Noticias

DDS Directive – Operational and Service Provision Flexibilities

20 de junio de 2025

Dear NLACRC Community,

The California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) has issued new guidance to ensure that individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities and their families continue receiving the support they need—especially during times of uncertainty or disruption.

Click the link below to read the full DDS Directive:
D-2025-Case Management-009- OPERATIONAL AND SERVICE PROVISION FLEXIBILITIES

This directive follows the Department’s June 2025 Message to the Community, and provides guidance for regional centers to continue services and protections for individuals and families affected by fear of family separation, including direction and flexibility for regional centers and service providers in supporting individuals when circumstances may result in individuals needing or choosing to remain at home.

The Lanterman Act establishes an entitlement to developmental disability services for ALL eligible residents of the State who have intellectual or developmental disabilities.

📢 Stay Informed

We encourage you to read the June 2025 Message to the Community for helpful resources, including:

Mental health support lines

Legal document templates

Community-based support tools

🧭 Regional Centers

When regional centers become aware that an individual or their family are impacted as described above, regional centers must:

Contact the individual to ascertain whether there are urgent needs that can be addressed, and whether services can continue or be changed. Confidentiality of information should be reinforced during these contacts, based upon the Privacy Fact Sheet.

Prioritize any requests to address urgent needs with timely updates to an Individual Program Plan (IPP) and/or Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) or service authorization(s). IPP teams should consider whether an individual at home should receive additional or new services to replace services previously available at other locations such as a day program.

Inform individuals that meetings, including an IPP and/or IFSP meeting, can be conducted remotely using mobile phones, telephones or computers, if requested by the individual or authorized representative. Having a meeting remotely does not remove the requirements in Government Code Section 95020 and WIC Section 4646(f) to meet an individual in-person at least once every six months (for ages zero to three) or 12 months (for ages three and older), even if IFSP and IPP meetings normally are used to fulfill this requirement.

If temporary housing, food, or transportation needs for an individual are identified by the planning team, regional centers should expedite assistance with those services. For example, an individual in the circumstances described in this letter may receive transportation services through regional center services if normal parental responsibility for transportation is disrupted.

💻 Remote Services Extended

DDS’s D-2025-Community Services Division-003 directive remains in effect through December 31, 2026, the following services can be provided remotely:

Day programs

Look-a-like programs

Independent living services

Behavioral therapy services

Clinical assessments for Lanterman Act eligibility

🔐 Protecting Your Privacy

Services should continue to an individual if a parent, guardianship, conservatorship, or authorized representative is changed. Services are authorized for individuals based upon their needs, and the status of a parent or guardian or conservator or authorized representative, or lack thereof, should not be a barrier to starting or continuing services. The name of the parent or other authorized person and their contact information must remain in the client record and is protected from disclosure as explained in the Privacy Fact Sheet. Regional centers do not track or report immigration status.

We understand that this is a time of uncertainty for many. Please know that your regional center is here to support you. If you have questions or need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to NLACRC directly – (818) 778-1900.

Additional information and tools can be found on the NLACRC website: https://www.nlacrc.org/resource-center/

Atentamente,
Centro Nacional de Investigación de la Calidad Ambiental (NLACRC)

Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) Section 4639.6 authorizes the Director of the Department of Developmental Services (Department) to issue directives to regional centers as the Director deems necessary to protect individual rights, health, safety, or welfare. Regional centers must comply with any directive issued by the Director pursuant to this section.