Transparency
Redding, Calif. — When LaNette sings a gospel tune at the local senior center, she isn’t just singing—she’s sharing a journey of self-discovery, healing, and empowerment made possible by Far Northern Regional Center’s Self-Determination Program.
“She’s thriving,” said her mother, Sandi. “We’ve been in it about a year now, and it’s been a godsend. She used to be so shy and quiet. Now, you can’t shut her up—and thank goodness!”
LaNette’s story was recently shared during community event, The Self Determination Connect & Learn Open Mic, hosted by Far Northern Regional Center (FNRC) to spotlight the impact of the Self-Determination Program (SDP), an alternative service model that gives people with developmental disabilities more control over their supports and services.
“Self-determination is a program that looks different for everyone,” explained Morgan Curtiz, an SDP specialist at FNRC. “We ask people to dream—dream about what’s possible in their lives—and then we figure out how to make it happen.”
For LaNette, that dream was singing. After a brain injury made it difficult for her to follow traditional music instruction, the family found Goddard Music in Redding, where instructors customized voice lessons to fit her learning style. Twice a week, LaNette works with a teacher named Roman who, as Sandi put it, “gets her.”
“The girl just wants to have fun,” Sandi said. “She’s lost so much. I just wanted her to sing, and that’s what they do for her.”
Roman echoed that sentiment. “We realized we needed to make lessons more personalized and individualized to each student’s needs,” he said. “That’s how passions develop.”
Goddard Music’s flexible approach, combined with the support structure provided by SDP—including funding for personalized services, a facilitator, and a personal assistant—has allowed LaNette to pursue her musical dreams, volunteer with the Humane Society, and reclaim a sense of purpose after the closure of a food pantry job left her feeling adrift.
“She felt worthless,” Sandi recalled. “Now, she has so much going on. We couldn’t do this with traditional programming.”
Beyond fulfilling LaNette’s passions, the program has offered practical support to her family. “I’m 73,” Sandi said. “Someday I won’t be here. With self-determination, everything is tied up in a neat little ball. If I’m not around, nothing gets dropped.”
LaNette now sings regularly at different senior centers and uses a karaoke machine—funded through the program—for practice at home. “Although this support might not work for everyone, in her case, singing isn’t just fun—it’s therapeutic, empowering, and essential,” said Morgan Curtiz.
And perhaps nothing captures the success of this journey more than LaNette herself, standing before an audience, her voice steady and clear, singing with joy and purpose.
“I love you, Lord Jesus,” she sang. “Oh my God, you are amazing.”