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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the release of a comprehensive plan to improve services for residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities, following a year-long community-driven process.
The program known as ‘The Master Plan for Developmental Services’ is a community-driven vision that outlines recommendations to strengthen support systems for more than 500,000 Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families.
"California succeeds when ALL communities succeed," Newsom said. "Our Administration has prioritized transparency, accountability, and equity in supports that make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities. We are proud to receive this Master Plan from the people who are most impacted by our services and look forward to getting to work."
The plan addresses several key areas: service access, decision-making support, streamlining processes, workforce development, accountability measures, and data collection.
A committee appointed by California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Kim Johnson developed the recommendations through an extensive public input process that included five specialized workgroups.
These groups comprised individuals with disabilities, family members, advocates, service providers, direct support professionals, and representatives from California's 21 regional centers.
"This would not have been possible without the collaboration of community members committed to making California a place where everyone is valued and can thrive," Johnson said. "These recommendations will inform the future for our State that meets the needs and goals of each person with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, and the workforce that supports them."
The plan addresses disparities in service delivery for underserved communities by standardizing services statewide and removing language, cultural, and location barriers. It also focuses on providing tools and resources to support individuals in making their own life decisions.
Another priority is streamlining and simplifying processes to reduce wait times and provide timely access to critical services while building stronger connections across state service systems.
The plan calls for investing in training, compensation, and recruitment of direct support professionals to ensure a strong workforce. It also emphasizes accountability and transparency by equipping individuals, families, advocates, and professionals with resources and information needed to understand how the state provides services.
Additionally, the plan recommends establishing clear metrics to assess whether needs are being met effectively and where improvements are needed.
California provides the only life-long entitlement to services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the nation, funded with over $15 billion annually. However, evolving community needs and access challenges prompted the state to re-examine its service delivery system.
Over the past year, the plan was developed through more than 45 listening sessions with diverse communities, service providers, policy experts, advocates, individuals, and families.
Implementation of the plan will include continued public engagement through focus groups across various topics including employment, rate reform, early intervention, and autism. The plan will guide these conversations for ongoing measurements, evaluations, policy changes, and fiscal investments.
State legislation codified the Master Plan for Developmental Services earlier this year and requires annual reports to the Legislature through the next 10 years. Bi-annual meetings of the plan's committee will be held to review recommendations and share updates.
The plan aims to identify where stronger connections can be built across employment, health, and social services systems to serve the developmental disabilities community better. The full Master Plan for Developmental Services is available on the California Health and Human Services Agency website.
