What is the Self-Determination Program (SDP)?

The California statewide Self-Determination Program is a voluntary alternative to the traditional way of providing regional center services. The SDP is being developed by the Department of Developmental Services to allow participants to have more control over selecting their services and supports. One of the ways this can be done is by giving participants (or their parents or legal representatives) a specific budget to purchase the services and supports that they need to make their person-centered plan work better for them. Participants may choose their services and pick which providers deliver those services. Participants are responsible for staying within their annual budget.

The program has five principles that are part of the law:

1. Freedom (to plan a good life) – to have the same rights as everyone, to choose family and friends that can help, where you want to live, how you want your time to be spent, and who supports you
2. Authority (over your personal resources) – You have a budget, and you get to decide exactly what to spend that money on in order to reach your goals.
3. Support (for building a life in the community) – to choose what you need to meet your personal goals and hire people that will help you live the life you want in your community
4. Responsibility (and pride in making your own decisions) – to be accountable for your budget and the way money is spent
5. Confirmation (of the important role you play) – In the Self-Determination program, you play a critical role as the person who makes decisions.  You and your family get to choose the services and supports that will help you accomplish the goals in your IPP.

For more information, visit the DDS Self-Determination Program Home Page or click here to read WRC’s Self-Determination Local Advisory Committee “Your Life, Your Way” presentation.

How is the SDP different than my current service coordination?

The way the Self-Determination Program works is different than the way services are delivered right now. The thing that makes self-determination so exciting is that it gives you flexibility in choosing your services, supports, and providers. In the Self-Determination Program, you can buy different services, not just those through the regional center.  

The program offers a lot of flexibility.  Services can include, but aren’t limited to:  individual training; vehicle adaptations; or support with communication. Your services and supports can be from almost anyone in the community. Right now, your Service Coordinator from the regional center is the person who helps you find the services you need.

In self-determination, you get to decide who else you want to help you. This could be your family or friends, or an Independent Facilitator. There will be money in a budget and you will choose which services and supports to have to meet your goals.

Self-Determination offers you the opportunity to be creative, think outside the box, and make your own plan for how you want to live. For more information, visit the DDS Self-Determination Program Home Page or view  WRC’s Self-Determination Local Advisory Committee calendar.

How Do I Enter Self-Determination?

Anyone who wants to join Self-Determination is required to participate in a two-part orientation. The first step of this process is to create an account on our WRC Learning Center website. To do this, you will need to provide your name, email, name of the person served by WRC, their birthdate, and their UCI and service coordinators name if you know it. Once you log-on, you will be able to select “Browse Catalog” in the upper left-hand corner, then select “Self-Determination”. This will lead you to a menu with the option to enroll in the online portion of the orientation. The course is available in both English and Spanish. To enroll, click “enroll” in the course that is the language of your preference. If you are not able to complete the course in one sitting, you can log back on and resume where you left off at another time. To do this, log back in using your email and password, go to “My Learning Activities” and click “Resume” next to the Self-Determination course.  If you forget your password, you can reset it on the log-in page.

Once you have completed Part 1 of the Self-Determination Orientation (the online portion) a WRC staff will confirm your affiliation with our regional center, and you will be contacted to schedule part 2 of the orientation, which will take place over zoom. You will be offered the soonest available session in the language of your preference, English or Spanish. You can expect to hear from WRC staff within one week of completing Part 1, if you are affiliated with someone receiving services from WRC. If you are not affiliated with WRC, please get in touch with your regional center to confirm the next part of the process.

Upon completing both parts of The WRC Self-Determination Orientation, you will receive a certificate of completion and your service coordinator will be notified that you are eligible to begin Self-Determination.

To access Part 1 of the WRC Self-Determination Orientation, please create your account on the WRC Learning Center here: https://wrcparent.arcalearn.org/

SDP Eligibility

To participate in the Self-Determination Program, a person with a developmental disability must:

1. Be a regional center consumer, and
2. Agree to the following specified in the law:
   • Attend an orientation to the Self-Determination Program
   • Use Self-Determination Program funds only when generic services are not available
   • Only purchase services necessary to implement the Individual Program Plan
   • Manage services and supports within an individual budget
   • Use a Financial Management Services provider

Consumers residing in a developmental center may be eligible for the Self-Determination Program if they are expected to transition to the community within 90 days.

Participants do not have to be in the Medi-Cal program.

Self Determination Local Advisory Committee

The committee reviews the development and ongoing progress of the Self Determination Program, including whether the program advances the principles of self determination and is operating consistent with the requirements of this section, and may make ongoing recommendations for improvement to the regional center and the department.

This virtual meeting is held on the second Tuesday of each month at 6pm, on zoom. All are welcome to attend these meetings. Click here to find the next meeting take place.

HOW TO JOIN THE ZOOM MEETING:

Implementation Updates

Updates on the status of the program will be posted to the DDS page as they become available by clicking here . If you want to be notified when updates are made, please email sdp@dds.ca.gov and ask to be included on the notification list.

Resources

• Autism Society of Los Angeles
• The Center for Self-Determination
• Disability Voices United