Developmental services: employment.

The Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act authorizes the State Department of Developmental Services to contract with regional centers to provide support and services to individuals with developmental disabilities. The services and supports to be provided to a regional center consumer are contained in an individual program plan, developed in accordance with prescribed requirements. Under existing law, as part of the individual program plan, the regional center may refer an adult consumer to habilitation services, including group services and individualized services in the context of employment. Existing law defines "group services" for these purposes to mean job coaching in a group supported employment placement at a job coach-to-consumer ratio of not less than 1 to 3 nor more than 1 to 8 where services to a minimum of 3 consumers are funded by the regional center or the Department of Rehabilitation. Existing law defines "individualized services" to mean job coaching and other supported employment services for regional center-funded consumers in a supported employment placement at a job coach-to-consumer ratio of 1 to 1, and that decrease over time until stabilization is achieved. This bill would require, for group services, a job coach-to-consumer ratio of not less than 1 to 2 nor more than 1 to 8 where services to a minimum of 2 consumers are funded by the regional center or the Department of Rehabilitation. The bill would recast the definition of "individualized services" to provide, in part, job coaching and other supported employment services that decrease over time, consistent with the consumer's individual program plan and abilities with the goal of achieving stabilization, when possible. This bill would authorize the State Department of Developmental Services to approve group services at a job coach-to-consumer ratio of not less than 1 to 2 nor more than 1 to 8 and would require the department to consider specified criteria, including individual consumer support needs, in determining the appropriateness of the job coach-to-consumer ratio for a new or modified group. This bill would incorporate additional changes in Section 4851 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, proposed by SB 577, that would become operative only if SB 577 and this bill are both chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2015, and this bill is chaptered last.