About Us

No Ordinary Moments was created in 1996 by Luis (Lou) Pena.  At that time Lou was the Associate Director of the Crisis Division of the Behavior Therapy and Learning Center (BTLC). Lou had been very closely involved in the care and supervision of many consumers who had been recently placed in the community from a variety of State Developmental Centers.  Lou supervised his BTLC staff as they worked with these consumers and observed that many of the consumers who had been recently placed in community licensed facilities were failing and were being removed from the community homes. Most of these adults had long histories of severe behavioral challenges, serious psychiatric issues as well as having a chronic medical condition (e.g., insulin dependent diabetes, severe seizure disorder, etc.).  The licensed facilities in which they had been placed were not able to deal with the unique issues that existed because of the combination of the various diagnoses (behavioral, psychiatric and medical).  Most licensed facilities were designed to treat the behavioral/psychiatric issues or the medical issues but not both.  So, they were failing and because there was no appropriate place for these folks to go they were moved into the B.T.L.C. short term crisis home.  What was, by design, to be a short stay until appropriate placement could be found often continued for more than a year. Lou believed that they could be successful in a different environment. It would be less restrictive, with different expectations and individualized treatment plans so as to suit these men and women who had become accustomed to failing.  Lou decided in early 1996 to design a program that specialized in serving this very difficult population, and one which would not quit working with the consumers just because they were difficult. He knew he could create a Supported Living agency (a non-licensed program utilized by Regional Centers in California) where even these most difficult of consumers could thrive and which would incorporate a nursing component that would serve the medical needs of it's consumers. Lou opened the door to his first supported living apartment on 8/1/1996 and it has grown tremendously since then. Donald (pictured here) was one of the two first consumers living in that first apartment and he has blossomed with No Ordinary Moments.  Shortly after opening the Supported Living Program No Ordinary Moments was designated to be the Mobile Intervention Team (crisis team) for the Regional Center of Orange County.  The crisis team has provided unique services to several hundreds of consumers who reside in southern California in the past 12 years.

Lou Pena serves as the C.E.O. and Director of both the Supported Living and the Crisis Team programs. Lou began his career with the developmentally disabled/mentally ill population in 1973. His expertise is working with those that are the most difficult and challenging. In his 35+ years in the field he has worked in every type of setting in which the developmentally disabled exist in the community (large residential facilities, schools, group homes, job sites, etc.). In additon Lou has worked for many private psychiatric hospitals, was the Behavior Specialist III in charge of a behavioral adolescent unit, and provided behavior modification training to families for many years. He also held many administrative positions for Straight Talk, an agency that served 60 developmentally disabled adults with extreme behavioral and psychiatric challenges from 1982 until 1996. Lou was also the Associate Director of the Behavior Therapy and Learning Center's Crisis Team. Lou has been described as being one of the most skilled “crisis” workers in the state. Lou has been an American Red Cross instructor since 1983 and a PART (now known as Pro-ACT) instructor since 1983. Lou received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Regional Center of Orange County in 2006 along with other awards along the way.

Anita Soler, B.S., has been the C.F.O. and Vice-President since 1997. Anita has worked in a variety of settings with adolescents and adults with severe behavioral challenges and/or psychiatric issues. Prior to her joining the No Ordinary Moments team she was responsible for all financial aspects of a large manufacturing company.

Matthew Pena, Director of Client Services, has worked for No Ordinary Moments since 1999. He worked as a Behavior Interventionist for several years with some of our most difficult consumers in our supported living program before being promoted to Program Coordinator and then to his current position. Matthew is a certified American Red Cross CPR and First Aid instructor and a certified Pro-ACT instructor.

Jason Martinez, Director of Medical Services, has been with No Ordinary Moments since 2003.  Jason served as a Behavior Interventionist prior to his current position.  Jason received the Frontline Award from the Regional Center of Orange County for being the most outstanding direct care staff in Orange County in 2006.  Jason is a certified American Red Cross CPR and First Aid instructor.

Randy Rutledge, Juven Valle, Keith Wilson and Deon Johnson serve as Program Coordinators.  All have a minimum of 5 years experience in the developmentally disabled/ mentally ill field and all have worked as Behavior Interventionists before being promoted to their current position. Randy, Juven and Deon are certified Pro-ACT instructors.