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1969 - California's Lanterman Act
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In 1969, AB 225 (Lanterman Mental Retardation Services Act) established a statewide system of regional centers based upon pilot projects. In the first three years of operation, there were seven regional centers statewide; since then, the number of regional centers has grown to the current number of twenty-one.
The regional center system was established to provide coordinated planning for lifetime community care for people with developmental disability as a viable alternative to living in large, public institutions. The goal of regional center services has evolved into enhancing and maximizing the functioning of each person with a developmental disability to avoid the development of secondary disabilities, and reducing the incidence of developmental disabilities through a vigorous program of identification, education, and prevention.
In the 40+ years since passage and evolving roles, the following amendments have been made to the Lanterman Act:
1976 - The right to treatment and habilitation services for persons with developmental disabilities was established.
1998 – A requirement for an advocacy coordinator to be employed at each of the 21 regional centers of California was added, therefore, making it become a law that those employed through the regional center, would be prohibited from serving on a regional center board of directors, in order to avoid a conflict of interest.
2003 - The definition of "substantial disability" was prospectively amended to require the existence of significant functional limitations in "three or more areas of major life activity." Previously, to have a "substantial disability" only required the existence of a significant functional limitation in one of the seven areas of major life activity.
Currently, the Lanterman Act assigns Regional Centers the responsibility of providing various services and supports to consumers and their families. These include:
- Outreach activities to identify persons who may need regional center services.
- Assessment and evaluation to determine eligibility for regional center services.
- Preventive and counseling services for persons at high risk of having a baby with a developmental disability.
- Services for infants who have a high risk of becoming developmentally disabled.
- Development of an Individual Program Plan (IPP), through a person-centered planning process, which states the specific outcomes the consumer is trying to achieve, and the services and supports required to meet those outcomes.
- Service coordination. Coordination of services and supports to assist consumers in meeting the desired outcomes they have specified in their IPPs.
- Development of innovative, cost-effective services and supports that are flexible, individualized and promote community integration.
- Assurance of the quality and effectiveness of services and supports that are provided to the consumer.
- Advocacy to protect the civil, legal and service rights of regional center consumers.
Based on information viewed online on 9/11/2011
Origin of the act, and original purpose of the Regional Centers taken from California’s Association of Regional Center’s website (http://www.arcanet.org/pdfs/HistoryOfSystem.pdf)
Amendments to the Act, and current responsibilities of the Regional Centers taken from Wikipedia website on 9/11/2011 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanterman_Developmental_Disabilities_Act)
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