. Also the National Resource Center for Parents with Disabilities. Provides information and referrals, advocacy (custody), publications, research, parent-to-parent network, and phone consultations.
Free to RCEB eligible.
Spanish services are available.

We Care Services for Children
(previously We Care Treatment Center)

Website: wecarechildren.org
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: (925) 671-0777

Since 1960, We Care has provided life-changing Developmental and Mental Health services to children in Contra Costa County. We focus our efforts on young (0-6) children and their families to have the greatest impact possible. Services include Enhanced Preschool, Kindergarten Readiness, Parent/Child and Play Therapy, Developmental Play Groups, Wraparound, Preschool Consultation, and more.
Hours of Service: Weekdays, 8:00 AM-4:30 PM.
Languages Spoken: English and Spanish.
Interpreters Available: Yes
Cost of Services: Contact We Care Directly to determine eligibility for no cost services.