Timelines: From Application to Services

The California Department of Developmental Services (“DDS”) provides crucial services and resources to individuals with developmental disabilities. In many cases, these services are fundamental in the lives of those who receive them, empowering them to live independently. Before you can actually begin accessing these vital resources, there is an application process. This includes not only the initial application itself, but also an intake interview and an eligibility determination. Because there are several steps between the initial application and the start of services, many people wonder about what they can expect in terms of the timeline from application to services.

While there are no hard and fast timelines for the application, eligibility determination, and care coordination processes, there are some general timeframes you can expect.

How Long Does it Take to Receive Benefits?

According to the DDS, here are the primary timelines you can expect on your path to receiving services:

• Step one in the process is contacting your regional center. When you contact them and let them know you want to schedule an intake to determine whether you are eligible, they will schedule your intake. The timeline for scheduling your intake depends on the calendar of your regional center. For this reason, there is no clear timeline between when you contact your regional center and when they schedule your intake.
• After you complete your intake interview, regional centers are supposed to make a decision about whether you are eligible within 120 days. In certain circumstances, such as when a delay in services could put a person at risk, regional centers may be required to make an eligibility determination in 60 days.
• The next step is creating your Individual Program Plan (“IPP”). This is your map to personalized care within the DDS. After deciding a person is eligible for DDS services, regional centers have 60 days to complete the IPP.
• Finally, once the IPP is in place, services can begin. While earlier steps in the process have more firm timelines, this one does not. With your IPP in place, you can begin receiving benefits and services. The timeline for receiving these services depends on the care you need and the availability of care providers.

All in all, it’s hard to predict with certainty the timelines from application to services. As outlined above, some steps have set timelines while others do not. The above outline can give you a rough sense of how long it may take to receive services.