DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES RELEASES NEW ONLINE REGIONAL CENTER CONSUMER & FAMILY SURVEY – PART OF THE REGIONAL CENTER PROVIDER RATE STUDY

10/3/2018 – The Department of Developmental Services (DDS) released an online survey for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families to provide information that will be part of the larger on-going regional center provider rate study.  It is the first time that the State is conducting a survey specifically for regional center consumers and their families on issues linked to regional center provider rates, that follows the recently completed statewide survey of regional center providers.
The deadline for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families to respond and submit the new online survey is October 28th, midnight, Sunday evening.
The new online survey for consumers and families is voluntary and not mandatory.
The anonymous survey takes about 15 to 20 minutes or less to complete online. To protect people’s privacy, the online survey does not ask any information regarding a person’s name or address, though does ask general information about the person filling out the survey.
In addition to English, the online survey was also translated in sixteen languages that Medi-Cal is required to use in California.
The survey can be accessed online at:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DDS_Rate_Survey
:   There is no hard copy version of the survey.
The Department of Developmental Services – the state agency that oversees, under contract, the 21 non-profit regional centers who determine eligibility, handle caseload issues and fund the community-based organizations and individuals who provide the actual services and supports – is required to submit the finished the regional center provider rate study to the Legislature by March 2019.  That requirement was part of a special session bill in 2016 (ABx2 1) that also included significant funding increases for regional centers and a wide range of providers.

WHAT THE ONLINE REGIONAL CENTER CONSUMER & FAMILY SURVEY IS SEEKING
The online regional center consumer and family survey seeks information from people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families on services and supports they are receiving – or not receiving. This includes questions about the quality of services or availability of services.
The questions in the online survey are connected to the issues regarding regional center provider rates, which is the money from the State (most of it matched by federal Medicaid dollars) that are paid to regional center funded community-based organizations and individuals to provide those supports and services. This includes issues that are connected to unmet needs due to lack of services for various reasons, including ethnic and cultural disparities and geography.
Like the previous online regional center provider survey, the online consumer and family survey is voluntary and not mandatory.
The Department of Developmental Services (DDS) said the information from the both surveys and also other information (including public input from the soon to be announced regional meetings or forums) will be critical parts in helping the Brown Administration this year and the new Administration next year come up with recommendations to the Legislature due by March 2019.
Those recommendations in the rate study will likely be a subject of the Legislative budget subcommittee hearings that includes public comments in March-April 2019, and also the subject of the new Governor’s proposed budget revisions in May 2019 – known as the “May Revise”.  That will be followed by a final round of Legislative budget subcommittee hearings that will likely include the rate study and possible proposals either from the new Governor or from legislators (or both) with public comments.  Depending on the economic and political environment next year and other factors, that in turn could lead to possible increases in rates for some – or all –  regional center funded providers possibly in the 2019-2020 State Budget year that begins July 1, 2019.
The regional center provider survey and the regional center consumer and family survey are two pieces of a larger rate study of regional center funded providers that was required by state law passed and enacted in 2016.  That rate study is meant to address what Brown Administration officials, legislators from both parties, people with developmental disabilities and families, providers, regional centers, and advocates have publicly agreed is a major State issue regarding the need for more funding for services and supports for hundreds of thousands of children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, including community-based organizations and workers who provide those services and supports.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE REGIONAL CENTER CONSUMER & FAMILY SURVEY
For questions or comments about the regional center consumer and family survey, send email to: CASurvey@hsri.org
For questions about the regional center provider rate study, send email to: vendorsurvey@dds.ca.gov
Regional Center Provider Rate Study Webpage (Department of Developmental Services website):
https://www.dds.ca.gov/ratestudy/
Burns and Associates (consulting firm hired by Department of Developmental Services to conduct the rate study under the department) webpage on the regional center provider rate study:
http://www.burnshealthpolicy.com/ddsvendorrates/