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Stakeholders urge clearer implementation plan for master plan for developmental services
Summary
The master plan delivered 167 recommendations after a year of stakeholder work; self-advocates and LAO urged a concrete implementation roadmap, more frequent oversight and partnership-driven steering to avoid the plan becoming a document that "sits on a shelf."
The Department of Developmental Services and a broad stakeholder panel presented the "master plan for developmental services," a document the department said was produced by monthly committee meetings, five work groups and more than 45 community engagement efforts. Director Pete Chervinko told the subcommittee the master plan contains 167 recommendations covering housing, transportation, education and other cross-system topics and that the department plans an annual implementation report to the legislature starting March 2026.
Self-advocates who co-chaired work groups told the committee the plan's breadth is valuable but cautioned the report lacks a clear implementation roadmap and sufficient ongoing oversight. Sasha Bittner, co-chair of the workforce work group, said disabled committee members reported pressure from some family advocates and urged more self-advocate leadership in implementation. Oscar Mercado, a self-advocate and co-chair of the process, said twice-yearly departmental check-ins "don't feel like enough" and urged a standing steering committee to guide implementation and prevent the plan from becoming "another bureaucratic document that sits on top of a shelf, collecting dust."
The LAO recommended the California Health and Human Services Agency and DDS outline the administration's priorities in light of the plan, identify which recommendations overlap with existing state efforts or are constrained by law, and help the legislature by proposing trailer bill language to clarify annual report content. LAO warned the state likely lacks capacity to enact all 167 recommendations and urged a focus on high-impact, feasible items aligned with projected budget gaps through 2028'29.
Regional center representatives and the Association of Regional Center Agencies said implementation should start with clarifying goals, measurable outcomes and funding structures. Disability Rights California and other advocates recommended a values-based framework to prioritize recommendations and emphasized improving the state's relationship with "generic resources" (non-DD systems) so that regional centers are not the only payer of last resort.
Several committee members, including Senator Menjivar, said the administration highlighted the master plan and should follow with more frequent implementation meetings and clearer commitments on how the recommendations will be prioritized and resourced.
The subcommittee did not take formal votes on implementation steps but requested further information and oversight in subsequent hearings.
