SB 1093, Liu. Developmental services: regional centers: culturally and linguistically competent services.
(1) The Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act requires the State Department of Developmental Services to contract with regional centers to provide services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities. The services and supports to be provided to a regional center consumer, which include services and supports that are directed toward the achievement and maintenance of an independent, productive, and normal life for the consumer such as daily living skills training, are contained in an individual program plan or individualized family service plan developed in accordance with prescribed requirements.
This bill would require regional centers to provide independent living skills services to an adult consumer, consistent with a consumer’s individual program plan, that provide the consumer with functional skills training that enables him or her to acquire or maintain skills to live independently in his or her own home, or to achieve greater independence while living in the home of a parent, family member, or other person.
(2) Existing law requires that contracts entered into with regional centers include annual performance objectives, including annual performance objectives that are specific, measurable, and designed to, among other things, develop services and supports identified as necessary to meet identified needs. Existing law also requires that each contract with a regional center specify steps to be taken to ensure contract compliance, and, if a regional center is placed on probation pursuant to these steps, requires the department to provide the appropriate area board with a copy of the correction plan, timeline, and any other action taken by the department.
This bill would require that annual performance objectives be designed to, among other things, develop services and supports identified as necessary to meet identified needs, which includes culturally and linguistically appropriate services and supports. The bill would require that, if a regional center is placed on probation, the department also provide a copy of the correction plan, timeline, and any other action taken by the department to a specified clients’ rights advocacy contractor.
(3) Existing law requires the department and regional centers to annually collaborate to compile specified data relating to purchase of service authorization, utilization, and expenditure by each regional center and requires that data to include the number and percentage of individuals, categorized by age, race or ethnicity, and disability, who have been determined to be eligible for regional center services, but who are not receiving purchase of service funds. Existing law requires each regional center and the department to annually post this information on their respective Internet Web sites, as prescribed, and requires each regional center to hold annual stakeholder meetings regarding the data.
This bill would additionally require the data to include, and be categorized by, residence type and subcategorized by age, race or ethnicity, and primary language. The bill would also require the department and each regional center to maintain all preceding years’ data on its Internet Web site. The bill would require that regional centers hold the annual stakeholder meetings regarding the data separately from any meetings of its board of directors, schedule the meetings at times and locations designed to result in a high turnout by the public and underserved communities, and, in holding the meetings, consider the language needs of the community. The bill would require the regional centers to provide participants of these meetings with the data and associated information and to conduct a discussion of the data and associated information in a manner that is culturally and linguistically appropriate for that community, as specified.
This bill would also require each regional center to annually report to the department specified information regarding its implementation of those provisions. The bill would require the reports to be posted on the department’s and each regional center’s Internet Web site by August 31 of each year.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 4519.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:
(a) The department and the regional centers shall annually collaborate to compile data in a uniform manner relating to purchase of service authorization, utilization, and expenditure by each regional center with respect to all of the following:
(1) The age of consumer, categorized by the following:
(A) Birth to age two, inclusive.
(B) Three to 21, inclusive.
(C) Twenty-two and older.
(2) Race or ethnicity of the consumer.
(3) Primary language spoken by the consumer, and other related details, as feasible.
(4) Disability detail, in accordance with the categories established by subdivision (a) of Section 4512, and, if applicable, a category specifying that the disability is unknown.
(5) Residence type, subcategorized by age, race or ethnicity, and primary language.
(b) The data reported pursuant to subdivision (a) shall also include the number and percentage of individuals, categorized by age, race or ethnicity, and disability, and by residence type, as set forth in paragraph (5) of subdivision (a), who have been determined to be eligible for regional center services but are not receiving purchase of service funds.
(c) By March 31, 2013, each regional center shall post the data described in this section that is specific to the regional center on its Internet Web site. Commencing on December 31, 2013, each regional center shall annually post this data by December 31. Each regional center shall maintain all previous years’ data on its Internet Web site.
(d) By March 31, 2013, the department shall post the information described in this section on a statewide basis on its Internet Web site. Commencing December 31, 2013, the department shall annually post this information by December 31. The department shall maintain all previous years’ data on its Internet Web site. The department shall also post notice of any regional center stakeholder meetings on its Internet Web site.
(e) Within three months of compiling the data with the department, and annually thereafter, each regional center shall meet with stakeholders in one or more public meetings regarding the data. The meeting or meetings shall be held separately from any meetings held pursuant to Section 4660. The regional center shall provide participants of these meetings with the data and any associated information, and shall conduct a discussion of the data and the associated information in a manner that is culturally and linguistically appropriate for that community, including providing alternative communication services, as required by Sections 11135 to 11139.7, inclusive, of the Government Code and implementing regulations. Regional centers shall inform the department of the scheduling of those public meetings 30 days prior to the meeting. Notice of the meetings shall also be posted on the regional center’s Internet Web site 30 days prior to the meeting and shall be sent to individual stakeholders and groups representing underserved communities in a timely manner. Each regional center shall, in holding the meetings required by this subdivision, consider the language needs of the community and shall schedule the meetings at times and locations designed to result in a high turnout by the public and underserved communities.
(f) (1) Each regional center shall annually report to the department regarding its implementation of the requirements of this section. The report shall include, but shall not be limited to, all of the following:
(A) Actions the regional center took to improve public attendance and participation at stakeholder meetings, including, but not limited to, attendance and participation by underserved communities.
(B) Copies of minutes from the meeting and attendee comments.
(C) Whether the data described in this section indicates a need to reduce disparities in the purchase of services among consumers in the regional center’s catchment area. If the data does indicate that need, the regional center’s recommendations and plan to promote equity, and reduce disparities, in the purchase of services.
(2) Each regional center and the department shall annually post the reports required by paragraph (1) on its Internet Web site by August 31.
Section 4629 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:
(a) The state shall enter into five-year contracts with regional centers, subject to the annual appropriation of funds by the Legislature.
(b) The contracts shall include a provision requiring each regional center to render services in accordance with applicable provision of state laws and regulations.
(c) (1) The contracts shall include annual performance objectives that shall do both of the following:
(A) Be specific, measurable, and designed to do all of the following:
(i) Assist consumers to achieve life quality outcomes.
(ii) Achieve meaningful progress above the current baselines.
(iii) Develop services and supports identified as necessary to meet identified needs, including culturally and linguistically appropriate services and supports.
(B) Be developed through a public process as described in the department’s guidelines that includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:
(i) Providing information, in an understandable form, to the community about regional center services and supports, including budget information and baseline data on services and supports and regional center operations.
(ii) Conducting a public meeting where participants can provide input on performance objectives and using focus groups or surveys to collect information from the community.
(iii) Circulating a draft of the performance objectives to the community for input prior to presentation at a regional center board meeting where additional public input will be taken and considered before adoption of the objectives.
(2) In addition to the performance objectives developed pursuant to this section, the department may specify in the performance contract additional areas of service and support that require development or enhancement by the regional center. In determining those areas, the department shall consider public comments from individuals and organizations within the regional center catchment area, the distribution of services and supports within the regional center catchment area, and review how the availability of services and supports in the regional area catchment area compares with other regional center catchment areas.
(d) Each contract with a regional center shall specify steps to be taken to ensure contract compliance, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(1) Incentives that encourage regional centers to meet or exceed performance standards.
(2) Levels of probationary status for regional centers that do not meet, or are at risk of not meeting, performance standards. The department shall require that corrective action be taken by any regional center which is placed on probation. Corrective action may include, but is not limited to, mandated consultation with designated representatives of the Association of Regional Center Agencies or a management team designated by the department, or both. The department shall establish the specific timeline for the implementation of corrective action and monitor its implementation. When a regional center is placed on probation, the department shall provide the appropriate area board and the clients’ rights advocacy contractor identified in Section 4433 with a copy of the correction plan, timeline, and any other action taken by the department relating to the probationary status of the regional center.
(e) In order to evaluate the regional center’s compliance with its contract performance objectives and legal obligations related to those objectives, the department shall do both of the following:
(1) Annually assess each regional center’s achievement of its previous year’s objectives and make the assessment, including baseline data and performance objectives of the individual regional centers, available to the public. The department may make a special commendation of the regional centers that have best engaged the community in the development of contract performance objectives and have made the most meaningful progress in meeting or exceeding contract performance objectives.
(2) Monitor the activities of the regional center to ensure compliance with the provisions of its contracts, including, but not limited to, reviewing all of the following:
(A) The regional center’s public process for compliance with the procedures set forth in paragraph (2) of subdivision (c).
(B) Each regional center’s performance objectives for compliance with the criteria set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (c).
(C) Any public comments on regional center performance objectives sent to the department or to the regional centers, and soliciting public input on the public process and final performance standards.
(f) The renewal of each contract shall be contingent upon compliance with the contract including, but not limited to, the performance objectives, as determined through the department’s evaluation.
Section 4688.05 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:
Regional centers shall provide independent living skills services to an adult consumer, consistent with his or her individual program plan, that provide the consumer with functional skills training that enables him or her to acquire or maintain skills to live independently in his or her own home, or to achieve greater independence while living in the home of a parent, family member, or other person.
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