Ask your regional center service coordinator. Regional centers should refer you for an assessment if your community placement is at risk of failing. This is called a 4418.7 assessment. The Regional Resource Development Project (RRDP) will complete this assessment of you. It will show what community placements, services, and supports you need to help you stay in the community. See question 14 for more details about the RRDP.
Another resource is Mobile Crisis Services. Regional centers must have Mobile Crisis Services available to consumers. Mobile Crisis Services can stabilize and support you in your current living arrangement, day program, or school. See the DDS website for more information on Mobile Crisis Services.
There are also state-operated crisis services available around the state, called Crisis Assessment Stabilization Teams (CAST). Your regional center may refer you to CAST for help, if they have used all the crisis resources in your area already. CAST can help if you are at risk of having to move from the community to a more restrictive setting.
You may get Institutions for Mental Disease Intensive Transition Services (IITS). IITS are for people with developmental disabilities and co-occurring psychiatric disabilities at risk of admission to an IMD or are transitioning from an IMD, or are transitioning from an IMD step-down home to the community.
Institutions for Mental Disease Step-Down Homes are for people coming out of IMDs or at risk of going into an IMD. The homes provide intensive supports and services that are person-centered, structured, and focus on skill development.
Every regional center is supposed to have an agreement with county mental health agencies. These agreements are called memoranda of understanding (MOUs, for short). They include crisis intervention plans for people who are regional center and county mental health consumers (or could be eligible).
The crisis intervention plan may include:
- response systems for after-hours emergencies,
- guidelines for notifying other agencies, and
- follow-up protocols.[1]Section 4696.1(b)(2).
You may also need emergency housing options, such as:
- crisis group homes,
- crisis beds in a regular group home,
- crisis foster homes, and
- motel, hotel, or psychiatric facility beds.[2]Section 4696.1(f).
To learn more about the services available at your regional center, you can ask your regional center for a copy of their MOU or get a copy from DDS.[3]ection 4696.1(e). DDS has information on each regional center’s emergency housing options, including whether they serve children or adults and whether they are physically accessible to people with physical disabilities.[4]Section 4696.1(f). DDS also has information on each regional center’s crisis services.