California unveils Master Plan to improve supports for people with developmental disabilities

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom announced the release of the Master Plan for Developmental Services: A Community-Driven Vision (Plan). The Plan makes recommendations for improving the services system, including reducing barriers to accessing services statewide for the growing community of people with developmental disabilities. The Plan

reflects broad and diverse community input and reflects what Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families want to see in employment, education, transportation, health, behavioral health, developmental services, and other programs to live and thrive in the community.

“California succeeds when ALL communities succeed. Our Administration has prioritized transparency, accountability, and equity in the supports that make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities. We are proud to receive this Master Plan from the people most impacted by our services and look forward to getting started on it,” said Governor Gavin Newsom .

The Committee responsible for developing the Plan was appointed by the Secretary of the California Health and Human Services (CalHHS) in early 2024 and included five working groups, all comprised of a diverse group of people with disabilities, family members, advocates, service providers, direct support professionals, and representatives from the state's 21 regional centers. The Committee and its working groups met to develop the recommendations with public input through a robust, year-long statewide process. In addition, more than 45 sessions were held with diverse communities, service providers, policy experts, advocates, individuals, and families to hear their input.

Plan Recommendations

• Ensure systems that serve people are centered on equity: Address disparities in service delivery for underserved communities by standardizing services statewide and eliminating language, cultural, and location barriers.
• Empowering people to make their own life decisions: Providing the tools and resources needed to support people in their decision-making.
• Ensuring people get the services they need and choose: Streamline and simplify processes to reduce wait times and provide timely access to critical services, as well as strengthen the connection between state service systems.
• Ensure people are part of and served by a strong workforce: Invest in training, compensation, and hiring of direct support professionals.
• Accountability and Transparency in All Systems Serving People: Equipping individuals, families, advocates, and professionals with the resources and information needed to understand how the state is delivering services to individuals and families.
• Let data guide the future of the development services system: Establish and implement clear metrics to assess whether needs are being met effectively and where improvements are needed.

“This would not have been possible without the collaboration of community members committed to making California a place where everyone is valued and can thrive. We are deeply grateful for their contributions,” said Kim Johnson, Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency . “These recommendations will inform the future of our state by meeting the needs and goals of every person with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, and the workforce that supports them.”

Overview

In recent years, the Newsom Administration has made historic investments in California's community-based services system, which supports more than 500,000 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).

California is the only state in the country that guarantees a lifetime of entitlement to services, funded with more than $15 billion annually. The changing needs of the community and challenges in access have highlighted the need to reexamine how the state delivers local services to people with I/DD and identify where connections between employment, health, and social service systems can be strengthened.

The Department of Developmental Services (DDS) is already implementing numerous initiatives and policies. The plan will inform this work and new and future efforts.

Key initiatives include:

• Improve individual and family experiences and access to information by replacing the current fiscal and case management systems for developmental services with a more modern and streamlined system called the Life Outcomes Improvement System (LOIS), developing standardized information packets for regional center services, implementing a language access plan for vital documents, and standardizing the processes all regional centers use for intake and assessment of respite services (SB 138).
•  Create strong career paths for people with I/DD by ending sub-minimum wages (SB 639), investing in special education, creating inclusive higher education opportunities (AB 447), and encouraging early career planning (AB 438).
• Make communities safer by training law enforcement on best practices for interacting with people with I/DD (SB 882) and homelessness (AB 2541).
• Investing in the workforce by maintaining and expanding the service provider network through rate reform and developing training opportunities, certification programs, and competitive salaries for direct support professionals (DSPs) representing our diverse communities.
• Accountability improvements to enhance understanding and trust by requiring the state's 21 regional centers to comply with public records laws and anti-nepotism policies (AB1147), statewide standardization of some processes and assessments, and improvements to data collection. DDS is sharing more data with the community through new dashboards on how money is spent and how services are delivered, and creating more equitable access to standardized information with guides for early intervention programs and the Lanterman Act.

“All Californians should have the opportunities and tools necessary to achieve their life goals. These recommendations reflect what our communities have expressed they want and need to realize a future where our state empowers and motivates everyone to achieve their goals and desired outcomes,” said Pete Cervinka, Director of DDS . “We look forward to continuing to collaborate with the community to move forward together.”

Next steps

• Ongoing community engagement: Focus groups and public engagement sessions will continue on a variety of topics to gather input. These topics include employment, rate reform, early intervention, autism, and more. The Plan will continue to guide these conversations to measure progress, conduct evaluations, policy changes, and fiscal investments. We will share opportunities to join the conversations through the DDS newsletter and events website as they become available.
• Accountability Steps: The Legislature codified the Master Plan for Developmental Services in 2024 and requires annual reports for the next ten years. To prepare these reports, the Plan Committee will hold semiannual meetings to review recommendations and share updates.

What they are saying:

“Many people have different thoughts, beliefs, opinions, and backgrounds, but we came together with the same common goal: how can we improve this system? It’s affecting our families, and this truly touches many of us involved in this process. We have this calling to do this right, and knowing that we will dedicate every effort to achieve the best changes possible, we hope our families across the state will see the fruits of this work and the love and passion that went into it,” said Season Goodpasture, founder of the tribal nonprofit Acorns to Oak Trees and a member of the Committee .

“I want to see people with intellectual and developmental disabilities live more authentic lives with the supports and services they want and live autonomous lives,” said Sascha Bittner, a disability advocate and committee member and co-chair of a working group . “I think it’s been very fruitful, that we’ve had a very good collaboration, and that we’ve tried to listen to the community and their concerns. It hasn’t been perfect, but I think overall we’ve worked collaboratively to solve our state’s problems.”

“I want these recommendations to bear fruit and benefit everyone who receives services within our system, especially our most vulnerable populations,” said Oscar Mercado, a self-advocate and committee member who co-chaired a working group .

“My hope is that the developmental services system begins in a participant’s childhood and continues uninterrupted through the end of their life, that quality services are person-centered, self-directed, and based on their actual needs, and that services are delivered by dedicated, well-compensated, and trained staff who respect the people they serve. And that’s one of the reasons why I hope that this Master Plan, which is just the beginning, is not the end. It will continue to evolve,” said Joyce McNair, a parent, committee member, and member of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities .

“I am your voice, here on the Master Plan, for my son. And not just for my son, but for the hundreds of thousands of people we serve across the state. I'm proud of the work we're doing. I look forward to seeing the outcome, once it's officially completed, and seeing the progress we'll make through the Master Plan over time,” said Norma Ramos, a parent and committee member .

“I want change for my community,” said Alexander Taua Brown Omoto, a disability activist and advocate .

“Anything we can do to make a difference—what we call person-centered change—in their lives, and also in mine as their parent and caregiver, will improve things, and also the lives of the people around them,” said Marty Omoto, parent advocate, Committee member, and founder of the California Disability Community Action Network (CDCAN).

“As we continue to advocate for entitlement, which is unique in California, my hope is that we really take the lessons we've learned through this process and apply them in a very thoughtful way. One of them, and probably the most important, that I'm taking away from this is that our self-advocates have made it clear to us that they want and can be actively involved in these conversations, and that for too long, professionals and other advocates have minimized their voices. We need to find ways to amplify their voices and recognize that they are truly the drivers of the service and that they deserve to be, and that their input is far more valuable than anyone else's,” said Amy Westling, executive director of the Association of Regional Center Agencies (ARCA).

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About DDS

The Department of Developmental Services is responsible for overseeing the coordination and delivery of services and supports to more than 500,000 Californians with, or at risk for, developmental disabilities, including cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, autism, epilepsy, and related conditions. Services are designed to meet the needs and choices of individuals at every stage of their lives and support them in their communities, reflecting lifestyle, cultural, and language preferences.