Coastside resident honored as Ombudsman Volunteer of the Year

Jay Katz often thinks about how important volunteering has been in his life.

Volunteering landed him his first job fresh out of college, leading to a 40-year career working with people who are developmentally disabled or have brain disorders.

Now in retirement, he will receive 2019 Richard Rampton Volunteer of the Year Award at the Ombudsman Services of San Mateo County, Inc., Volunteer Recognition Luncheon on April 11 at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Foster City.

Vic Lee of ABC 7 KGO TV is the Master of Ceremonies and will be honored with the Nancy Cronin Guiding Force Award.

Paul Buchanan of San Mateo County Aging and Adult Services will receive the Distinguished Service Award. Ronald Pass, Michele Fraumeni, Nicki Manski and Nancy Cronin will be inducted in the Judith Guilfoyle Honor Society for their years of service.

There are almost 10,000 people living in 457 licensed long-term care facilities in San Mateo County. The Volunteer Recognition Luncheon annually celebrates the Volunteer Field Ombudsmen who make over 5,000 unannounced visits to these facilities.

Field Ombudsmen investigate complaints that include physical, sexual and financial abuse and help solve problems between residents, facility staff and families.

All Volunteer Field Ombudsman are required to take a 36-hour training course plus an internship to become state certified. They also take 12 hours of continuing education each year.

Jay, who lives on the San Mateo County Coastside, became a Volunteer Field Ombudsman in 2013.

He credits the teamwork of staff and volunteers that has helped him be the eyes and ears for hundreds of dependent adults, the elderly and people living with mental illness. He has helped resolve abuse cases as well as supported frightened residents as they speak up about their living conditions.

“Working with the staff gives the volunteers the confidence that we are moving in the right direction,” he said.

The feeling is mutual. “Jay is dedicated and willing to take on any sort of case,” said Bill Rodenspiel,” OSSMC Abuse Specialist. “He’s an excellent teacher and has done a lot of facility staff trainings. We’re really fortunate to have him as a volunteer.”

Jay described OSSMC as a “voice to be heard” for residents, families and even facility staffs who wish to make improvements or report incidents in the homes where they work.

Many residents living in licensed long-term care do not have family or friends that visit. “Can you imagine what it’s like to live in a home without having anyone to talk to?” he asked adding that residents frequently live in fear of complaining for fear that there will be repercussions.

He noted that most facilities strive to create a good home for residents and work with the Ombudsmen to correct problems.

In one case, a young adult feared abuse but was too terrified to say anything. After gaining confidence in Jay and with permission, Jay was able to work with the facility staff as well as agencies to resolve the situation.

“Earning the trust of the person is important because we need the resident’s okay before we move forward,” he explained. “The resident drives the case in whatever direction.” The resident must give permission for a complaint to be investigated.

Most residents that Jay visits are assigned social workers through the Golden Gate Regional Center, which connects developmentally disabled people with services. “One of the best parts of being an OSSMC volunteer is working with professionals in other agencies and organizations. “

Jay has the highest praise for the OSSMC staff. “Working with the staff gives the volunteers the confidence that we are moving in the right direction,” he said.

Before retiring and becoming a Volunteer Field Ombudsman, Jay was a social worker at the Pomeroy Recreation and Rehabilitation Center in San Francisco, where he worked with developmentally disabled people and people suffering from traumatic brain injuries.

Jay’s career in human services was quite serendipitous. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he had just graduated from the College of Brockport in New York and looking for a job when he decided to volunteer for a cerebral palsy center in Long Island.

The field of disabled people was foreign to him, but within a few days, he was hooked. “Seeing how hard the clients worked to get through the day, made me ashamed about how little effort I put into life.” The center soon hired him as a teacher and the residential camp director.

He relocated to California in 1976 where he joined the staff at the Pomeroy Recreation and Rehabilitation Center as a recreational leader. In 1994, he earned his MSW from San Francisco State to become the center’s social worker. As a social worker, he saw the importance of the ombudsman program and decided upon his retirement that he wanted to be a Volunteer Field Ombudsman.

Jay and his wife Laura of 40 years moved to El Granada in 2015 to be closer to their daughter and her family.

When not visiting facilities, Jay and Laura are enjoying their grandson, or volunteering at WILDMIND, a home for exotic animals in Half Moon Bay that cannot be released into the wild. They also volunteer at Farallone View Elementary School in Montara where his daughter teaches fourth grade. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the Golden Gate Regional Center. He was on the Advisory Council in the 1990’s for the Special Olympics.

After working for 40 years, Jay says that being an OSSMC Volunteer Field Ombudsman has changed his life. “As volunteers, we are so grateful that we can do this kind of work and the OSSMC staff is over the top perfect,” he said.

His dedication to serving the residents has evolved into a passion for informing the community about OSSMC. “I want people to know that OSSMC exists,” he said explaining that professional staff and volunteers provide an important resource for anyone looking for information about care. “If we don’t have the answer for your issue, then we find it for you.”

For more information about Ombudsman Services of San Mateo County, Inc. or celebrating with Jay and all the Volunteer Field Ombudsman at the Volunteer Recognition Luncheon, visit OSSMC.ORG.

Gold Sponsors for the 2019 Volunteer Recognition Luncheon Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP, Stanford Health Care, the Peninsula Health Care District, and the Peter and the Paula Uccelli Foundation.