Becoming a Vendored Provider with North Bay Regional Center

Are you interested in becoming a vendored provider for North Bay Regional Center? 

Interested applicants are required to complete a letter of intent packet  for most vendor requests*.  Upon receipt of a Letter of Intent applicants may be invited to go through a process referred to as “vendorization” if approved.  Service providers are vendored by the regional center in whose region known as catchment area the service is located, and that regional center is known as the “vendoring regional center.” The catchment area includes the following three counties; Napa. Solano, and Sonoma.  The vendoring regional center is responsible for ensuring that the applicant meets the licensing and Title 17 requirements for vendorization, determining the appropriate vendor category for the service, and authorizing or not authorizing vendorization based upon review of the documentation submitted by the applicant.

*Some vendorizations require a  Request for Proposal, requests such as these do not require a Letter of Intent. Examples are: Level 4, SRF, or specialized services.

*If you are an existing vendor requesting to add new services please click here

What is the Vendorization process?

The vendorization process is for identification, selection and utilization of service providers based on their qualifications and other requirements. This process allows regional centers to verify, prior to the provision of services to clients, that the applicant meets all the requirements and standards specified in the regulations.  Applicants who meet the specified requirements and standards are assigned a service code and a unique vendor identification number.  Although a regional center must vendor an applicant who meets all the requirements for the service to be provided, vendorization in no way obligates a regional center to make referrals to or purchase services from that vendor.

Key Things to Consider about the Vendorization Process

  • Vendorizations start with a submitted Letter of Intent Packet (LOI)
  • Approved LOI submittals will receive a Vendor Request Review (VRR) letter that initiates the vendorization process.
  • Vendorizations can take up to 45 days to review after the receipt of applicant’s completed documentation.
  • Vendorizations are based on NBRC’s greatest resource needs.
  • Vendorizations doesn’t guarantee any referrals.
  • Approved vendorizations must meet NBRC requirements and  Title 17 regulations in line with the type of service.

*Vendorizations for Alternative Residential Model (ARM) service Level 4 A- 4I are required to complete the Request For Proposal (RFP) process. click here

Vendorization FAQs

This page contains answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding the approval process involved in becoming a provider of services to persons with developmental disabilities.

The Lanterman Act

The Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act is codified in the California Welfare and Institutions Code. This compilation, prepared by the Legislative Counsel, includes the 2018 revisions to the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act and related laws (Divisions 4.1, 4.5, and 4.7 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and Title 14 of the Government Code). For the official and most current versions of the Lanterman Act and other California law, please visit the California Legislative Information website. This edition shows all sections as they are in effect on and after January 1, 2019.

TYPES OF SERVICES

Residential Services

Individuals seeking to have a residential care home vendored with NBRC must meet all Title 17 and NBRC requirements to obtain vendor status.  All applicants must also be in compliance with Title 22 Regulations.  The following are the basic requirements for vendorization, please note that potential vendors and applicants will be expected to meet all requirements of the regulatory agencies with which they are licensed under.

All homes are required to be licensed by  Community Care License but  does not guarantee that an applicant will qualify for vendorization.

Please see below the types of Residential Models:

  • Adult Residential Facility (ARF)
  • Residential Care for Elderly (RCFE)
  • Group Home for Children (GHC)
  • Family Home Agency (FHA)

Health Care Facilities
Health Care facilities are licensed by the State Department of Health Services and are designed to support people who, in addition to their developmental disability, have nursing or self-care needs. There are two different types of Health Care Facilities, also known as Intermediate Care Facilities (ICF) licensed by the State Department of Health Services:

  • ICF/DDH – Developmentally Disabled/Habilitative
  • ICF/DDN – Developmentally Disabled-Nursing

For further information on developing an ICF please click here.

Developing a Community Care Facility (CCF)

Per Title 17 regulations, NBRC vendors and monitors residential homes that are specifically developed for children, adults and the elderly who have developmental and intellectual disabilities.  NBRC closely adheres to the regulations governing residential care homes.  Prospective providers must meet the minimum “direct supervision and special services” experience requirement with the developmentally disabled specified by Title 17.

Service Levels

Community Care Licensed Residential Care Facilities are vendored based on a service level system. Homes are vendored at Level 2, 3, or 4 A-I.

A home will only be vendored to provide one level of service. Persons served and family members choose placements in Community Care Facilities based on preferences for where the home is located, availability of single rooms, the number of people who live in the facility, and level of care the person requires.

Community Care Facilities (CCFs) are licensed by the Community Care Licensing Division of the State Department of Social Services to provide 24-hour non-medical residential care to children and adults with developmental disabilities who are in need of personal services, supervision, and/or assistance essential for self-protection or sustaining the activities of daily living. Based upon the types of services provided and the persons served, each CCF vendored by a regional center is designated one of the following service levels:

  • SERVICE LEVEL 2: Care, supervision, and incidental training for persons with some self-care skills and no major behavior problems.
  • SERVICE LEVEL 3: Care, supervision, and ongoing training for persons with significant deficits in self-help skills, and/or some limitations in physical coordination and mobility, and/or disruptive or self-injurious behavior.
  • SERVICE LEVEL 4: Care, supervision, and professionally supervised training for persons with deficits in self-help skills, and/or severe impairment in physical coordination and mobility, and/or severely disruptive or self-injurious behavior. Service Level 4 is subdivided into Levels 4A through 4I, in which staffing levels are increased to correspond to the escalating severity of disability levels.

To develop a Level 4 home a provider must complete the RFP process. click here.

Required Experience

  • Experience is typically obtained through employment in residential care homes or day/work/special education school programs for individuals with developmental disabilities.  There are many opportunities for work in these settings.  Employment or training in the medical field, mental health, or human/social services will not be substituted for direct care experience.
  • Documentation of direct care experience must verify the equivalent of forty hours a week for the number of months specified by Title 17 for the level of home the applicant proposes to open.  All work experience must be verifiable through employment records.  Volunteer or undocumented experiences may not be substituted for paid experience.  NBRC considers direct supervision experience to be essential for realistic goals and expectations in creating a home environment that will enhance the lives of each of the residents.

Potential vendors (licensees and administrators) must provide proof of paid experience providing direct supervision and special services to people with developmental disabilities.

*PLEASE NOTE*

Per Title 17, direct supervision means those activities in which direct care staff provide care, supervision, training, and support to promote the consumer’s functioning in the areas of self-care, daily living skills, physical coordination, mobility, behavioral self-control, choice-making, community integration, accessing community resources and participating in leisure time activities.

Per Title 17, special services mean specialized training, treatment, and/or supervision which are required by the consumer’s IPP and provided by direct care staff in addition to direct supervision.

Administrators of licensed residential services must, per Title 17, Section 56033 and 56037 (d) (1), (e) (1), and (f) (1), respectively possess the following:

  • At least 6 months prior experience and Direct Care Staff Competency-Based Training (DSP 1 and DSP 2) to provide level 2 services
  • At least 9 months prior experience and Direct Care staff Competency-Based Training (DSP 1 and DSP 2) to provide level 3 services
  • At least 12 months prior experience and Direct Care Staff Competency-Based Training (DSP 1 and DSP 2) to provide level 4 services

NBRC expects the Licensee to also meet the experience requirements

 

************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Supportive Living Services Workshop

If you are interested in becoming a SLS vendor with North Bay Regional Center (NBRC),
sign up for the next Workshop in the link below. All participants will learn the “nuts and bolts” on how to become a successful SLS vendor. This event will be held online as follows:

SLS workshop date Time Link to Register
February 28, 2024 From 10:30 am to 12:00 pm https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NABIb-BhQQqOUZMm_WlIJg

 

May 29 2024 From 10:30 am to 12:00 pm https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3ida-V_1Q7aJi0GzQwn6RA
August 28 2024 From 10:30 am to 12:00 pm https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_buegoedESF2uiHx6DK_eXw
November 20, 2024, From 10:30 am to 12:00 pm https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9hoEnFdHSKSchhjw9tu1Cg

Community Resource Development Plan 

FY 22/23 NBRC’s Local Priorities

A Community Resource Development Plan (CRDP) is developed by each Regional Center in California with stakeholder input. This plan is used to develop new resources for individuals served by our Regional Center. For FY 22/23, NBRC surveyed families, clients, staff, and vendors to gather additional input on service needs that NBRC should develop in 2023 and beyond.   This year NBRC received 588 responses resulting in the below priority areas for NBRC’s Community Resource Development Plan.

FY 22/23 NBRC Resource Needs for Local Priorities:

Adult Services: 39.46%

Early Start Services: 29.76%

Children & Family Services: 20.92%

Target Population: 0-3yrs

*Infant Development Programs

*Speech

*Individualized/ Family Training

Target Population: 3-12yrs

*Behavior Therapeutic Services

*Intensive behavior services for children with Autism

*Socialization skills/ training program

Target Population: 13-18yrs

* Socialization skills/ training program

* Behavior Therapeutic Services

* Individualized/ Family Training

Target Population: 18-59
* Independent/ SLS
* Day Services with focus on employment
* Residential license facilities

Target Population:  60yrs ( +)
* Independent/ SLS
* HHA
* Residential license facilities

Last Year Survey Results
For FY 21/22, NBRC gathered stakeholder input via survey and determined the below local priorities for NBRC’s Community Resource Development Plan:

  • Day/Employment Programs that focus on competitive integrated employment
  • Behavior Therapy for children
  • Social Training for teens
  • Home Health Care Services for Seniors
  • Affordable Housing
  • Licensed Residential Homes
  • Services that focus on Autism
  • Services that focus on Substance Abuse