California agencies publish master plan draft aimed at reshaping developmental services

The California Health and Human Services Agency and state developmental services officials on multiple panels described a yearlong, community-centered effort that produced a draft Master Plan for Developmental Services and said the final draft will be published this Friday.

The plan, officials said, contains roughly 70 recommendations across five main areas: equity, choice, access to essential services, workforce development and accountability and transparency. ‘‘The recommendations in the master plan are a reflection of the diverse voices of community and their vision for a future for Californians with developmental disabilities,’’ said Victor Duran, Chief Deputy Director at the Department of Rehabilitation, who led the master plan project at CalHHS.

CalHHS and the Department of Developmental Services said the plan was developed through extensive stakeholder engagement: a 38-member steering committee, five work groups, 45 community sessions across California and repeated public-comment opportunities. ‘‘This truly was an effort driven with and by community,’’ Duran said, and the administration plans to use the plan to inform future work.

Why it matters: the plan aims to unify how state agencies approach services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Legislative analysts and advocates told the subcommittee the plan contains recommendations that could require statutory changes and significant budget increases, so translating community recommendations into implementable policy will be a major next step.

Details from the hearing: Pete Chervink, Director of the Department of Developmental Services (DDS), said the master plan will be embedded in departmental work going forward but declined to present a single prioritized roadmap. ‘‘There isn't perhaps a road map and a time table for that,’’ he said, adding the administration will convene the community committee twice a year to review progress. DDS also noted existing statute requires an annual report to the Legislature in March on the master plan and its implementation.

Several advocates who served on the master-plan work groups urged the Legislature and administration to adopt concrete follow-up steps. Oscar Mercado, a self-advocate and master-plan committee member, called for an implementation committee that includes self-advocates and family members to prioritize and oversee recommendations, and warned against letting the plan ‘‘sit on a shelf, forgotten, underutilized, or selectively implemented.’’ Amy Wesseling, executive director of the Association of Regional Center Agencies, said the plan should clarify definitions (for example, a working definition of ‘‘equity’’) and outcomes so progress can be measured.

Legislative Analyst Office (LAO) staff recommended the Legislature ask the administration for more information on how community recommendations will be translated into implementable policy and budget proposals, noting the master plan intentionally did not filter recommendations for feasibility. LAO analysts flagged several recommendations that could require statutory changes — including potential amendments to the Lanterman Act — and budgetary adjustments such as provider rate updates or increases in payments.

What officials promised: DDS and CalHHS said they will continue convening the master-plan committee, use the plan to inform departmental efforts across housing, education, transportation and health, and provide statutory reporting. Administration officials committed to brief other state department directors on the plan once the final draft is released.

What remains unresolved: the administration did not present a prioritized timetable or a single implementation roadmap during the hearing. LAO and several stakeholders said the Legislature will need administration analysis to translate recommendations into feasible budget and statutory proposals.