The Self-Determination Program (SDP) is a voluntary alternative to the traditional way of receiving Regional Center services. In October of 2013, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed SB 468 (Emmerson) into law to create the SDP. SDP provides individuals and their families with more freedom, control, and responsibility in choosing services and supports to help them meet objectives in their Individual Program Plan. During the 3-year implementation period of the SDP, the program only was available to 2,500 individuals. Starting July 1, 2021, the SDP now is available to all eligible individuals receiving services from a regional center.
There are many approved services that traditional service do not cover, such as a health and wellness coach, recreational activities, respite services, vehicle modifications for accessibility, and more.
You can find all the service definitions here SDP Service Definitions.
How does the Self-Determination Program work?
The participant and their family as applicable creates a person-centered plan (PCP), which outlines what is important to and for them as well as the services, supports, and resources that will help them reach their goals. The PCP is presented to the Regional Center, which will come back with an individualized budget. This budget is then used by the participant to create a spending plan that outlines what the participant will do with the money, including addressing any unmet needs (supports or services the participant couldn’t access for a variety of reasons, or needs that were not covered in an Individualized Program Plan).
The participant chooses a financial management service (FMS), an independent agency that helps them use their budget to pay for services, taxes, and insurance. Participants choose the level of involvement they want from the FMS. The FMS can also run background checks on staff and keep track of spending.
Participants have three options for support in creating their Self-Determination plan:
- Hire an independent facilitator (IF) to help create the PCP and spending plan, find and hire the right people, decide how much they should be paid, and mediate issues with providers. The independent facilitator fees are paid by Regional Center for the first year; if the participant chooses to continue to work with their IF or a different IF after the transition, the fees can come out of the participant’s budget.
- Use their Regional Center service coordinator (keep in mind that many have high caseloads and some people consider it to be a conflict of interest).
- Manage the process themselves.