California Self-Determination Program

Why Families Are Leaving Traditional Regional Center Services

The traditional regional center model works like this: the center buys services from its list of pre-approved (vendored) providers, and those providers run the scheduling, staffing, and program design. The problem is that vendored providers are scarce. Even when a service like supported living or a specialized day program is authorized in a consumer's Individual Program Plan, the regional center often can't deliver it because no local provider has capacity.

The Self-Determination Program flips that model. Instead of the regional center choosing and paying your providers, you get a direct budget and hire your own — including people who aren't on any vendored provider list. It's been available to all eligible regional center consumers statewide since July 2021, and participation is voluntary.

The Five Principles and What They Mean in Practice

SDP runs on five core principles — freedom, authority, support, responsibility, and confirmation — but the ones that matter most to families are authority and freedom. Authority means you control who provides services and how they're delivered. Freedom means you choose where you live, work, and spend your time, rather than being limited to whatever programs happen to exist in your regional center's service area.

The practical effect: if your regional center has a two-year delay getting a supported employment provider vendored, you can use SDP funds to hire a job coach directly. If the only available day program doesn't match your adult child's goals, you can design your own program and pay staff through your budget.

How the Budget Gets Calculated

The regional center calculates an annual individual budget based on the total net funds spent on the participant's traditional services over the prior 12 months. If your child received $42,000 in regional center-funded services last year, that's the starting point.

The budget can be adjusted by the IPP team for documented unmet needs or changed circumstances. If your adult child was denied a service they needed because of provider shortages, the unmet need can be factored into the SDP budget — though you'll need to document the gap clearly.

What the budget covers: virtually any service or support that could be authorized in a traditional IPP, plus goods and services that promote community inclusion, independence, and productivity. What it doesn't cover: room and board, which remain the consumer's responsibility regardless of service model.

The Enrollment Process Step by Step

Transitioning from traditional services to SDP isn't instant. The process involves several structured steps, and each one has to be completed before moving to the next:

1. Orientation — You and your family member must complete a mandatory two-part orientation series provided by the State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD). These sessions explain SDP mechanics, your rights, and the responsibilities that come with managing a direct budget.

2. Person-Centered Plan — You work with a support circle (family, friends, professionals) to write a comprehensive Person-Centered Plan outlining life goals, strengths, preferences, and the supports needed to achieve them. The regional center can fund professional Person-Centered Planning facilitation before you officially enroll in SDP.

3. Budget calculation — The regional center calculates your annual individual budget using the 12-month historical spending formula described above.

4. Spending plan — You draft a detailed spending plan that maps your budget to specific services, supports, and community-based activities. This is where the rubber meets the road — every expenditure needs to connect to a goal in your Person-Centered Plan.

5. Financial Management Services selection — You choose a vendored FMS agency to handle the money. This step is non-optional.

Understanding the Three FMS Models

The Financial Management Services agency is the administrative backbone of SDP. It handles payroll, tax withholding, worker background checks, and monthly expenditure reports. You choose which employment model to use:

Bill Payer — The FMS pays invoices directly to independent businesses or contractors. You aren't the employer; you're purchasing services from an existing entity. This is the simplest model and works well for professional services like therapy or job coaching from an established practice.

Co-Employer — You and the FMS share employer responsibilities. You manage daily tasks and scheduling; the FMS handles payroll, benefits, and tax compliance. This is the most common model for families hiring individual support workers.

Sole Employer — You are the direct employer with full legal responsibility for employment compliance. The FMS acts purely as a fiscal agent processing payroll. This gives you maximum control but also maximum administrative burden.

You can use different models for different workers — co-employer for your support staff, bill payer for a speech therapist's practice.

The Independent Facilitator Role

An Independent Facilitator is an optional professional advocate who helps with Person-Centered Planning, budget negotiations, spending plan development, and provider sourcing. They're especially valuable during the first year when you're building systems from scratch.

The IF is paid from your SDP budget as a line item, so factor their cost into your spending plan. Some families use an IF heavily during setup and then scale back; others maintain the relationship long-term for ongoing IPP advocacy and budget management.

Common Misconceptions

"There's a waitlist for SDP." There's no statewide enrollment cap or waitlist. Any regional center consumer who is eligible for Lanterman Act services can request to participate. However, the enrollment process itself takes time — typically several months from orientation to approved spending plan.

"I lose my regional center service coordinator." You don't. Your service coordinator remains assigned and continues to facilitate your IPP. The difference is that you're directing how your budget is spent rather than the coordinator arranging vendored services.

"SDP requires Medi-Cal enrollment." This one is true. SDP is funded through the federal Home and Community-Based Services waiver, which requires Medi-Cal enrollment. If your family member loses Medi-Cal, SDP funding is at risk.

For families managing SDP alongside SSI redetermination, Medi-Cal renewals, and school-to-adult transitions, the complete coordination timeline is in our California SSI at 18 & Adult Disability Benefits Guide.

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