State program helps family become paid caregivers

California State – (CALO News) People can hire a family member, friend or another chosen worker to support and help with aspects of their care and physical and mental well-being. This is known as the California Self-Determination Program (SDP). 

The SDP allows participants the opportunity to have more control in developing their health service plans and selecting service providers to better meet their needs.

Generally, those who qualify and are eligible for SDP can be anyone with a developmental disability. Conditions that often meet this criteria include cerebral palsy, epilepsy and autism. SDP allows people with these disabilities to have self-determination and agency to make everyday decisions on things like their monetary budget, personal care plans and living circumstances, among other things. 

“It gives them the ability to be productive members of society and unfold their true potential. It’s a remarkable program,” said Maria Perrin, president and chief strategy officer of Public Partnerships LLC (PPL), a financial management service organization helping to coordinate self-determination programs for eligible individuals. 

SDP can be a Medicaid, Medicare, and MediCal benefit that, according to Perrin, is widely underused. “It’s not well known, especially among Latinos,” she said. 

In October of 2013, Governor Jerry. Brown signed SB 468 (Emmerson) into law to create the SDP. During the three-year implementation period of the SDP, the program was only available to 2,500 individuals.

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