Obtaining Services in California
In a state the size and complexity of California, no individual state agency is capable
of providing all the services needed by any specialized population. Services for those
with developmental disabilities are no exception. The multiplicity of agencies can easily
be overwhelming and intimidating to persons with developmental disabilities and their
families.
To ease families' access to the service system, and because the State is so large, the
California Legislature established the regional
centers, which serve as the single points of entry into the service system for persons
with developmental disabilities. After assessment/diagnosis and establishing eligibility,
regional centers assign a service coordinator to each individual, assist in developing an
Individual Program Plan, then either obtain or purchase services for individuals and their
families.
Funding for these services comes from the State Department
of Developmental Services (DDS), using both state and federal funds, which contracts
annually with each of the 21 regional centers. In 1984 the California Supreme Court
determined that the DDS-regional center system is an entitlement program. Accordingly,
there are no regional center waiting lists and each individual is entitled to receive
those services that appear on his or her individual program plan.
Many other state and local agencies also provide services to persons with developmental
disabilities. In addition to the state departments and federally-funded agencies, a
variety of local governmental and private agencies and organizations are involved in the
service system for people with developmental disabilities.
Individuals with developmental disabilities have all the rights afforded California
citizens without disabilities. Every state agency is to serve individuals with
developmental disabilities who meet any pertinent eligibility criteria (e.g. age, income,
location of residence, etc.).
There are more than 75 state agencies in California, with hundreds of offices, boards,
and commissions connected to those agencies. A listing of all state agencies,
departments and commissions is available
on the State of California web site.
Under the planning process of the federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance
and Bill of Rights Act, there are certain federally-assisted services the Council is
required to identify within state government:
- Vocational Rehabilitation
The California Department of Rehabilitation
administers vocational rehabilitation services through a statewide network of district
offices. A number of formal and informal cooperative agreements with local agencies assure
specialized services for people with special needs, including individuals with
developmental disabilities.
- Public Assistance
The California agency charged with administration of the federal SSI/SSP program is the
Department of Social Services. The SSI/SSP program
provides eligible people who are aged, blind or who have disabilities, with grant payments
intended for basic needs and living expenses.
- Medical Assistance
California's version of the federal Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal, is administered
by the Department of Health Services. Medi-Cal
is intended to provide medical/health care for low income Californians who otherwise would
not have access to services. Those eligible may receive a variety of health and dental
services and related supports (i.e. durable medical equipment and medical transportation).
- Social Services
In addition to administering the public assistance program, the Department of Social Services provides a number of
services that impact the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities and their
families. These include: foster care; Adoption Assistance Program (financial assistance
designed to encourage and promote the adoption of special needs children); child abuse
prevention; in-home supportive services; and community care facility licensing.
- Child Welfare
In addition to public assistance, the California Department
of Social Services provides many programs relating to the welfare of the state's
children.
- Maternal and Child Health
The Department of Health Services (DHS) is
responsible for administering services to this population. In addition to the department's
Maternal and Child Health Branch, there are a number of programs under the auspices of DHS
that address the issue of maternal and child health. These include: Child Health and
Disability Prevention; newborn genetic screening; Women, Infants and Children (WIC) food
supplement program; and the Office of Disability Prevention, to name a few. The
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence reports that fetal alcohol syndrome is
considered to be the leading preventable cause of mental retardation in the country. The
state has a Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs.
ADP's Office of Prenatal Substance Abuse oversees treatment programs that serve pregnant,
postpartum and parenting women and their infants.
- Aging
The California Department of Aging (CDA)
administers state and federally funded home and community-based programs for older adults
and some younger adults with disabilities, including developmental disabilities. The
Department's Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman is under state and federal
mandate to respond to reports of abuse in 24-hour care facilities. To better meet the
needs of an aging population with developmental disabilities, interagency agreements exist
among the 33 Area Agencies on Aging and the 21 Regional Centers.
- Programs for Children with Special Health Care Needs
The California Department of Health Services is
responsible for the two primary California programs dealing with children with special
health care needs: Medi-Cal and California Children Services (CCS). Medi-Cal is the
state's version of the federal medicaid program and provides health care services to
eligible children and adults. CCS is a state-county program of specialized medical care
and rehabilitation for certain eligible children with disabilities whose parents are
unable to afford such services. Eligibility for CCS is determined through its own criteria
that is not the same as regional center eligibility criteria. In addition, some
specialized health care services are provided through the Department of Developmental Services for children
with developmental disabilities who are medically fragile and are ineligible for services
through Medi-Cal, CCS, or private health insurance. This includes those who receive
services through the regional center system as well as those receiving medical services
while residing in one of the state's developmental centers.
- Children's Mental Health
Responsibility for children's mental health services lies with the California
Department of Mental Health. DMH's programs for
children include a variety of services including the Children's
System of Care for Seriously Emotionally Disturbed (SED) children;
and the state's Early Mental Health Initiative that serves young school age children in
kindergarten through third grade (K-3) who are identified as having moderate school
adjustment problems.
- Technology
The state agency responsible for issues related to assistive technology is the Department of Rehabilitation (DOR). Services
provided by DOR include telecommunications, sensory and other technological aids and
devices, as well as rehabilitation engineering services to customize and adapt equipment
and devices.
- Comprehensive Health and Mental Health
There is no one state agency charged with "comprehensive health and mental
health." Public health and mental health services in California are divided between
the Departments of Health Services and Mental Health, and are delivered primarily through
the state's counties.
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