Guide to Becoming a Service Provider
This page is intended to provide potential vendors basic information regarding the Regional Center of the East Bay’s initial requirements for residential and day program vendorization and answer frequently asked questions related to vendorization. This page should not be considered to provide complete information regarding the regulatory requirements, which an applicant must meet in order to obtain vendorization.
What is Vendorization?
Vendorization is the process that determines that an applicant who wishes to provide services to Consumers of the Regional Center of the East Bay meets all of the requirements established in Title 17 code of regulations to provide the identified services.
*Vendorization does not guarantee referral or placement.
Key Things to Consider about Vendorization Process
- It could take at least 45 days to review any request.
- Pay close attention to RCEB website for our current needs, which will be updated every 6 months, when determining the type of program that you are looking to open.
- Vendorization doesn’t guarantee any referrals.
- Please pay close attention to the experience requirements stated below.
Need more information about providing services to people with developmental disabilities?
California Department of Developmental Services
P.O. Box 94420
Sacramento, CA 94244-2022
This page contains answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding the approval process involved in becoming a provider of services to persons with developmental disabilities.
The Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act is codified in the California Welfare and Institutions Code. This compilation, prepared by the Legislative Counsel, includes the 2018 revisions to the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act and related laws (Divisions 4.1, 4.5, and 4.7 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and Title 14 of the Government Code). For the official and most current versions of the Lanterman Act and other California law, please visit the California Legislative Information website. This edition shows all sections as they are in effect on and after January 1, 2019.
Department of Social Services – Community Care Licensing Division
Field Operations 1 – Regional Office
1515 Clay Street, Suite 310, MS 29-21
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 286-4201
Community Care Licensing Division
744 P Street, MS 8-17-17
Sacramento, CA 95814
Residential Facilities Community Based Day Programs
Types of Residential Facilities
Community Care Licensed Facilities
There are four types of Community Care Licensed facilities that can potentially be vendored by the Regional Center of the East Bay.
- The Small Family Home (SFH);
- Group Home for Children (GHC);
- Adult Residential Facility (ARF);
- Residential Care for the Elderly (RCFE).
Each is licensed by the California Department of Social Services. Support services and training toward independence are provided in the home.
Having a Community Care License does not guarantee that an applicant will qualify for vendorization.
Health Care Facilities
Health Care facilities are licensed by the State Department of Health Services and are designed to support people who, in addition to their developmental disability, have nursing or self-care needs. There are two different types of Health Care Facilities, also known as Intermediate Care Facilities (ICF) licensed by the State Department of Health Services:
- ICF/DDH – Developmentally Disabled/Habilitative
- ICF/DDN – Developmentally Disabled-Nursing.
Experience Required
Potential vendors (licensees and administrators) must provide proof of paid experience providing direct supervision and special services to people with developmental disabilities.
*PLEASE NOTE*
Per Title 17, direct supervision means those activities in which direct care staff provide care, supervision, training, and support to promote the consumer’s functioning in the areas of self-care, daily living skills, physical coordination, mobility, behavioral self-control, choice-making, community integration, accessing community resources and participating in leisure time activities.
Per Title 17, special services mean specialized training, treatment, and/or supervision which are required by the consumer’s IPP and provided by direct care staff in addition to direct supervision.
Administrators of licensed residential services must, per Title 17, Section 56033 and 56037 (d) (1), (e) (1), and (f) (1), respectively possess the following:
- At least 6 months prior experience and Direct Care Staff Competency-Based Training (DSP 1 and DSP 2) to provide level 2 services
- At least 9 months prior experience and Direct Care staff Competency-Based Training (DSP 1 and DSP 2) to provide level 3 services
- At least 12 months prior experience and Direct Care Staff Competency-Based Training (DSP 1 and DSP 2) to provide level 4 services
RCEB expects the Licensee to also meet the experience requirements
Service Levels
Community Care Licensed Residential Care Facilities are vendored based on a service level system. Homes are vendored at Level 2, 3, or 4 A-I.
A home will only be vendored to provide one level of service. Persons served and family members choose placements in Community Care Facilities based on preferences for where the home is located, availability of single rooms, the number of people who live in the facility, and level of care the person requires. Persons served most frequently choose to live in an apartment, with friends, with family or other living options.
Community Care Facilities (CCFs) are licensed by the Community Care Licensing Division of the State Department of Social Services to provide 24-hour non-medical residential care to children and adults with developmental disabilities who are in need of personal services, supervision, and/or assistance essential for self-protection or sustaining the activities of daily living. Based upon the types of services provided and the persons served, each CCF vendored by a regional center is designated one of the following service levels:
- SERVICE LEVEL 1: Limited care and supervision for persons with self-care skills and no behavior problems. RCEB does not vendor Level 1 homes.
- SERVICE LEVEL 2: Care, supervision, and incidental training for persons with some self-care skills and no major behavior problems.
- SERVICE LEVEL 3: Care, supervision, and ongoing training for persons with significant deficits in self-help skills, and/or some limitations in physical coordination and mobility, and/or disruptive or self-injurious behavior.
- SERVICE LEVEL 4: Care, supervision, and professionally supervised training for persons with deficits in self-help skills, and/or severe impairment in physical coordination and mobility, and/or severely disruptive or self-injurious behavior. Service Level 4 is subdivided into Levels 4A through 4I, in which staffing levels are increased to correspond to the escalating severity of disability levels.
If you meet the above-mentioned experience requirements, please submit a Letter of Intent with the following information:
- The type of facility (i.e. Small Family Home, Group Home, Adult Residential Facility, Residential Care Facility-Elderly, and ICF/DDN or H)
- Your area of specialization related to our Identified Needs listed on the RCEB website;
- The level of service to be provided;
- The number of people you hope to serve;
- The non-ambulatory capacity of the facility (please indicate whether this includes wheelchairs);
- The facility address
- The floor plan for the facility with interior room dimensions clearly labeled in feet and inches;
- A copy of your Community Care License from the State of California Department of Social services per Title 17, Section 56004 (a)
- Resume(s) and letter(s) of reference for licensee and administrator. Resume and Letters of Reference must verify the experience of the licensee and administrator providing supervision and special services for people with developmental disabilities. Resumes must also reflect experience in your specialty area, based on our identified needs.
Please send Letters of Intent to:
RCEB will respond, in writing, to your letter of intent in at least 45 days, please do not call to inquire about the status of your letter.
Once we receive your Letter of Intent, it will be reviewed in at least 45 days.
If you submit all necessary information and meet necessary experience requirements, then the following steps will apply in the order listed:
- Attend Residential Orientation per Title 17, Section 56003(b)(1),(2) (this is held semi-annually and is by invitation only after completing step 1)
- After you attend the residential orientation, you will be asked to submit a program design for review that presents the actual services you will provide and meets all of the requirements of Title 17, Section 56001-56059 and 56710-56756; the Lanterman Act and Title 22 in addition to RCEB requirements.
- You will receive a program design checklist indicating all necessary sections. Please note that it will take at least 45 days for RCEB to complete the first assessment of the program design. It is possible that revisions to program design will be needed. If program design is not able to meet requirements after three submissions, vendorization process will be discontinued.
- Once the program design has been approved, RCEB tours the home per Title 17, Section 50603 (a)(2)
- Submit a completed copy of the RCEB vendor application packet.
- RCEB will only accept a vendor application packet after all requirements above are completed and approved.
Community-Based Day Programs
Experience Required
The Director of a community-based day program shall possess the following minimum qualifications: a Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 18 months of experience in the management of a human service delivery system, or five years of experience in human service delivery system (including at least two years in a management or supervisory system)
The Supervisor of a community-based day program shall possess the following minimum qualifications: Three years of experience in a human services delivery system, including at least one year in a comparable program or a bachelor’s degree in a human services related field; and the demonstrated ability to provide staff training, supervision, and planning.
If you meet the above-mentioned experience requirements, please submit a letter of intent with the following information:
- The type of program that you are going to provide (please refer to Title 17 Chapter 3, Subchapter 5, Articles 2 and 3 to become more familiar with the types of day programs)
- If your program is going to be site based, include the license from the Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing
- Resumes and letter(s) of reference. Resume and Letters of Reference must verify the experience of the director and supervisor. Resumes must also reflect experience in your specialty area, based on our identified needs.
Please email Letters of Intent to:
RCEB will respond, in writing, to your letter of intent in at least 45 days; please do not call to inquire about the status of your letter.
Once we receive your Letter of Intent, it will be reviewed in at least 45 days. If you submit all the necessary information and meet necessary experience requirements, then the following will apply:
- Submit a program design for review that presents the actual services you will provide and meets all of the requirements of Title 17 56710-56756; the Lanterman Act and Title 22 in addition to RCEB requirements. You will receive a program design checklist indicating all necessary sections.
- Please note that it will take at least 45 days for RCEB to complete the first assessment of the program design. It is possible that revisions to program design will be needed. If program design is not able to meet requirements after three submissions, vendorization process will be discontinued.
- Submit proof of liability insurance for at least $1,000,000
- Once program design has been approved, if applicable, RCEB will tour the site.
- Submit a completed copy of the RCEB Vendor Application, DS 1890 per Title 17, Section 54310(a) (1) through (10). NOTE: RCEB will only accept a vendor application after all requirements above are completed and approved.
- If applicable (depending on the type of program), you also will receive a rate statement, that is to be completed and returned, in order to be submitted to DDS.
Guide to becoming a Supported Employment Vendor
Qualifications and instruction click HERE
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