The California Department of Developmental Services provides official information, requirements, and tools for California’s Self-Determination Program. Use the descriptions below to find the resource that best matches your question or where you are in the SDP process.
Find official news, implementation milestones, program data, and proposed changes affecting the statewide Self-Determination Program.
Review official DDS requirements for individual budgets, spending plans, Financial Management Services, providers, background checks, and other SDP procedures.
Learn about the required SDP Orientation, review current enrollment requirements, and find registration information for individuals and families entering the program.
Find and compare approved FMS providers by service model, language, location, and contact information through your regional center.
Learn how Independent Facilitators support planning, decision-making, service coordination, and advocacy before deciding whether to hire one.
Learn who must complete a background check, how Live Scan works, and what participants, providers, and FMS agencies must do.
Access budget tools, service codes, program laws, waiver information, planning resources, and stories from SDP participants.
Find clear answers about enrollment, budgets, spending plans, FMS providers, Independent Facilitators, participant responsibilities, and rights.
Get independent help understanding your rights, resolving service concerns, communicating with regional centers, and identifying possible next steps.
California’s Self-Determination Program (SDP) offers a wide range of services and supports designed to help participants live more independently, participate in their communities, and achieve their personal goals. The following documents explain the types of services available, how they are organized into budget categories, and the service codes used to identify them. These resources can help participants, families, and support teams better understand their options when developing an Individual Program Plan (IPP) and Spending Plan.
The Self-Determination Program is filled with acronyms, agency names, and specialized terms that can feel overwhelming at first. Words like IPP, PCP, FMS, Independent Facilitator, Individual Budget, and Regional Center are used frequently throughout the SDP process, and understanding what they mean can make a significant difference in your ability to advocate for yourself or your family member.
This guide was created to help participants, families, caregivers, and support teams become familiar with the language commonly used throughout the Self-Determination journey. While learning these terms is not required to participate in SDP, understanding them can make meetings more productive, reduce confusion, and help you communicate your goals, needs, and preferences more effectively.
As you move through the five steps of SDP—from orientation and person-centered planning to budget certification, spending plans, and service implementation—you will encounter many of these terms repeatedly. Think of this section as your reference guide and roadmap to the language of Self-Determination. The more familiar these concepts become, the easier it will be to navigate the process with confidence and make informed decisions about the supports and services that help you achieve your goals.
These are the first terms you’ll encounter as you begin learning about the Self-Determination Program.
The Self-Determination Program (SDP) is a voluntary program that allows eligible Regional Center participants to have greater choice and control over the services and supports they receive. Participants use an Individual Budget to purchase services and supports that help them achieve the goals identified in their Individual Program Plan (IPP).
The California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) is the California state agency responsible for overseeing the Regional Center system and administering the Self-Determination Program statewide.
A Regional Center (RC) is one of California’s 21 nonprofit organizations, contracted by DDS, that coordinates services and supports for eligible individuals with developmental disabilities. Regional Centers determine eligibility, develop Individual Program Plans (IPPs), authorize services, and coordinate ongoing support.
A Service Coordinator (SC) is the Regional Center representative assigned to work with the participant. The Service Coordinator helps develop, implement, monitor, and update the Individual Program Plan (IPP) and serves as the participant’s primary contact with the Regional Center.
The Self-Determination Program Orientation is the introductory training required before enrolling in SDP. It explains participant rights, responsibilities, budgeting, planning, available supports, and how the program works.
These planning tools help define your goals, identify what is important to you, and create a roadmap for the life you want.
Person-Centered Planning (PCP) is a planning process focused on the participant’s vision for their own life. The resulting Person-Centered Plan documents what is important to the participant, including strengths, interests, preferences, relationships, abilities, and long-term goals. It identifies the supports needed to achieve those goals and establishes measurable outcomes that can be reviewed over time.
A PCP Celebration, sometimes called a Party with a Purpose, is an informal planning meeting where the participant invites family members, friends, professionals, and others they choose to help develop or update the Person-Centered Plan. The participant decides who attends and leads the discussion.
The Individual Program Plan (IPP) is the official planning document developed jointly by the participant and the Regional Center. It identifies the participant’s strengths, needs, preferences, goals, and desired outcomes. The IPP serves as the foundation for determining which services and supports the Regional Center will fund.
The Spending Plan (SP) is the financial roadmap for using a participant’s Individual Budget. It identifies the approved services, providers, and estimated costs needed to achieve the goals established in the Individual Program Plan (IPP).
The Individual Budget is the annual amount of Regional Center funding allocated to a participant through the Self-Determination Program. The budget is used to purchase the approved services and supports identified in the Spending Plan.
Person-Centered Thinking (PCT) is a collection of tools and practices that help participants, families, and professionals make decisions that reflect the participant’s strengths, preferences, values, and goals.
These are the people and organizations that help implement your plan.
An Independent Facilitator (IF) is a person selected by the participant to help organize and coordinate services under the Self-Determination Program. An IF may assist with person-centered planning, developing the Spending Plan, locating providers, coordinating services, preparing documentation, and monitoring progress toward the participant’s goals.
A Financial Management Services (FMS) provider is a Regional Center-vendored organization responsible for managing the financial administration of a participant’s Self-Determination budget. Depending on the selected service model, the FMS may process payroll, pay providers, manage tax reporting, track expenditures, and prepare financial reports.
A Service Provider is an individual or organization that delivers one or more approved services or supports identified in the participant’s Spending Plan. Examples include therapists, job coaches, respite providers, independent living instructors, transportation providers, and behavioral specialists.
Purchase of Services (POS) refers to Regional Center funding used to purchase the approved services and supports identified in a participant’s Individual Program Plan (IPP).
Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) are services designed to help individuals live, work, and participate fully in their communities rather than in institutional settings.
These terms relate to managing your budget, hiring workers, and paying for services.
The Employer Model describes how workers are hired and supervised under the Self-Determination Program. Participants may choose different employment models depending on how much responsibility they wish to assume.
Under the Sole Employer Model, the participant is the legal employer of their support workers. The participant recruits, hires, supervises, and, when necessary, terminates employees. The FMS handles payroll processing and tax administration.
Under the Co-Employer Model, employer responsibilities are shared between the participant and the FMS. The participant directs the day-to-day work of employees while the FMS assumes many employer-related administrative responsibilities.
Under the Bill Payer Model, the participant hires independent contractors or service providers rather than employees. The FMS reviews and pays approved invoices on behalf of the participant.
A Vendor is an individual or organization that has been approved (or “vendored”) by a Regional Center to provide specific services. Some services must be provided by vendored providers, while others may be purchased from non-vendored providers when permitted under SDP rules.
Vendorization is the Regional Center approval process through which an individual or organization becomes an authorized provider of Regional Center-funded services.
Generic Services are publicly available programs or benefits that must generally be used before Regional Center funding is available. Examples include public education, Medi-Cal, Medicare, private insurance, or other government-funded services.
Payroll is the process of calculating employee wages, withholding required taxes, and issuing paychecks. Payroll services are typically administered by the participant’s FMS.
A Timesheet records the hours worked by an employee during a specific pay period. It is used by the FMS to calculate wages and process payroll.
A Fiscal Year is a 12-month accounting period used for budgeting and financial reporting. The State of California’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30.
A Budget Adjustment is a change to a participant’s Individual Budget that may occur when circumstances or service needs change, subject to applicable SDP policies and Regional Center approval.
These organizations help oversee, improve, and support the Self-Determination Program.
The Central Valley Regional Center (CVRC) coordinates services and supports for eligible individuals with developmental disabilities throughout the Central Valley and administers the Self-Determination Program within its service area.
The Local Volunteer Advisory Committee (LVAC) is composed primarily of Self-Determination participants and family members, along with Regional Center representatives and community members. The committee advises the Regional Center and DDS on implementation, participant experiences, outreach, and continuous improvement of the Self-Determination Program.
A Circle of Support is the group of people chosen by the participant to provide encouragement, advice, expertise, and assistance throughout the planning and implementation process. Members may include family, friends, professionals, advocates, neighbors, employers, or anyone else the participant trusts.
The Person-Centered Team is the group of individuals selected by the participant to participate in Person-Centered Planning. The team works together to help the participant achieve the goals and outcomes identified in the Person-Centered Plan and Individual Program Plan.