SERVICE POLICY GUIDELINES
PRIMARY PROGRAMMING SERVICES FOR ADULTS
Tri-Counties Regional Center will work to ensure that individuals with developmental disabilities live fully and safely as active and independent members of their community. Tri-Counties Regional Center believes that individuals with developmental disabilities have the right to access the same educational, vocational, social/recreational, and employment opportunities available to non-disabled people of the same age in their communities.
Tri-Counties Regional Center will advocate on behalf of persons served to ensure that they receive full benefit from generic services. Tri-Counties Regional Center will provide a variety of supports necessary to enable its individuals to access all available generic services. Tri-Counties Regional Center will offer a range of community-based service options that are not available from generic services to meet an individual’s choices. The highest regard for the person’s cultural and ethnic heritage will be considered in the provision of primary program services.
Tri-Counties Regional Center recognizes that adults have the right to treatment and habilitation services. The provision of supports, services and/or program options will be based on the expressed preferences of the adult and/or his or her family or other representatives. Tri-Counties Regional Center will advocate for and work with persons served and their families to access generic services for adults such as higher education and/or vocational training programs, as well as offer a variety of community-based primary program options for adults.
Community-based primary programs for adults are expected to meet a variety of individual needs. These supports, services and/or programs should include opportunities for persons served to participate in self- advocacy, employment training, community integration and the development of self-care skills. Primary programs for adults may be center-based. Adults will first have the priority option of receiving skill development supports and services in natural environments and under realistic conditions.
Primary programs for adults should provide persons served with the opportunity to have a pattern of life similar to non-disabled persons by providing them with planned activities to do outside of their home environment for a portion of each day. As appropriate, there should be close communication between the providers of primary program support, service and/or program options and the individual’s family and/or primary care givers to assure integration of services.
Primary program service options for adults are structured, comprehensive, community-based service programs for persons with developmental disabilities who are no longer eligible for public school programs. They are provided as part of a range of services to enable persons served to receive specialized services and to achieve the pattern of everyday living available to non-disabled people of the same age. Primary program service options for adults include but are not limited to: community- based education, training and employment; and tailored day services in the community.
The provision of primary services is determined by the Planning Team through the Individual Program Plan (IPP) using a person centered process. The Planning Team establishes the goals and objectives reflected on the Individual Program Plan. The Planning Team will consider individual and family preference when determining the choice of service options to meet the objectives of the Individual Program Plan.
Tri-Counties Regional Center will seek to provide adults who are living in their own homes or in licensed residential arrangements with the opportunity to participate in the most appropriate adult support, service or program option to meet their individual needs. The determination of such adult service options is made through the Planning Team process in consultation with the person served and, as appropriate, their family, residential service provider or other representative, and will be based on the assessment of the individual’s strengths and abilities as well as problem areas.
Primary program services for adults may be provided in a wide variety of settings to attain different goals and objectives. Tri-Counties Regional Center will participate in continuing assessments while the individual participates in primary program(s) to document progress and changing needs which might result in a decision on the part of the individual and family or representatives to move to a more appropriate program.
Tri-Counties Regional Center will not authorize funding for any primary program service for adults that is considered experimental, optional or elective in nature. The expected result from the provision of a primary program service for adults must lead to the development of measurable outcomes stated on the person’s Individual Program Plan. The provision of any primary program service for adults must be both clinically and fiscally an effective use of public funds.
Exception Policy:
Tri-Counties Regional Center recognizes that some individual needs are so unique that they may not be addressed in this Service Policy and may require an exception. Such requests for an exception to a Service Policy will be made through the Planning Team process.
Clarification of Terms:
Community-based education, training and employment primary program options include but are not limited to:
Supported community-based training and activities should occur in natural environments and should utilize the individual critical skills model. Supported community-based training and program options include but are not limited to:
Approvals:
