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Participant Choice Specialist

A Participant Choice Specialist is a position at each regional center. This position supports regional center service coordinators and assists consumers and families with timely transitions into the Self-Determination Program (SDP). The specialist also builds Regional Center institutional knowledge regarding a variety of participant-directed service options, which includes SDP. Basically, Participant Choice Specialists serve as subject matter experts in regional center service options. They help inform and increase consumer choice and control in participant-directed services and the Self-Determination Program (SDP).

Additionally, this specialist assist the Regional Center in carrying out certain responsibilities related to SDP and participant-directed service options. They undoubtedly play a key role between the SDP, regional center staff, and those transitioning into the SDP program. Besides their expert knowledge, they have responsibilities that include:

  • Giving and having accurate information available to Regional Center staff, consumers and families about all participant-directed service options. This also includes state and federal regulations that determine allowable and non-allowable use of SDP funds.
  • Providing training to service coordinators and Regional Center staff about the principles of self-determination, how services are obtained through SDP and the rights of SDP participants.
  • Meeting SDP enrollment targets and benchmarks.
  • Expanding awareness of participant-directed service options through efforts to identify concerns and barriers to enrollment, reduce identified barriers and by providing information and training to consumers, families and providers about participant-directed service options.
  • Developing and implementing an outreach and training plan for diverse communities and obtaining input from stakeholders about the effectiveness of the outreach and training and other strategies.
  • Completing additional review of participant budgets which exceed a specified threshold and using the current information available to identify areas that need additional training, program guidance, and verification of compliance with state and federal requirements.
  • Working with eligible participants and their families to apply for the Medi-Cal Program.

For more information: https://www.dds.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Participant_Choice_Specialists_October_2021.pdf

For other related SDP topics, please return to our Resources page.