Self Determination Program

In previous blogs, I explained how the California Regional Center System provides long-term medical expenses. These expenses include personal assistant services, durable medical equipment, long-term therapies, and maintenance drugs.  All people with developmental disabilities are eligible for these services regardless of their income or assets. In California, a developmental disability includes cerebral palsy, autism, mental retardation, and epilepsy. In October of 2013, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed into law the Self-Determination Program(SDP). It provides consumers and their families with more freedom, control, and responsibility in choosing the services and supports they need. After much design and pilots, the Regional Center System is now implementing the program.  

The Self Determination Program enables participants to control their annual Regional Center's budget, manage their attendants, and take responsibility for their educational, vocational, and community involvement plans. Participants are required to use a Financial Management Service (FMS) to perform financial matters. The FMS may be used just to pay bills, be a co-employer with the SDP participant, or be the employer-of-record for the SDP participant's staff.  An FMS agency can only provide these financial services to SDP consumers.  

SDP participants are encouraged to create and maintain an annual Person-Centered Plan (PCP), outline their goals and objectives, and an SDP Spending Plan to explain how their budget enables them to achieve their plans. Participants may hire coaches to help with the transition process, and they may employ independent facilitators to help them follow through with their projects and budgets. A participant's Regional Center's caseworker will review plans to help ensure adherence to SDP guidelines.  

This program should be the model for providing Independent Living Services to all people with disabilities in all states. Currently, too many people with disabilities are unemployed and live in poverty to qualify to receive healthcare and long-term medical expenses they need to survive. Too many people who want to live in the community are stuck in nursing facilities. Independent facilitators and attendants may be able to help people avoid homelessness and or prison. Given the high cost of nursing homes and imprisonment and the economic impact of unemployed people with disabilities, implementing SDP may be cost-efficient. 

As SDP expands, entrepreneurs with disabilities should start SDP Coordination Centers. These Centers could recruit and train SDP coaches and independent facilitators. They can also provide personal assistance, emergency assistance, remote assistance, and wheelchair repair. 

I have a great deal of hope that the Self Determination Program is the next major accomplishment for the Disability Movement. Let me know what you think.