Report 2021-107 Recommendation 3 Responses

Report 2021-107: Department of Developmental Services: It Has Not Ensured That Regional Centers Have the Necessary Resources to Effectively Serve Californians With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (Release Date: June 2022)

Recommendation #3 To: Developmental Services, Department of

To ensure that regional centers conduct vendor monitoring as state law requires, DDS should, by October 2022, provide an initial training to all regional centers about the statutory requirements for vendor monitoring. This training should include the information the regional centers must assess as part of their quality and qualification reviews for each type of vendor, as well as best practices for ensuring that they complete all required reviews.

1-Year Agency Response

DDS has developed an additional component to the biennial HCBS Monitoring Review, effective July 1, 2023, that will include monitoring regional centers' compliance with vendor file reviews. DDS will hold a training for regional centers on June 28, 2023, regarding Title 17 requirements.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Pending

6-Month Agency Response

DDS hosted a training event on October 24, 2022, for regional centers regarding statutory requirements and best practices related to monitoring of specialized homes - Community Crisis Homes (CCH), Enhanced Behavioral Supports Homes (EBSH), Adult Residential Facilities for Persons with Special Health Care Needs (ARFPSHN) and Group Homes for Children with Special Health Care Needs (GHCSHN).

172 regional center staff attended this training.

Training for regional centers regarding requirements and best practices related to monitoring of specialized homes will be provided annually.

Initial guidance was issued to regional centers on October 27, 2022, and revised on November 2, 2022, requiring regional centers to have a procedure for biennial vendor file reviews.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Partially Implemented

DDS provided documentation to support that it trained regional center staff on monitoring specialized homes for quality of services. However, it did not provide any documentation to support that it issued guidance and trained regional center staff on the biennial review of vendor files to ensure that they continue to meet qualifications requirements.

60-Day Agency Response

DDS is hosting a training event on October 24, 2022, for regional centers regarding statutory requirements and best practices related to monitoring of specialized homes, such as Community Crisis Homes (CCHs), Enhanced Behavioral Supports Homes (EBSHs), Adult Residential Facilities for Persons with Special Health Care Needs (ARFPSHNs) and Group Homes for Children with Special Health

Care Needs (GHCSHNs). Information regarding this event will be sent to regional centers by the end of August 2022.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2021-107

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.