California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Diana S. Dooley today announced she will reconvene the Task Force that developed the Plan for the Future of Developmental Centers in California. The Task Force includes consumers, consumer advocates, regional centers, community service providers, organized labor, families of developmental center residents, members of the Legislature and Department of Developmental Services staff.
Consistent with a recommendation in the Plan and in response to Governor Brown’s message in the recently signed Budget Act, the Task Force will be charged with examining services for the developmentally disabled in the community. The Task Force will develop recommendations to strengthen the community system in the context of a growing and aging population, resource constraints, availability of community resources to meet the specialized needs of clients, and past reductions to the community system. Issues to be examined will include community rates, the impact of new State and federal laws and regulations, and staffing levels at Regional Centers.
When the landmark Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act was adopted in 1969 to establish community-based alternatives, California took the first step to develop a robust community system for those with developmental disabilities to live full, integrated lives in their local communities. Today, California serves approximately 275,000 individuals in the community system with a budget of $4.7 billion.
Secretary Dooley said in reconvening the Task Force, “This diverse group of stakeholders did a remarkable job coming together, setting aside differences, and producing a set of recommendations to chart a course for the future of the Developmental Centers. I believe this same group can build on that success by examining services in the community. By working together and resisting the inclination toward either/or thinking, we can focus on appropriate services for people with developmental disabilities, regardless of setting.”
The first meeting of the Task Force will be July 24, 2014.
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