North Bay Regional Center (NBRC): Napa, Santa Rosa, Vacaville

What is North Bay Regional Center’s phone number?

What services does North Bay Regional Center provide?

• Adaptive skills trainingA professional teaches daily skills at home. NBRC’s children’s page lists it from age 13, and its adults page lists it too.
• RespiteSomeone watches your family member while you get a break. A scored worksheet sets 25 to 125 hours every 3 months. Ask before using extra hours.
• Behavior servicesParents take part in the plan, and the help fades over time. Insurance may pay first.
• Camp and activitiesFor anyone over 3: camp, swimming, riding, gymnastics, or art and music lessons.
• DiapersFrom age 3, after other sources, choosing the least costly option.
• Independent living skillsTraining for adults in cooking, money and appointments, at their own home or the family home.
• Day programsPrograms where adults learn new skills and spend time with others.
• Travel trainingHelp learning to use the bus and other public transit.

NBRC pays only when no one else will. Insurance, IHSS and other help come first, and a provider needs NBRC’s written approval before starting.

Who qualifies for NBRC, and how do I apply?

Step by step

1. Call, email or apply online.Call (833) 264-4335 or email intake@nbrc.net. You can also fill out the online form in English or Spanish.
2. Meet with NBRC.There’s an intake interview and a face-to-face meeting. NBRC reviews your records and may test, at no cost to you.
3. NBRC decides.It can take up to 120 days. If your family member qualifies, a coordinator is assigned and meets with you within 60 days to write the first plan.

A plain guide to who qualifies: our eligibility page.

North Bay Regional Center questions

How do I reach my North Bay service coordinator?

• Get it in writing.Ask your coordinator for an email address and use it for requests. For anything else, NBRC’s general inbox, northbay@nbrc.net, takes questions, including about case management.
• No posted call-back time.NBRC doesn’t publish how fast coordinators reply. If a request sits, send a short follow-up email, so there’s a record of the wait.
• Ask for the Officer of the Day.Is your coordinator out, and it can’t wait? NBRC says to call the receptionist and ask for the Officer of the Day, or OD.
• Talk to the Case Management Supervisor.If you have a concern, NBRC says to contact the Case Management Supervisor, who supervises your coordinator. Above that is an associate director. Ask your coordinator for the names.
• Write down each contact.The state’s guide on NBRC’s site suggests noting the day and time, who you talked to and what they said. Voicemails and emails count too.
• Asking for a change.Not a good fit? The state’s guide says you can ask for a new coordinator who is right for your family.

How do I get adaptive skills training through NBRC?

1. Email your coordinator.Say you’d like adaptive skills training from Aldera, and copy team@aldera.org. Use this email as a start. Name the skills that are hardest right now.
2. Bring a clear goal.NBRC needs a goal in the plan for every service, like dressing without help or making a simple lunch.
3. Check the dates.NBRC’s plan says when each service starts and stops. Read it before you sign.
4. We start with your OK.A provider can begin only after NBRC approves it in writing. Then we come to your home and set goals with you.

Is your child younger than 13? The state’s guide on NBRC’s site lists adaptive and life skill training from age 3. NBRC says each service is decided by your planning team.

How do I get my family member’s NBRC records?

• Email the request.Write to northbay@nbrc.net or to your coordinator, and name what you need. Say if you’d like to pick it up or get it by email or mail.
• Access in 3 business days.NBRC must let you see the file within 3 business days. In Early Start, a copy is due within 5 business days.
• Applying for IHSS?The county’s form, the SOC 873, needs a licensed professional. It must also accept papers that show the same facts, such as an IPP. For a child who can’t be left alone safely, read about IHSS protective supervision.

How do I get school help in Napa, Sonoma and Solano?

1. Ask in writing.Send the principal a letter or email asking for an assessment, with your concerns and how to reach you. Keep a copy.
2. A plan within 15 days.The district has 15 days to send an assessment plan. You get at least 15 days to decide.
3. 60 days after you sign.Testing and the IEP meeting must be finished within 60 days of your signed consent.
4. Bring support.You can bring anyone who knows your child well to the IEP, including your NBRC coordinator.
5. Turning 3.Planning starts at least 6 months ahead. You, your coordinator and the school meet at least 90 days before the third birthday.

Special education offices in NBRC’s counties

• Napa Valley UnifiedServes Napa, Yountville and American Canyon. Call the district at (707) 253-3715. For a preschooler, call the special education coordinator at (707) 227-3749. Your child must be enrolled before the first assessment, even when coming from NBRC.
• Fairfield-Suisun UnifiedWrite to your school’s principal. Special Education: (707) 399-5071. For a child turning 3, the Preschool Assessment Center is at (707) 410-3413 or prek-assessment@fsusd.org.
• Vacaville UnifiedAsk your child’s principal for an assessment. If your child isn’t in school yet, call Special Education at (707) 453-7212.
• Vallejo City UnifiedVallejo runs its own special education office: (707) 556-8921, ext. 50130, or specialeducation@vcusd.org.
• Santa Rosa City SchoolsFor school age, start with your school. Ages 0 to 5 go to the Early Learning Academy, (707) 890-3825. Near age 3, your NBRC coordinator can start the referral with your OK.
• Other Sonoma and Solano districtsAsk your own district first. The Sonoma County SELPA is at (707) 524-2750. The Solano County SELPA, (707) 399-4460, serves Benicia, Dixon, Fairfield-Suisun, Travis and Vacaville.

In Napa County, all five districts share the Napa County SELPA. Its director’s line is (707) 253-6808.

Where can North Bay parents find support?

• Matrix Parent Network.Serves all three counties with one-on-one help, IEP support and trainings for families of children with special needs. Call (800) 578-2592.
• ParentsCAN, in Napa.Parent-to-parent support, support groups and classes for Napa County families. Call (707) 253-7444 or email parents@parentscan.org.
• NBRC events in Spanish.NBRC holds resource fairs each season and workshops for Spanish-speaking families on using the Regional Center system. Ask your coordinator for dates.