Content about Developmental Centers

The Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and Human Services released the agenda for its May 17th hearing, that will focus only on the Governor’s budget revisions under the Department of Developmental Services – the state agency that oversees the funding of the 21 non-profit regional centers who coordinate services and supports to over 250,000 eligible children and adults with developmental disabilities and operates four developmental centers and one smaller community facility where just under 1,800 adults with developmental disabilities reside.

The Brown Administration released an eight page paper outlining details on how it proposes to achieve $200 million in reductions and savings in State general fund spending under the Department of Developmental Services budget.  The Department of Developmental Services budget serves over 250,000 eligible children and adults with developmental disabilities, and also thousands of infants in the State’s Early Start program.  The document includes the proposal to implement a 1.25% reduction in payments to regional center operations and most regional center providers to replace the existing 4.25% cut that is still scheduled to expire on June 30, 2012.  The proposal also calls for a moratorium on new admissions to developmental centers except under certain circumstances.

The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services as previously reported, is scheduled to meet today, March 28th, at 1:30 PM, at the State Capitol in Room 4202 (note room change) focusing on developmental services budget issues – similar to the hearing held Monday by the Senate, the Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health and Human Services.  Also today, beginning with several hearings that begin at 09:00 AM this morning, are several legislative policy committee hearings on regular session bills (see below for exact times and possible bills of interest).

The non-partisan Legislative Analyst Office released a 12 page brief update on the developmental services budget under the Department of Developmental Services.  The Department of Developmental Services oversees the 21 non-profit regional centers that coordinate funding for community-based services for over 250,000 children and adults with developmental disabilities. The department also operates 4 large health facilities called developmental centers, and one smaller facility, where about 1,700 people with developmental disabilities reside.  The Legislative Analyst's report is attached to this CDCAN Report or can also be downloaded or viewed from the Legislative Analyst Office website at:  http://lao.ca.gov/laoapp/PubDetails.aspx?id=2584

The Department of Developmental Services announced a series of six stakeholder workgroup dates in different parts of the State to provide input to the Brown Administration on how to achieve the $200 million reduction in State general fund spending in the developmental services budget. The developmental services budget funds certain services and supports for over 250,000 children and adults with developmental disabilities through the 21 non-profit regional centers and 1,759 adults with developmental disabilities who reside in state operated developmental centers and one smaller health facility.

The Department of Developmental Services will hold the second of three public forums this afternoon to take public comment on its draft proposal outlining the way it wants to achieve $174 million in reductions in State general fund spending.

The Department of Developmental Services released a draft proposal which provides details on how it wants to achieve a $174 million reduction and savings in State general fund spending for developmental services that serve over 240,000 children and adults with developmental disabilities and thousands of infants with developmental delays.

Carol Liu has scheduled an important non-budget informational hearing on developmental services, titled “Lanterman Act in 2011 and Beyond”.  As of March 21, 2011 the developmental services overall budget reduction of $577  million in State general fund spending, as adopted by the Budget Conference Committee on March 3, 2011, was approved by the State Senate and Assembly on March 17, 2011 with the passage of the main budget bill (SB 69).  The specific budget trailer bill provisions to implement those cuts were approved by the Assembly and State Senate on March 16, 2011, SB  74.  This report includes a CDCAN summary of developmental services cuts.

The California Legislature took a major step in what it hopes will help to solve the State’s enormous budget crisis, by approving several of the budget related bills dealing with over $6 billion in cuts in State general fund spending to health and human services and reductions in general government that largely follow the Governor’s proposed reductions.

Both Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and Assembly Speaker John Perez announced the State Senate and Assembly will convene Wednesday afternoon at 1:00 PM to vote on Governor Brown’s proposed budget for 2011-2012, as modified by the Budget Conference Committee.  The plan still lacks any support from legislative Republicans.

Photograph of the "Pacific Colony" state hospital in 1925.  It was later renamed to "Pacific State Hospital" and again renamed in 1979 to "Frank D. Lanterman State Hospital and Developmental Center."

The Budget Conference Committee approved legislative language which directs the Department of Developmental Services to develop and submit for Legislative review, and possible later approval, of statewide standards that would impose limits on spending of regional center community-based services and supports.  The Budget Conference Committee took no action on IHSS, Adult Day Health Care or Multipurpose Senior Services Program.