4: Creating a Person-Centered Spending Plan

Guide participants through the spending plan process

As you create a spending plan, make sure you explain how the spending connects to the person-centered plan. Much like in an IEP, each staff person, activity, and purchase in the person-centered spending plan should refer to a goal in the PCP. If there is not a direct connection between the goal and the proposed spending, it should not be there.

Verify spending is connected to PCP goals

Much like people in school have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), people served by California’s regional center system have an Individualized Program Plan, widely referred to as an IPP. The IPP should reflect the needs and wants of the person served. If the IPP does not reflect a person’s needs and wants effectively, the participant can ask the service coordinator to improve the plan to make it more accurate and reflect the individual’s real life.

An individual’s authorized services and supports are reflected in the IPP. This is a legal document that is required by the Lanterman Act.

Many people served by the regional centers and their circle of support fail to realize the importance of the IPP. If an IPP is accurate and contains all needs, this can make the budget authorization process in the Self Determination Program process easier. Each regional center has its own procedures for this, of course, but an inaccurate or vague IPP can be problematic for budget creation.

If the IPP does not reflect a person’s reality, the budget creation process can be very difficult. It seems this is where many struggles between the regional center and the SDP participant begin. One way to reduce conflict in this area is to make sure the IPP is accurate, up to date, and includes what life currently looks like for the individual served by the regional center.

The person-centered plan should be the place where all of a person’s strengths and passions are shared, and it can also focus on how the individual would like to be spending their time. Some people want to be working. Others volunteer. Still others want to participate in activities in the community. Once this is known, the regional center should offer a service that meets the individual’s needs. When the service is provided in the traditional system, the individual will participate in the service provided by a vendor of the regional center. However, in the Self Determination Program, the funds that are approved for the traditional service can be used creatively to meet the needs in many different ways. Those different ways of using the funds are the line items of the spending plan

What spending plans include

Spending plans include detailed information about the supports and services an SDP participant will use over the course of a year. This includes staff, worker's compensation (in the sole employer model), and all anticipated supports for the year.

Sounds hard, right? How are we supposed to know exactly what will be needed for twelve whole months. Thankfully, independent facilitators often carry a crystal ball in their pockets. For those of you who have either forgotten to carry one or have not yet gotten a crystal ball, there are ways to plan for a year-long plan focused on the PCP.

Teachers call this "beginning with the end in mind". Other professional fields likely have their own catchy phrases. The idea is start at the end of the year. Where does the participant want to "go" in SDP? Then, break down the steps and create a plan to get to a part of the goal. Some goals are long-term; others are shorter term. It is important to plan for reasonable steps towards a goal.

The services and supports in the spending plan are the disability-related supports and services to help meet the PCP goals.

In the spending plan, the IF or the participant will include as much detail as is available. This will help minimize mid-year edits and changes, which, by all accounts, are no fun.

• Staff
• Services
• Names of businesses that provide the service
• The cost of the service
• Duration and Frequency
• IPP/PCP goals (adding the PCP goals into the IPP helps ensure the PCP goals are reflected in the spending plan)

Additionally, AB 143 changed statute to require regional centers to certify spending plans.

The DDS SDP Directive released on November 25, 2025 includes clarification of what should be in a spending plan.

Services and supports in the spending plan:

• Address the goals in the individual’s IPP.
• Are not available from generic services, including but not limited to, Medi-Cal, InHome Supportive Services, services from other state departments such as the Department of Rehabilitation, and services provided by local school districts or private insurance.
• Are eligible for federal financial participation, which means the services or supports are eligible for federal funding and that the services have been approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.