THERAPEUTIC FACILITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT

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Rochelle Callis CRPD Therapeutic Recreation Program Final Report and Recommendations September 8, 2017 page 2 We start with a caution. The development and maintenance of services for people with disabilities costs more than similar services for people without disabilities. This is a fact from coast to coast. As with most recreation agencies, the infrastructure that supports service provision is built on four pillars: 1. Agency awareness of the need by people with disabilities for these services; 2. Providing adequate funding for these programs; 3. The hiring of professional staffs, and 4. The availability of appropriate recreation spaces in which to provide programs and services. We acknowledge staffs request for the application of some fiscal estimates for the recommendations. We have attempted to do so. There was particular interest in attaching a cost to the recommendations in this report. That was accomplishable for some, but not for other recommendations. We address these and other issues on page 37 in a section titled Administrative Considerations. Our recommendations identify the right path for the District for at least one more phase if not two phases. We look forward to working with the District if it chooses to continue this process. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE CONEJO RECREATION AND PARK DISTRICT The Conejo Recreation and Park District formed in 1963. The following reviews its mission, history, and philosophy. We have excerpted much of this section from the 2011 District Master Plan, and at pertinent points, we have made observations that relate to the therapeutic recreation evaluation. We have also excerpted some discussion regarding the Master Plan and its goals and objectives. Mission of CRPD The mission of the Conejo Recreation & Park District (CRPD) is to enrich the quality of life for the community by preserving and enhancing recreational opportunities, parks, and open space. CRPD is responsible for providing recreation and park services for residents in the Conejo Valley, and for the acquisition, development, preservation, and enhancement of public parks, recreation areas, and recreation facilities within the CRPD boundaries. CRPD is in the Conejo Valley, approximately 50 miles northwest of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, 26 miles southwest of the City of Ventura, and eight miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. The gross population of CRPD is more than 136,000 residents, and includes the City of Thousand Oaks and its various sub -communities (Newbury Park, Dos Vientos, and the North and South Ranch areas of Westlake Village that are within Ventura County). The communities of Lynn Ranch, Rolling Oaks, and Lake Sherwood are also within the CRPD boundary, but are not within the City of Thousand Oaks city limits; nevertheless, these three communities are within the City's sphere of planning influence. THE W -T GRO e DBA RECREATION ACCESSIBILITY CONSUL1 .0 ONE SOURCE. INFINITE SOLUTIONS,