In October of 2013, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed into law
the Self-Determination Program, which will provide regional
center clients and their families with a new option. As
authorized in Welfare and Institutions Code, Section
4685.8, “the Self-Determination Program (SDP) is a voluntary
delivery system consisting of a mix of services and supports,
selected and directed by a participant through person-centered
planning, in order to meet the objectives in his or her
Individual Program Plan (IPP). Self-determination services and
supports are designed to assist the participant to achieve
personally defined outcomes in community settings that promote
inclusion,” and allow participants to have more control in
developing service plans and selecting service providers.
The Principles of Self-Determination include
- Freedom to exercise the same rights as all citizens; to
establish, with freely chosen supports, family and friends, where
they want to live, with whom they want to live, how their time
will be occupied, and who supports them;
- Authority to control a budget in order to purchase services
and supports of their choosing;
- Support, including the ability to arrange resources and
personnel, which will allow flexibility to live in the community
of their choice;
- Responsibility, which includes the opportunity to take
responsibility for making decisions in their own lives and accept
a valued role in their community, and
- Confirmation, in making decisions in their own lives by
designing and operating the service that they rely on.
The Development of the SDP Program in California
The law required that before this program could be made
available, the Department of Developmental Services submit an
application for federal funding, and that this application be
approved for funding by the federal government. This application
was approved on June 6, 2018.
The program will be implemented gradually. The SDP will be
implemented for up to 2,500 participants in the state, to be
phased in during the first three years.
Initial Group of Participants Selected
On October 1, 2018, the Department of Developmental Services
identified the first group of clients/families from each regional
center that may be enrolled in the Self Determination Program.
Voluntary Withdrawals
Some of the individuals who were selected for this program during
the initial phase in period decided to withdraw their
participation for the time being. Beginning in December 2019, DDS
sent surveys to people who were selected and decided to not move
forward with SDP.
Review September 2020 report of responses
from 148 individuals
Open Enrollment Became Available on June 7, 2021
The Self-determination Program is a voluntary program, which
allows for clients and their families to have more flexibility
and control over the services and supports that they need to
achieve their goals.
The Self-determination Program is available to
everyone.
We host orientations in both English and
Spanish. Interpretation for other languages is also
available as needed. Please contact your service coordinator
if you would like to know more about the Self-determination
Program, or if you are interested in registering for the required
orientation. Upcoming Orientation sessions are listed on this
webpage.
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