6: Budget
- Page ID
- 64396
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)- How budgets are made
- Challenges to the SDP budget process
- How to identify services to meet current needs
- Recent changes to the vendorization process
Background
The SDP budget is the total money that a regional center would have spent on a participant in the traditional service delivery system. This should already be represented in the IPP with current authorizations. If current authorizations are already documented, the budget creation process can be easy.
However, for many participants, the budget in the Self-Determination Program seems to be one of the most complicated parts of the program. It often feels complicated because current needs are unmet for many people who want to be better served by their regional center.
The funds in the budget are always based on what the regional center would have provided in the traditional system. The traditional service delivery system has services like social recreation and camp, respite, personal assistant, day programs, employment supports, adaptive skills training, and more. These are all offered in the traditional system by vendors who are approved through regional centers.
Identifying services to meet needs
Many people explore the Self Determination Program because they have needs that are not met using the services offered by the regional center. One way that this happens is that the person-served is not aware of the services offered, and often it feels like if people do not ask the right questions of the right person, they cannot get help and support that they need.
The State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD) has recently released a tool to help people-served by the regional center system understand the kinds of support their regional center can provide, along with the traditional system service code. Using this tool with their independent facilitator, service coordinator, and circle of support could help people better share their identified needs. Then the person-served can decide if their needs can be met in the traditional service delivery system or in participant-directed services with the support of a more hands-on service coordinator. When a person explores these services and cannot access them where they live, in the way they prefer, or when they need them, the Self Determination Program may be the best fit for effective service delivery.
The Self Determination Institute (SDI), a nonprofit dedicated to reducing barriers to the Self Determination Program, has also recently released an SDP Knowledge Base. Within their document collection are two absolute treasures: 1) SDP Service Codes and 2) Traditional Service Codes.
Take time to look at both SCDD and SDI resources. They are invaluable.
Changes to the vendorization process
Starting March 1, 2026, vendors will apply at the state level through the Department of Developmental Services. This should mean that all service providers who have been approved by the Department will be available to participants throughout the state whose goals and needs can be met with the approved service. This connects to the budget directly because once vendors are approved by DDS, they should, in theory, be available to people served by all 21 regional centers.
Budgets are based on authorizations — not on the availability of a service. Once a service is authorized, those funds can be used in the Self Determination Program to address the goals that the service is based on.
Often a family can become frustrated with the lack of services in their area. When a person served by the regional center has no services—commonly referred to as “No POS”#--- enters the Self Determination Program, they are able to create the services they want to meet their needs.
One reason that the Self Determination Program is so popular is that there aren’t enough vendors to serve all who need services. SDP allows people to figure out how to reach their goals with services they prefer, instead of relying on the vendored services currently available with their specific program plans, to meet their goals.
In short, budgets are built from vendored services available in the traditional system.
Budgets are simply the amount of money allocated by the regional center to meet the current needs of a person served based on the categories connected to their needs.
In theory, you should be able to describe a situation with a person’s needs explained and your service coordinator should be able to translate that situation into a service and service code from the traditional system that your regional center can authorize to include in the SDP budget.
Questions to think about
- Is the request a want or a need?
- What kinds of support are needed to meet the goals listed in the PCP?
- How can you harness the experience and expertise of service coordinators to meet needs in the budgeting process?