(07/02/2024) Initial Person-Centered Plan and Pre-Enrollment Transition Supports Guidance

July 2, 2024

DVU Brief:

Coming soon.

Directive

July 2, 2024

TO: REGIONAL CENTER EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

SUBJECT: SELF-DETERMINATION PROGRAM: INITIAL PERSON-CENTERED PLAN AND PRE-ENROLLMENT TRANSITION SUPPORTS GUIDANCE

The purpose of this correspondence is to provide guidance about the Initial Person- Centered Plan and Pre-Enrollment Transition Supports available to potential Self- Determination Program (SDP) participants. This guidance replaces the Department of Developmental Services’ (Department) December 22, 2023 guidance on this subject,
and is issued pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code section 4685.8(p)(2), which
authorizes the Department to issue program directives or similar instructions until
regulations are adopted.

Key changes from the December 22, 2023 guidance are included in the following topic areas:

General Self-Directed Supports are now available through Participant-Directed Services.
The timeline of availability for the different options of pre-enrollment transition supports is updated.
Regional center reporting requirements are revised.
Requirements for accepting payments.
Role of General Self-Directed Supports in self-advocacy.

The Department is committed to supporting robust pre-enrollment transition supports options for potential SDP participants. In addition to the supports available through regional center service coordinators and Local Volunteer Advisory Committee implementation funds, potential SDP participants may access paid supports. This correspondence provides information on the following:

A. Initial Person-Centered Plan
B. General Self-Directed Supports through a regional center vendor or Participant- Directed Services
C. Time-limited availability of the original $2,500 option
D. Billing requirements
E. Regional center reporting of transition supports capacity.

A. The Initial Person-Centered Plan

A potential SDP participant, who has completed an SDP orientation, may request the development of an Initial Person-Centered Plan. A Person-Centered Plan describes what the individual wants their life to be like in the future so they can work towards their goals. It is based on their strengths, capabilities, preferences, lifestyle, and culture and can be used to inform the writing of the Individual Program Plan (IPP).

Regional centers may purchase and make payment up to $1,000 for the Initial Person-Centered Plan from the following:

Vendored providers of person-centered plan services.
Non-vendored providers who demonstrate they have received training or certification in the person-centered plan/facilitation process. Payment to non- vendored providers is to be made as a “Purchase Reimbursement” under service code 024. Payments for this service under service code 024 do not require vendorization as a person-centered plan services provider.

Regional centers may increase payment on a case-by-case basis for a potential SDP participant whose Initial Person-Centered Plan requires more time due to a lack of natural supports to assist with the person-centered planning process, when the preferred language is other than English, or when there is a higher level of service need as a result of their disability. Payment may be made only after the regional center receives the invoice that shows a written Initial Person-Centered Plan has been delivered as agreed to by the potential SDP participant.

The Initial Person-Centered Planning process may be provided in-person or remotely based upon the individual’s choice and need and as agreed to by the individual, provider and IPP team.

B. General Self-Directed Supports

General Self-Directed (SD) Supports, are for any coaching and/or training supports needed by an individual and their family or their representative to successfully enroll in the SDP. General SD Supports are authorized to be provided after the SDP orientation and before a potential participant is enrolled in the SDP.

Individuals who want General SD Supports may choose to work with:

A vendored service provider (service code 099)
A qualified provider of their choice through Participant-Directed Services (service code 099, subcode “PDS”)

The service definition and payment rate are the same for General SD Supports provided by a vendored provider and those provided through Participant-Directed Services. The General SD Services Definition is in Enclosure A. Hourly rates for General SD Supports, including those provided through Participant-Directed Services, are set by the Department.

Regional centers may authorize General SD Supports for up to 40 hours. The General SD Supports vendor shall provide the potential SDP participant’s IPP team with written information about the proposed transition services they intend to provide and the estimated number of hours.

Additional hours may be requested by the IPP team and authorized by the regional center on a case-by-case basis for a potential SDP participant who needs more intensive supports to successfully transition into the SDP such as individuals and their family members who do not have access to natural supports to assist with the enrollment process, whose preferred language is other than English, or have a higher level of service need, as a result of their disability.

General SD Supports may be provided in-person or remotely based upon the potential SDP participant’s choice and need and as agreed to by the individual, provider and IPP team.

Information on Vendored and Participant-Directed Services General SD Supports

General SD Supports Vendored Through Regional Centers
Providers who are interested in pursuing vendorization for this service shall submit the standardized vendorization packet as described in the March 20, 2023 directive to their vendoring regional center’s Community Services team.

As is customary, separate vendorization is not required in each regional center catchment area for General SD Supports providers. If the provider of General SD Supports would like to be vendored to provide services in a new catchment area, they will notify the new regional center to initiate this process.

California Code of Regulations, Title 17 vendorization requirements as described in sections 54302 through 54334, and vendorization appeal process in sections 54380 through 54390 are applicable.

Regional centers shall authorize vendored services through service code.

General SD Supports (service code 099)

General SD Supports Through Participant-Directed Services
General SD Supports through Participant-Directed Services (PDS) is an option available as of August 1, 2024. PDS provides individuals the option to exercise more authority over how, and by whom services are provided.

General SD Supports through PDS shall be paid through a Financial Management Service (FMS).

Potential General SD Supports providers shall submit the following required documentation to the FMS to be eligible to receive payment:

SDP General Self-Directed Supports – Qualifications and Agreement Form
Home and Community Based-Services Provider Agreement
Other documents as requested by the FMS to determine provider eligibility and payment processing (i.e., business license or information related to issuing payment).

The FMS shall confirm that providers of General SD Supports are eligible to provide Medicaid services per Welfare and Institutions Code, Division 9, Part 3.

Regional centers shall fund PDS as two separate authorizations through service codes:

General SD Supports (service code 099, subcode “PDS”)
Fiscal Agent (service code 490).

Those providing General SD Supports through PDS are not required to be vendored by a regional center. The rate for General SD Supports through PDS are the same as the rates for a General SD Supports vendor. A guide to accessing General SD Supports through PDS is included in Enclosure B.

C. Time-limited Availability of Original $2,500 Option

To allow time for General SD Supports to be available as PDS, up to $2,500 for transition supports and person-centered planning, paid through purchase reimbursement (service code 024) will continue to be available through
December 31, 2024, as described in the guidance dated July 15, 2021. Effective November 1, 2024, providers shall no longer accept new referrals to provide services through this option and those still in the process of enrollment through this option shall meet with the potential SDP participant and their planning team to identify a timeline for completion.

Potential SDP participants who choose this option may not also choose to use General SD Supports and Initial Person-Centered Planning as described below.
See Section D below for information about billing for these services.

D. Payment for the Initial Person-Centered Plan and General SD Supports

All initial person-centered planning and pre-transition supports billed through purchase reimbursement (service code 024) or PDS (service code 099, subcode “PDS”) shall be paid timely by regional centers or the FMS following receipt of an invoice. An invoice shall include at minimum, the following (see Enclosure C for sample template):

Hourly billing rate;
Date that each service/task is provided;
Description of the service/task performed; and
Amount of time spent on each service/task provided for the time period of the invoice and the prorated cost of that service.

Regional center vendored providers of General SD Supports shall work with the regional center about billing processes. Regional centers shall require vendored General SD Supports providers to bill in accordance with the sample invoice template included in Enclosure C.

Payments for initial person-centered planning and pre-transition supports shall be fully paid by the regional center or FMS provider at the rate and amount of time authorized by the regional center. The provider furnishing the service to the individual may not seek to collect from the individual (or any financially responsible relative or representative of that individual) any additional payment amount for these services.

E. Regional Center Reporting

Beginning August 1, 2024, and through December 31, 2024, regional centers shall submit a monthly report to the Department that includes the following information:

Number of active vendors of General SD Supports;
Number of vendor applications in progress for General SD Supports;
Number of FMS vendored to provide PDS and currently providing FMS services to General SD Supports providers;
Description of actions to build capacity of vendored General SD Supports providers and Participant-Directed SD Supports providers; and
Description of other efforts to build capacity for Pre-Enrollment Transition Supports that do not require a vendored service provider.

The Department will send regional centers the link to the online reporting platform via email within 14 days of issuing this guidance.

Participants or their families with questions regarding this correspondence should contact their regional center service coordinator. General SD Supports applicants with questions should contact their regional center. Regional centers should direct their questions to sdp@dds.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Original signed by:

BRIAN WINFIELD

Chief Deputy Director

Enclosures

cc: Regional Center Administrators

Regional Center Directors of Consumer Services

Regional Center Community Services Directors

Association of Regional Center Agencies

State Council on Developmental Disabilities

Nancy Bargmann, Department of Developmental Services

Carla Castañeda, Department of Developmental Services