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Last week the California Assembly and Senate Budget Committees released their final proposal for the 2021-22 budget. We are very pleased that it includes a recommendation to implement the rate study over the next 3 years, restoration of social recreation and camp services, creation (and funding) of a direct support professional certification tied to wage increases. In addition, there are significant investments proposed for regional center service coordinators, performance incentives, language access and cultural competency, Early Start, and other critical investments and restorations. We thank the Assembly and Senate Budget Committees for their unprecedented proposal of much needed investments for developmental services. The next week is absolutely critical to advocate with the Governor’s office to pass the legislature’s proposal. A summary of the proposal includes the following:
Department of Developmental Services
• Approves funding to, starting in 2021-22, incrementally implement the 2019 Rate Study models for each service code for which a rate increase is still outstanding to meet the requirements of the study and provide a 2.5 percent increase for those rate codes that would not receive it under this phased-in implementation. Funding to support this effort is included at $217 million General Fund in 2021-22, $494 million General Fund in 2022- 23, and $847 million General Fund in 2023-24 and on-going. This includes placeholder trailer bill language to effectuate these changes.
• Approves funding of $61.8 million General Fund in 2021-22 and on-going to enhance service coordinator ratios at the 21 Regional Centers. This includes placeholder trailer bill language to effectuate these changes.
• Approves modified, placeholder trailer bill associated with the May Revision Performance Incentive Program and the first-year funding of $4 million General Fund in 2021-22, but removes the out-year proposed funding and shifts them to the aforementioned proposal to accomplish the same stated goals of reducing caseload ratios. The language will direct the department to meet with stakeholders in the fall to specify desired benchmarks for Regional Centers to meet and propose additional funding and trailer bill language that reflects stakeholder input in the January 10, 2022 Governor’s Budget.
• Approves funding to restore social recreation, camping services, educational services, and non-medical therapies for persons served, with $19 million General Fund in 2021-22, $31.6 M in 2022-23, and $36.8 million General Fund in 2023-24 and on-going, with placeholder trailer bill language to effectuate these changes. · Approves $10 million General Fund in 2021-22 one-time for the California Community Living Network Person-Centered Advocacy, Vision, and Education Services Outcomes Project, with placeholder trailer bill language to effectuate this.
• Approves $10 million General Fund in 2021-22 and on-going to support and promote language access and cultural competency across the Regional Center system, specifically funding multi-language orientations, culturally sensitive outreach efforts, and translation services for persons served and their families who are non-English speaking, with placeholder trailer bill language to effectuate these changes.
• Approves $3 million General Fund in 2021-22 and on-going to support codification of critical directives for Regional Centers that were borne out of the COVID-19 pandemic and that are being elevated as access-enabling services that support best practice and equity toward better outcomes for persons served and their families. These include regional center approvals of health and safety waivers, remote services and virtual meetings, and remote Early Start services at the request of the family.
• Approves $1 million General Fund in 2021-22 and on-going to establish an Office of the Ombudsperson for the Self Determination Program.· Approves a modified version of the May Revision proposal regarding Implicit Bias, adding an additional $5 million General Fund in 2021-22 and on-going to expand the training to all service coordinators and those setting policies in the 21 Regional Centers. The original proposal was only reaching front-line eligibility workers, and not those who are case managing persons served already in the developmental services system.
• Approves no-cost placeholder trailer bill language to enable flexibilities to improve competitive integrated employment and paid internships for persons served, allowing for participants to work additional hours.
• Approves no-cost placeholder trailer bill to permit the DDS Director to authorize extensions of longer than six months for current out-of-state adult placements, to assure the continuation of services and the security of the persons served. This allowance shall be restricted to a limited period of time, to be determined.
• Approves the Governor’s May Revision proposal for $23.8 million ongoing General Fund to provide children aging out of Early Start provisional Lanterman service eligibility up to age five.
• Approves the Governor’s May Revision proposal for $8 million General Fund in 2021-22, increasing to $11 million General Fund ongoing in 2022-23, for Systemic, Therapeutic, Assessment, Resources and Treatment (START) mobile crisis teams. The teams provide 24-hour crisis prevention and response services to individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
• Approves the Governor’s May Revision proposal for $10 million General Fund in 2021-22 to establish an intensive caseload ratio (1:40) to improve service delivery to consumers in underserved communities.
• Approves the Governor’s May Revision proposal for $24 million ($11 million General Fund) to address frozen rates for Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities (ICF/DD) and Pediatric Subacute Facilities.
• Approves the Governor’s May Revision proposal to eliminate the suspension of the Provider Supplemental Rate Increase and lift the implementation of the Uniform Holiday Schedule resulting in a cost of $173.7 million General Fund in 2022-23 and $309.6 million ongoing General Fund.
• Approves the Governor’s May Revision proposal for $2.9 million General Fund in 2021- 22 to establish a training and certification program for direct service professionals tied to wage differentials. The program aims to reduce staff wage inequity, stabilize service access, and professionalize and diversify the workforce. Beginning in 2023-24, ongoing costs increase to $51 million General Fund.
• Approves the Governor’s May Revision proposal for $2.2 million General Fund in 2021- 22 to create a differential for bilingual service provider staff. Beginning in 2023-24, ongoing costs increase to $6.5 million General Fund.
• Special Education. Provides ongoing special education funding to increase the statewide base rate for the special education formula and fund special education services for children ages 3-5 years old. In addition, one-time funds of over $1 billion are provided for to invest in increased support for special education learning loss and increasing support for inclusive practices.
• SSI/SSP Legacy Cut Restoration. Provides $600 million ongoing to substantially restore the 2009 cut to low income Californians with disabilities and the elderly. This restoration (combined with Governor’s May Revision proposal) will increase the SSP grant by $46 per month for individuals and $118 per month for couples.
• Permanent Restoration of IHSS 7% Hours Cut. Finally ends the legacy of 7% cut in in-home care services to elderly and disabled Californians. While the cut was restored in prior years, the threat of the cut remained by it being added to the list of program “suspensions” that would have automatically taken effect in future years. The Legislature’s Version of the budget approves the Governor’s proposal to end this (and all) program suspension.