California Self-Determination Program for Young Adults

Why SDP Matters at Transition

For young adults aging out of the school system, the traditional Regional Center service model works like this: the service coordinator identifies a vendored provider agency, the agency delivers the service, and the Regional Center pays the agency. The consumer has limited control over which worker shows up, when they show up, or how the service is delivered.

The Self-Determination Program (SDP) flips that model. Instead of routing services through vendored agencies, SDP gives the participant control over an individual budget. They choose their own providers, set their own schedules, and hire workers directly — including, in some cases, family members. A Financial Management Services (FMS) provider handles payroll, tax withholding, and billing so the participant does not need to become an employer in the administrative sense.

For young adults with specific preferences about who supports them and how, SDP can be the difference between a service plan that works on paper and one that works in daily life.

Vendored Services vs. Self-Determination

Under the traditional vendored model, the Regional Center contracts with approved provider agencies. The consumer requests a service through their IPP, the service coordinator finds a vendored provider, and the provider assigns staff. If the assigned worker is a poor fit, the consumer can request a change — but they cannot hire someone outside the vendored network.

Under SDP, the participant's individual budget is calculated based on the cost of services in their current IPP (or projected IPP, for new consumers). With that budget, they can hire independent providers, purchase services from non-vendored sources, and structure supports in ways the traditional model does not allow. The tradeoff: the participant takes on more planning and oversight responsibility.

For transition-age young adults, the practical advantage is speed. The statewide provider shortage means vendored agencies often cannot staff new cases for months. SDP participants can hire and onboard workers independently, bypassing the agency bottleneck entirely.

How to Enroll

SDP enrollment follows a defined sequence:

1. Request enrollment through your Regional Center service coordinator. SDP is voluntary and, since July 1, 2021, is available statewide to all eligible Regional Center consumers.
2. Complete the mandatory orientation run by the State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD). This session explains the program structure, participant responsibilities, and budget rules.
3. Select an Independent Facilitator (IF). The IF helps the participant develop a Person-Centered Plan that identifies their goals, preferences, and the supports they need.
4. Develop the spending plan. The individual budget is calculated based on the cost of services in the participant's current or projected IPP. The participant and their IF allocate the budget across specific services, providers, and goods.
5. Select a Financial Management Services (FMS) provider. The FMS handles all employer-of-record functions: payroll, taxes, workers' compensation, and Medi-Cal billing. California currently has several approved FMS providers operating statewide.
6. Begin services. Once the spending plan is approved by the Regional Center, the participant starts hiring providers and receiving services under the new model.

Timing It With the School Exit

The best time to start the SDP enrollment process is during the 18-22 transition program, while the student is still receiving school-based services. The Regional Center is the payer of last resort during this period and cannot fund most adult services — but the SDP orientation, Person-Centered Planning, and FMS selection can happen concurrently with school enrollment. Starting these steps while the student is enrolled can give the participant time to complete them before the school exit, but approval and implementation still depend on the Regional Center and the availability of providers and an FMS arrangement.

If your child is already a Regional Center client, ask the service coordinator about SDP enrollment at the next IPP meeting. The transition IEP meeting is also the right time to bring it up, especially if the IEP team includes the Regional Center service coordinator.

The California IEP Transition to Adulthood Guide covers the full SDP enrollment sequence alongside the school-exit timeline, so families can coordinate both tracks without missing deadlines or duplicating effort.

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