Section 4689.

Consistent with state and federal law, the Legislature places a high priority on providing opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities, regardless of the degree of disability, to live in homes that they own or lease with support available as often and for as long as it is needed, when that is the preferred objective in the individual program plan. In order to provide opportunities for adults to live in their own homes, the following procedures shall be adopted:

(a) The department and regional centers shall ensure that supported living arrangements adhere to the following principles:

(1) Consumers shall be supported in living arrangements which are typical of those in which persons without disabilities reside.

(2) The services or supports that a consumer receives shall change as his or her needs change without the consumer having to move elsewhere.

(3) The consumer's preference shall guide decisions concerning where and with whom he or she lives.

(4) Consumers shall have control over the environment within their own home.

(5) The purpose of furnishing services and supports to a consumer shall be to assist that individual to exercise choice in his or her life while building critical and durable relationships with other individuals.

(6) The services or supports shall be flexible and tailored to a consumer's needs and preferences.

(7) Services and supports are most effective when furnished where a person lives and within the context of his or her day-to-day activities.

(8) Consumers shall not be excluded from supported living arrangements based solely on the nature and severity of their disabilities.

(b) Regional centers may contract with agencies or individuals to assist consumers in securing their own homes and to provide consumers with the supports needed to live in their own homes.

(c) The range of supported living services and supports available include, but are not limited to, assessment of consumer needs; assistance in finding, modifying and maintaining a home; facilitating circles of support to encourage the development of unpaid and natural supports in the community; advocacy and self-advocacy facilitation; development of employment goals; social, behavioral, and daily living skills training and support; development and provision of 24-hour emergency response systems; securing and maintaining adaptive equipment and supplies; recruiting, training, and hiring individuals to provide personal care and other assistance, including in-home supportive services workers, paid neighbors, and paid roommates; providing respite and emergency relief for personal care attendants; and facilitating community participation. Assessment of consumer needs may begin before 18 years of age to enable the consumer to move to his or her own home when he or she reaches 18 years of age.

(d) Regional centers shall provide information and education to consumers and their families about supported living principles and services.

(e) Regional centers shall monitor and ensure the quality of services and supports provided to individuals living in homes that they own or lease. Monitoring shall take into account all of the following:

(1) Adherence to the principles set forth in this section.

(2) Whether the services and supports outlined in the consumer's individual program plan are congruent with the choices and needs of the individual.

(3) Whether services and supports described in the consumer's individual program plan are being delivered.

(4) Whether services and supports are having the desired effects.

(5) Whether the consumer is satisfied with the services and supports.

(f) The planning team, established pursuant to subdivision (j) of Section 4512, for a consumer receiving supported living services shall confirm that all appropriate and available sources of natural and generic supports have been utilized to the fullest extent possible for that consumer.

(g) Regional centers shall utilize the same supported living provider for consumers who reside in the same domicile, provided that each individual consumer's particular needs can still be met pursuant to his or her individual program plans.

(h) Rent, mortgage, and lease payments of a supported living home and household expenses shall be the responsibility of the consumer and any roommate who resides with the consumer.

(i) A regional center shall not make rent, mortgage, or lease payments on a supported living home, or pay for household expenses of consumers receiving supported living services, except under the following circumstances:

(1) If all of the following conditions are met, a regional center may make rent, mortgage, or lease payments as follows:

(A) The regional center executive director verifies in writing that making the rent, mortgage, or lease payments or paying for household expenses is required to meet the specific care needs unique to the individual consumer as set forth in an addendum to the consumer's individual program plan, and is required when a consumer's demonstrated medical, behavioral, or psychiatric condition presents a health and safety risk to himself or herself, or another.

(B) During the time period that a regional center is making rent, mortgage, or lease payments, or paying for household expenses, the supported living services vendor shall assist the consumer in accessing all sources of generic and natural supports consistent with the needs of the consumer.

(C) The regional center shall not make rent, mortgage, or lease payments on a supported living home or pay for household expenses for more than six months, unless the regional center finds that it is necessary to meet the individual consumer's particular needs pursuant to the consumer's individual program plan. The regional center shall review a finding of necessity on a quarterly basis and the regional center executive director shall annually verify in an addendum to the consumer's individual program plan that the requirements set forth in subparagraph (A) continue to be met.

(2) A regional center that has been contributing to rent, mortgage, or lease payments or paying for household expenses prior to July 1, 2009, shall at the time of development, review, or modification of a consumer's individual program plan determine if the conditions in paragraph (1) are met. If the planning team determines that these contributions are no longer appropriate under this section, a reasonable time for transition, not to exceed six months, shall be permitted.

(j) All paid roommates and live-in support staff in supported living arrangements in which regional centers have made rent, mortgage, or lease payments, or have paid for household expenses pursuant to subdivision (i) shall pay their share of the rent, mortgage, or lease payments or household expenses for the supported living home, subject to the requirements of Industrial Welfare Commission Order No. 15-2001 and the Housing Choice Voucher Program, as set forth in Section 1437f of Title 42 of the United States Code.

(k) Regional centers shall ensure that the supported living services vendors' administrative costs are necessary and reasonable, given the particular services that they are providing and the number of consumers to whom the vendor provides services. Administrative costs shall be limited to allowable costs for community-based day programs, as defined in Section 57434 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations, or its successor.

(l) Regional centers shall ensure that the most cost effective of the rate methodologies is utilized to determine the negotiated rate for vendors of supported living services, consistent with Section 4689.8 and Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations.

(m) For purposes of this section, "household expenses" means general living expenses and includes, but is not limited to, utilities paid and food consumed within the home.

(n) A supported living services provider shall provide assistance to a consumer who is a Medi-Cal beneficiary in applying for in-home supportive services, as set forth in Section 12300, within five days of the consumer moving into a supported living services arrangement.

(o) For consumers receiving supported living services who share a household with one or more adults receiving supported living services, efficiencies in the provision of service may be achieved if some tasks can be shared, meaning the tasks can be provided at the same time while still ensuring that each person's individual needs are met. These tasks shall only be shared to the extent they are permitted under the Labor Code and related regulations, including, but not limited to, Industrial Welfare Commission Minimum Wage Order No. 15. The planning team, as defined in subdivision (j) of Section 4512, at the time of development, review, or modification of a consumer's individual program plan (IPP), for housemates currently in a supported living arrangement or planning to move together into a supported living arrangement, or for consumers who live with a housemate not receiving supported living services who is responsible for the task, shall consider, with input from the service provider, whether any tasks, such as meal preparation and cleanup, menu planning, laundry, shopping, general household tasks, or errands can appropriately be shared. If tasks can be appropriately shared, the regional center shall purchase the prorated share of the activity. Upon a determination of a reduction in services pursuant to this section, the regional center shall inform the consumer of the reason for the determination, and shall provide a written notice of fair hearing rights pursuant to Section 4701.

(p) (1) To ensure that consumers in or entering into supported living arrangements receive the appropriate amount and type of supports to meet the person's choice and needs as determined by the IPP team, and that generic resources are utilized to the fullest extent possible, the IPP team shall complete a standardized assessment questionnaire at the time of development, review, or modification of a consumer's IPP. The questionnaire shall be used during the individual program plan meetings, in addition to the provider's assessment, to assist in determining whether the services provided or recommended are necessary and sufficient and that the most cost-effective methods of supported living services are utilized. With input from stakeholders, including regional centers, the department shall develop and post the questionnaire on its Internet Web site, and, by June 30, 2012, shall provide it to the regional centers.

(2) Supported living service providers shall conduct comprehensive assessments for the purpose of getting to know the consumer they will be supporting and developing a support plan congruent with the choices and needs of the individual and consistent with the principles of supported living set forth in this section and in Subchapter 19 (commencing with Section 58600) of Chapter 3 of Division 2 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations. The independent assessment required by this paragraph is not intended to take the place of or repeat the service provider's comprehensive assessment.

(3) Upon a determination of a reduction in services pursuant to this section, the regional center shall inform the consumer of the reason for the determination, and shall provide a written notice of fair hearing rights pursuant to Section 4701.

(4) Nothing in this section precludes the completion of an independent assessment.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 25, Sec. 15. Effective June 27, 2012.)