Support Services

  Regional Center - Services

Regional centers are nonprofit private corporations that contract with the Department of Developmental Services to provide or coordinate services and supports for individuals with developmental disabilities. They have offices throughout California to provide a local resource to help find and access the many services available to individuals and their families.

Regional centers help coordinate the services and supports that are needed because of a developmental disability. This is called case management or service coordination. A case manager or service coordinator will be assigned to help develop a plan for services, tell you where services are available, and help you get the services.

To be eligible for services funded by the California Department of Developmental Services, individuals must have a developmental disability as defined in Section 4512 of the California Welfare and Institutions Code. Section 4512 defines developmental disability as:

"a disability which originates before an individual attains age 18, continues, or can be expected to continue, indefinitely, and constitutes a substantial disability for that individual. As defined by the Director of Developmental Services, in consultation with the Superintendent of Public Instruction, this term shall include mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and autism. This term shall also include disabling conditions found to be closely related to mental retardation or to require treatment similar to that required for mentally retarded individuals, but shall not include other handicapping conditions that are solely physical in nature."