1. Please provide us with your email address if you would like to
receive the Handouts with Resource Links or
Anne Hare at and request the SD Handouts.

2. Panel Participants: David Grady:
Manager of the Central Coast Region of the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Chair of the Self Determination Advisory Committee for the Central Coast for SARC
Anne Blenman Hare:
Parent of an adult severely impacted by autism, member of the Board of the Autism Society SF Bay Area and SARC Self-determination 1st phase selectee (John)
Irene Litherland:
Parent of a son with autism who has needed a variety of residential and behavioral services for the last 7+ years and Chairperson of the Local Advisory Committee on SD for the Regional Center of the East Bay
Joanna Yeager:
Parent of a son with autism, entrepreneur, SD 1st phase selectee (Alex) and currently participating in the SD program – the first in the San Andreas Regional Center
David Grady: Irene Litherland:
Anne Hare: Joanna Yeager:

3. State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Central Coast
Self-Determination
David Grady, MA
Regional Manager
State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Central Coast

4. With Self-Determination…
You get a personal Budget to spend on the services you need for a year.
You make a plan and decide how to spend your money.
You hire the workers that will help you.
A Fiscal Management Service keeps your money safe and pays your workers.
You can get help from a Facilitator to make your plan and stay within your budget.

5. Arranging Services through Regional Center
IPP Team is formed
IPP Meeting is held
Plan is developed
Regional Center arranges services
Payment
Invoiced
Services are delivered by providers to individual

6. Arranging Services through Self Determination
Circle of support
is formed PCP developed
Meeting is held
Plan and budget
is developed
Regional Center funds placed in an individual’s financial management services accounts
Reviewed and approved
Payment
Individual and facilitator arranges services
Invoiced
Services are delivered by providers to individual

7. The Five Principles of Self-Determination
Freedom Authority Support Responsibility Confirmation

8. FREEDOM To plan your own life and future To choose who helps you
To control the services you use
To hire your own workers and change when needed

9. AUTHORITY To decide how you spend the money given to you
To be the employer
To set your own standards for services
To make your own decisions

10. SUPPORT To be successful in the life you choose
To be a member of your community
To make decisions and plan your own life
To find people you know and trust who will help you

11. RESPONSIBILITY
For setting goals for your life and trying your best to reach them.
For using your talents and skills to be as successful and independent as you can be.
For giving back to others and to your community.
For being smart with your money.

12. CONFIRMATION
To be a leader and to let others know how Self-Determination can work better for people in the future

13. Another way to look at the principles…
Freedom
Support
Authority
RESPONSIBILITY
Confirmation
Responsibility is big. Get it? Like Spidey says…

14. Who can be in Self-Determination?
Have a developmental disability and get services from a regional center.
Live at home or in the community. Receive services in the community (HCBS).
Agree to go to a class on how Self-Determination works: Informational Meeting
Agree to live within a set budget for a year.
Based on prior 12 month expenditure and/or identified unmet needs. Be cost neutral.
Agree to work with a “Fiscal Management Service.”

15. Who can be in Self-Determination?
You must:
Get on List
Get Selected
Go to Orientation
Proceed with IPP
Person Centered Informed
Person Centered Plan
Self, Family, PC Planner, Facilitator
Complete IPP, Develop Budget, and Spending Plan
SARC “certifies” budget and spending plan.
Begin Self Determined Services
Meet with FMS
Determine Facilitation Need
Self, Family, Independent Facilitation
Hire staff and arrange services.
Adjust plan according to need.
Formal and informal contact with Service Coordinator, and FMS
10% adjustment leeway
Call an IPP if necessary
Yearly review and budget negotiation

16. Person Centered Planning
Not magic
Through a discovery process, an organized method of identify a persons preferred future and the formal and informal resources available to overcome barriers and achieve it.
With the aim of the person living a good quality of life within his or her community, with independence, while remaining healthy and safe.

17. The Facilitator
Helps you with your Person-Centered Plan and your budget.
Helps you find and hire the people you want to work for you.
Helps you decide how much to pay your workers.
Makes sure your workers do their jobs.
Helps you find people in your community that are willing to help you for free.
You don’t have to use a facilitator. If you do, you pay him/her with your budget money.
State Council maintains a list of Independent Facilitators able to discuss facilitation and person centered planning services.

18. Fiscal Management Service
The Fiscal Management Service is the “bank.”
They keep your money safe and can take care of all the legal things like taxes and insurance.
They make sure your workers know what they’re doing and don’t have criminal records.
They send the paychecks to your workers.
Every month they will tell you and the regional center how much you spent and how much you have left.
*They DON’T tell you how to spend your money!

20. Local Advisory Committees
Each regional center will have a Local Advisory Committee, SDAC.
The committee’s job is to help make sure Self-Determination is working and to think of ways to make it work better.
More than half of the committee’s members must be people with developmental disabilities and family members
The SCDD Office chooses half of the members and the regional center chooses the other half.
*If you’re interested in being on the Local Advisory Committee for your regional center let us know.

21. SD Networks Facilitation Network Selectee Network Meets once a month
Stays informed through a Google Group
Selectee Network
Invited to Mixers and SDAC meetings

22. New Roles & Responsibilities: Your Service Coordinator vs. You
Has about 100 people to help.
Can’t tell you “yes” or “no” without asking supervisor first.
Must make sure services you get cost as little as possible.
Must offer you free or “generic” services first even if they aren’t what you want.
Must follow all of the above or get fired.
Have one person to help: YOU
Don’t have to get permission first.
Must make sure there’s enough money in budget.
Don’t have to use free or “generic” services if you don’t want to.
You can’t get fired because YOU ARE IN CHARGE!

23. New Roles & Responsibilities: Your Budget
The Regional Center
You & Your FMS
You get your money in one lump sum for the year to spend on one person: YOU.
Money comes in one lump sum for the year to be spent on thousands of people in their area.

24. New Roles & Responsibilities: Service Providers
Now
Self-Determination
Have to be “vendored” and do what the regional center tells them.
The regional center decides how much they get paid.
Your workers can be anyone you choose and they do what you need them to do.
You decide how much they get paid in compliance with labor law.

25. Allows for creative service planning.
Able to work with both vendored and non-vendored service providers.
SARC service remains payer of last resort.
Services difficult to receive in the past can be more available.
Employment services available either in day and employment service or Department of Rehab can be re-arranged based on individual need and preferences as identified in the Person Centered Plan.
EE – ER vs. Invoice Based services.
Respite services available only in home, or unavailable through vendor agencies with long waiting lists can be re-arranged. Participating in community activities can be arranged through respite or other similar support service.
Over-head often included in the vendor rates can now be utilized for increase in wages of direct service staff.

26. Common Questions
What happens if I move to a different regional center?
You can stay in SD and keep your budget if you move.
What if I want to leave the Self-Determination Program?
Self-Determination is voluntary. If you choose to leave the regional center must make sure you get the services you had before.
If I leave Self-Determination by choice can I return?
If you leave by choice you have to wait 12 months to return.

27. Common Questions, cont’d
Do I have the same rights under Self-Determination?
Yes. You have same rights under Self-Determination that you have now.
What if the regional center says I can’t be in Self-Determination and I don’t agree?
You can ask for a Fair Hearing. You have the right to appeal any decision you don’t agree with.
What if the regional center says my budget is too big and wants to give me less?
You can ask for a Fair Hearing. You have the right to appeal if you don’t think there’s enough money in your budget.

28. What Can I Do Now?
Let your service coordinator know you’re interested in Self-Determination. If he or she doesn’t know what it is, tell them to go to:
Put a Self-Determination goal in your IPP: “I am interested in having Self-Determination when it is available.”
Learn as much as you can about Self-Determination.
Sign up for official updates on the Department of Developmental Services website.
Let us know if you are interested in serving on your regional center’s Local Advisory Committee.

29. How to Sign-Up for Official Updates
Give them your name and the name of your regional center.

30. Questions?

31. Resources
Disability Rights California Self-Determination Publication:
Senate Bill 468:
State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Los Angeles Office:
The Department of Developmental Services Self-Determination page:

32. Person-Centered Planning
gateway to self-determination

33. 2 3 4 1 Person-centered Planning Identify your hopes and dreams.
Identify what you like and what you’re good at. 3
Identify and set meaningful goals for your life.
Keeping you at the center of planning, through the person-centered process YOU will: 4
Choose who will provide services and supports to help you meet your goals.

34. Focus person with circle of support
This plan meeting included 6 remote participants

39. SDP Local Advisory Committees
Part of the law; one for each regional center
Collaborative meetings include: participants, families,
independent facilitators, FMS, and service providers.
Monitors the development and ongoing progress
of the program.
Can conduct
outreach and
provide training.
Offers recommendations for ongoing improvement to the Regional Center.
Your regional center is here to support you but there is other local support from the local volunteer advisory committee.
The local self-determination committees monitors the development and ongoing process of the program.
Attend meetings and network with other families and participants who were selected for the SDP. Make recommendations for improvement. Talk about what is going well with your plan and self-determined life!
These are all placeholders for RCs/LVACs to fill out.
Check regional center website for meeting times and minutes

40. Self –Determination one parent’s perspective
What is it? How can I prepare for it? Is it right for our family?

41. Some useful resources
Department of Developmental Services Financial Management Services: Training materials: Budget Categories/Service Codes:
Parents Helping Parents

42. A little about Alex
27 years old. Diagnosed with Autism at age 2, diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 7.
Attended school in Milpitas from age K-3 in full inclusion with an aide and in SDC from 4th grade on.
We started a home business to sell his toffee, cards and art work to give him something to do and connect him to the community.
He volunteers 5 days a week at a variety of locations around town.
He loves doing chores around the house and being a helper in any way he can.

43. Is Self Determination right for us?
Some questions you’ll want to ask:
Are we happy with our current programs/services?
Do those services support our long term goals and concerns?
Do we have the time and resources to manage a program like this?
It may not be for everyone.

44. Our process Attended a Self-Determination Conference in LA in 2014
Began to think about developing a person centered plan. Attended a Person-centered planning 2 day training at PHP.
Gathered Alex’s team and began to develop a PCP. His family, friends, teachers, support staff all participated. Took 2-3 meetings and then was written up by mom.

45. Person Centered Plan
This will be a multi step process that will help you all to develop a vision for a full, engaged, meaningful future for your child.
What is important TO your child? Favorite things, hobbies, strengths, leisure, having a job, friendships
What is important FOR your child? Food, shelter, health and safety, other needs
RC will pay for you to hire a Person Centered Planner ($25-$75/hr )

46. Our Person-Centered Plan includes:
A detailed description of Alex. His needs, wants, strengths, challenges, sensitivities, what makes a good day, what makes a bad day…
Where he’ll live
Where he’ll work
How he’ll contribute to home and community
How he’ll get around
Who he’ll spend time with
How we will care for his health and safety

47. Review/update your current IPP
Does it reflect the vision set out in your PCP?
Does it have goals in the following areas? Living Arrangements, Employment, Community Integration, Health and Safety, Education, Recreation, Transportation, and others

48. Review your current RC spending
Were all the services delivered?
Are there services/activities that you paid for out of your own pocket?
Did you pay for classes, therapies, equipment, or other supports on your own?
Did you provide transportation to/from programs?
Look for other unmet needs driven by changes in programs or circumstances that might merit additional support.
Provide specific details of all of the above.

49. Work to develop a budget
From all the previous information put together an annual budget.
This first budget will be tied to the existing budget codes and POS.
This is a good time to review other supports and services that you are eligible for, SSI, MediCal, IHSS etc.

50. Develop a spending plan
From the overall budget you will develop a spending plan.
Using the overall budget number you can then decide how that money will be spent to address the vision of the PCP and the goals of the IPP.
You can negotiate pay rates with people agencies, and others.
Any wages that are paid will need to include “Employer Burden” the employer portion of payroll deductions. This can be anywhere from 14-18%

51. Engage an FMS There is a list of approved FMS on the DDS website.
You will need to decide the sort of relationship you will have, Bill Payer, Sole Employer or Co-Employer
Understand the hiring process and background checks that people will be required to do to work in your SDP.
The FMS will hold the budget $$ and will write the checks.

52. Identify staff and services
Start to interview people who will work in your program
They can be neighbors, friends, trained or not as long as they’re legally allowed to be employed in CA.
You can negotiate rates of pay as long as it is minimum wage or above.
You can work with agencies and negotiate with them what rates they will charge (not sure how this will play out)
Make sure everyone completes the background check and application process.

53. Think about how you will manage the program.
Create job descriptions so people will know what to expect.
Will people need training?
Define how everyone will manage time sheets and document hours worked.
Define when, how, if you will report on progress.
Decide if you want to have regular team meetings
Other management stuff.

54. John’s Person-Centered Plan Process
John was selected for the first phase of the Self-Determination Program
through the San Andreas Regional Center. John and his family are
working with SARC on budget approval.
Services and Budget were constructed from information in the Person-Centered Plan.
Service codes and definitions were helpful in
considering how to structure the Overall Budget.
Service Codes
Service Definitions (examples)
Available on the DDS website:
The Self-determination Program will be available to all in June 2021.

57. Self-Determination Program Service Codes by Budget Category
SDP Services
Service Code
Description/Providers
Living Arrangement
( )
Respite Services
310
Respite (Individual and Agency) In -home
311
Respite Facility - Out-of-Home
Live-In Caregiver
312
Homemaker
313
Housing Access Supports
314
Financial Management Service
315
FMS Fiscal Agent
316
FMS Co-Employer
317
FMS Fiscal/Employer Agent
Community Living Supports
320
Community Living Supports (Individual and Agency)
321
Residential Facility
Employment &
Community Participation ( )
Community Integration Supports
Participant-Directed Goods and Services
331
333
Individual Training and Education
334
Employment Supports
335
Technology Services
336
Technology Supports
Transition/Set Up Expenses
337
Transition Set-Up Expenses
Non-Medical Transportation
338
Prevocational Supports
339
Independent Facilitator
340
Health and safety
( )
Environmental Accessibility Adaptation
356
Environmental Accessibility
Acupuncture Services
357
Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS)
358
Personal Emergency Response Systems
Home Health aide
359
Home Health Aide
Communication Support
360
Skilled Nursing
361
Nutritional Consultation
362
Crisis Intervention and Supports
363
Behavioral Intervention Services
364
Specialized Medical Equipment and Supplies
365
Family/Consumer Training
366
Dental Services
367
Lenses and Frames
368
Optometric-Optician Services
369
Psychology Services
370
Training and Counseling Services for Unpaid Caregivers
371
Speech - Hearing and Language
372
Chriopractic Services
373
Chiropractor
Massage Therapy
374
Massage Therapist
Occupational Therapy
375
Physical Therapy
376
Vehicle Modifications and Adaptations
377
Family Support Services
378
Child Day Care Facility