Easterseals Southern California’s (ESSC) Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Paula Pompa-Craven and Autism Services Vice President of Clinical Training and Quality Alyssa Kavner were recently recognized as Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Visionaries by the L.A. Times B2B DEIA Magazine.  

Both Paula and Alyssa were featured in this year’s DEIA Magazine for their many achievements and DEIA efforts. These include their leadership with Easterseals initiatives like RISE (Respect, Inclusion, Self-Aware, Equity), IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access) and Associate Affinity Groups, which allow employees safe spaces to express themselves.   

Alyssa also served as a panelist at the Times’ DEIA Forum event in October, sharing her experiences on the topic of accessibility and its positive impact on employees and business performance. 

Alyssa Kavner, Autism Services VP of Clinical Training and Quality  

Alyssa Kavner, MA, BCBA, serves as the vice president of clinical training and quality at Easterseals Southern California. She oversees the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) department, working diligently to reduce disparities in consumer access, diversity within the autism services workforce and barriers to service access. Kavner is an active member of RISE’s internal “Rise, Inclusion, Self-Aware and Equity” workgroup that helps ensure the prioritization of DEIA by fostering an inclusive workplace culture and business practices. The team recently helped develop an Autism Therapy Services Advisory Board, designed to help ensure current autism therapy services practices are consistent with the needs of the communities served. Kavner promotes diversity through Spanish-language training, accommodating diverse learning styles and ensuring affirming language on intake forms. Her dedication extends to launching mentorship programs for LGBTQIA+ individuals and BIPOC professionals.  

Dr. Paula Pompa-Craven, Chief Clinical Officer  

Dr. Paula Pompa-Craven is a highly respected licensed clinical psychologist specializing in autism and developmental disabilities assessment. With a career spanning over two decades at Easterseals Southern California (ESSC), she currently serves as vice president and chief clinical officer of ESSC’s Autism Therapy Services.

Her extensive experience includes overseeing a dedicated team of 1,400 professionals providing essential therapy services to over 11,000 individuals with autism and their families annually. Dr. Pompa-Craven is a firm believer in the significance of early diagnosis and intervention for individuals with autism, striving to enhance learning opportunities and developmental milestones. Her commitment extends beyond clinical work as she shares her expertise through conference presentations, research publications and social media outreach. As an advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion and access (DEIA) in autism services, she also founded Easterseals Southern California’s Inclusion Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) team. 

Last year, Easterseals Chief Operating Officer Dr. Beverlyn Mendez was also honored as a visionary, underscoring ESSC’s ongoing recognition as a DEIA leader in Southern California. 

Take a look at the LA Times B2B DEIA Magazine to see Alyssa and Paula’s features. Paula’s profile is on page 54 and Alyssa’s can be found on page 48 of the publication.

This holiday season, you can support Easterseals Southern California by donating to our End-of-Year giving campaigns. Our Empowerment Campaign raises funds that go toward all of our services across Easterseals Southern California, while our Bright Beginnings Campaign directly supports the opening of a new state-of-the-art Child Development Center in North San Diego.  

Learn more about these opportunities to partner with Easterseals Southern California below.  

Empower Easterseals’ Life-changing Disability and Community Services 

Easterseals Southern California provides essential services and on-the-ground supports to more than 18,000 people each year—from early childhood programs for the critical first five years, to autism services, daily and independent living services for adults, employment programs, and more.  Here are some of the ways YOU can make a difference right now! 

• A gift of $50 allows participants of our Senior Day Services to experience daytime activities in their own communities  
• Your gift of $100 provides one-on-one, customized support for people with disabilities to help them find meaningful employment. 
• A gift of $250 provides the kids in our Child Development Centers access to tools and curriculum that help them overcome educational challenges 
• Your gift of $500 provides an electronic device equipped with software specific to the learning needs of a child or adult with Autism
• For a gift of $1,000 and above, you will become a member of Easterseals President’s Council. This elite level of giving is truly changing the lives of the thousands of individuals who look to Easterseals Southern California for specialized services.   

Whether it’s Autism Services, Child Development, Senior Day Programs, Living Options, or Employment Services – you can select the service line and giving amount that is right for you.   

Help empower Easterseals life-changing disability and community services by making a donation today! 

DONATE NOW

Lead Children to Bright Beginnings in San Diego  

Since 2014, Easterseals’ Child Development Centers (CDCs) have served children and families of the greatest need living in Encinitas, Leucadia, and Solana Beach. Within this area, there are approximately 1,500 families living below the poverty line with annual incomes less than $25,000.  Easterseals Southern California’s Bright Beginnings campaign was established to provide opportunities for more children to receive a quality education with the hope and promise of a positive future.    

Through the Bright Beginnings campaign, your gifts will provide funding for a newly renovated CDC!  This new location in Encinitas,  is a larger, more modern facility, with inviting new spaces to support our student population – with eight classrooms, accessible restrooms, inclusive outdoor learning spaces, STREAM (Science, Technology, Research, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) areas, and more! 

The Bright Beginnings campaign is now on Phase 2 – the Playground! With a goal to have the children be able to access the new center in early 2024, your gift is truly needed NOW.  Please join us by generously supporting Bright Beginnings. In doing so, you will transform the lives of the children and families we serve. Make a difference today – and in the future for generations to come! 

DONATE NOW

Watch our Bright Beginnings video to learn more:  

Written by Lisa Kort, Easterseals Marketing Communications Project Manager

The Autism Caregiver Video Series launch was recently held on November 11^th to honor the actors – many of whom have a disability – and the crew who participated in the video production.

The video series was developed by Easterseals Southern California’s (ESSC) Autism Services to support families through the caregiving process by means of relatable storytelling.

“The videos were casted authentically and developed to inspire hope in our caregivers through storytelling. The videos aim to show that there are endless possibilities for people with developmental disability and their families,” said Rick Gutierrez, Vice President, Clinical Strategy & Operations, ESSC.

Pictured right to left: Actor Christopher Sean, who played a Father in one of the videos, joined Cheryl Liang, Therapy Supervisor, Autism Services, Irvine, and his good friend, Frank Knittel, for a tour of the Irvine site and services before viewing the Caregiver Video Series.

Event attendees received the star treatment at the Easterseals Irvine site, walking down the red carpet and taking photos. Afterwards, they toured the site, viewed the Caregiver video series and joined a question-and-answer session with several panelists. The panel included Sandra Varona, video series producer, actor Christopher Sean, who appears in one of the videos and starred in Days of Our Lives, and several other actors who participated in one or more of the videos.

The panelists shared their experience participating in the videos and their hope that the series will help caregivers of children with autism.

Sean, who has a sister with Down syndrome and is a stepfather to a 19-year-old who has autism, said that he was excited to play a father in one of the videos. “The videos are so helpful. To see these videos that may help parents who many times are exhausted and lost and will guide them in areas that may seem so rudimentary and simple. And, yet it’s really eye opening and exactly what a lot of parents need – a step-by-step guide. It’s wonderful and it was great to be a part of this production,” Sean remarked during the panel.

Each video focuses on key concepts, such as effective reinforcement, consequence strategies and prompting. Caregivers will be encouraged to watch each episode and complete assigned activities with the help of an autism behavior specialist.

Many ESSC participants and their caregivers will soon take part in a pilot to introduce the videos and training materials.

On October 21, 2023, Easterseals Southern California (ESSC) celebrated its 23^rd annual Strides for Disability 5K run and 3K family fun walk. More than 1,000 people came out to support ESSC in beautiful Long Beach.

Before the race began, guests had the opportunity to visit more than 20 vendor booths to play games, win prizes, gather resources, and collect some free swag. Attendees also enjoyed entertainment by comedian and ESSC Board Member Nic Novicki with performances by The Long Beach Beauties & the Beast and the Straight Up Abilities All Star Dance Team.

This year, 60 teams participated; the top fundraising teams included Amway Nutrilite DreamMakers, The Morris Clan, CVS Division 7, and Easterseals Norwalkers. Longtime corporate sponsor Acclara even surprised attendees with an additional $10,000 donation on stage!

Thanks to our sponsors, partners, team captains and walkers, Strides raised $170,000, which will directly support our programs and participants while furthering disability inclusion in our community.

“This year was the most successful Strides for Disability to date, and it’s all because of the incredible community that surrounds us here at Easterseals Southern California,” said Nancy Weintraub, Chief Advancement Officer. “This year’s success speaks volumes about the important work we are doing as we lead the way to full equity, inclusion and access through life-changing disability and community services. To all of our supporters, thank you for partnering with Easterseals to make this the best Strides yet!”

Save the date for next year’s Strides for Disability on October 19, 2024.

Thank you to our Strides for Disability sponsors who made this event possible:

EMPOWERMENT SPONSORS ($10,000+)

• AAA
• Acclara
• Albertsons/Vons/Pavilions
• Amway North America
• Mark Bertrand

MARATHON SPONSORS ($5,000)

• American Business Bank
• American Career College
• Bernards
• Mercer
• West Coast University

DISTANCE SPONSORS ($2,500)

• Assure Assist, Inc.
• CAPTRUST
• Fraternal Order of the Police
• JLC Associates
• T-Mobile
• United Healthcare

PACE SPONSOR ($1,500)

• California Telecom
• JR Resources