DIALOGUE A Quarterly Publication of the Regional Center of Orange County VOLUME 37 NO. 1 • WINTER 2023
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Jeffrey Baek THIS IS NOW THE SECOND YEAR THAT CALIFORNIA’S SELF-DETERMINATION PROGRAM (SDP) HAS BEEN AVAILABLE to all eligible individuals receiving services through a regional center. While only a small number of those served by Regional Center of Orange County have chosen to participate in SDP, the flexibility the program provides has enabled some like Jeffrey Baek to thrive in new and exciting ways. A 32-year-old with autism, Jeffrey lives with his loving and supportive family in Irvine and is now in his second year with SDP. The biggest differences for him between the traditional services he received before and after SDP involve his work and transportation. While he was previously successfully employed for six years at a Ralph’s grocery store, there were other career interests he wanted to pursue in film and video. He also wanted to get into a line of work where he could make more money that would allow him to travel more with his family. The flexibility the program provides has enabled some like Jeffrey Baek to thrive.
The Baek family (L-R): father Sungjong Baek, Jeffrey Baek, mother Jinsook Baek and sister Kira Baek.
Shortly before transitioning to SDP, Jeffrey’s mother Jinsook Baek located the ideal opportunity for him. She’d found a local Koreanowned filmmaking company and persuaded them to let Jeffrey do a paid internship, where he would work without a traditional job coach and his wages would be paid not by the company but through California’s Paid Internship Program (PIP). The two-month trial worked out well and Jeffrey continued the internship for a
year, giving him very good work experience. “Through my film internship, I learned how to use CGI (Computer Generated Imagery), transitions, effects, and cinematic experiences,” said Jeffrey, who also greatly benefitted from learning how to better engage with his coworkers. With that internship complete, he is now looking for a new opportunity and hopes to be able to try film editing and learn more and different skills. Cont. on Page 7
PAGE 1 • DIALOGUE • WINTER 2023 • RCOCDD.COM