Frequently Asked Questions

Arcionis Care Partners (ACP) supports individuals with developmental disabilities and their families through in-home respite, community support, parent and caregiver education, and individualized behavioral support. Separate crisis stabilization or clinical services require the appropriate authorization and professional oversight. We discuss your needs, the requested setting, available staff, and funding before arranging services.

Community support helps an individual participate in activities and everyday routines that matter to them, with the assistance they need. Planning considers their interests, communication, abilities, sensory needs, and the environment. We discuss the specific activity, supervision, staffing, transportation arrangements, and funding before agreeing to services. Community activities must be permitted by the authorized service and individual plan.

ACP serves Redding, California, and service locations within approximately a 30-minute drive of Redding. This may include Anderson and nearby Shasta County communities, depending on the location and travel time. Contact us with your service location so we can confirm coverage and staffing availability.

Our in-home respite program serves ambulatory individuals ages 5 through 59 whose needs can be met safely within our nonmedical service scope. We review each person individually, including their communication, routines, mobility, personal care, and supervision needs. Acceptance depends on service fit, the required authorization or payment arrangement, and qualified staffing.

Email acp.info@arcioniscarepartners.com with your name, preferred contact method, general service location, and the support you are seeking. You may also call (530) 781-6701. We will discuss intake, service fit, scheduling, and funding. Please save detailed medical records and sensitive personal information for the intake process rather than your first email.

Yes. You can ask about private-pay services, classes, and available family resources. If you want traditional regional center funding, contact ACP and your service coordinator to confirm the appropriate provider authorization and current availability. An SDP funding arrangement does not automatically establish eligibility for traditional regional center payment.

Support should begin with the person receiving it: what matters to them, what they want to do, how they communicate, and what helps them feel safe and respected. We include the individual as fully as possible and involve family members and other supporters according to the person’s preferences and any applicable decision-making authority. These priorities guide goals and everyday support.

Yes. Each ACP support plan is built around the individual’s goals, strengths, abilities, support needs, and environments. We consider home routines, community settings, sensory preferences, communication, culture, health precautions, and the people involved. Two people with the same diagnosis may need very different supports. Strategies must be practical for the person and the settings where they will be used.

We ask how the person expresses choices, discomfort, enjoyment, refusal, and the need for a break. Support may involve gestures, pictures, communication devices, extra processing time, or other familiar methods. We learn from the individual and their trusted supporters and provide meaningful ways to participate in decisions. Spoken language is not a requirement for having preferences respected.

We use these systems to support our focus on prevention, communication, relationships, and dignity. Everyday BehaviorTools provides practical strategies for positive interactions and skill building. Ukeru emphasizes trauma-informed care, comfort, and trained protective responses to physical aggression. The individual’s needs guide how supports are applied within the approved plan, staff training, and service scope. A training system does not replace individualized planning.

We listen to the individual and caregivers, review agreed goals, and consider what is happening across relevant environments. We look at participation, comfort, service reliability, caregiver feedback, and observations required by an authorized plan. New routines, changing abilities, or strategies that are not helping are reasons to review support. Clinical changes are made by the appropriately qualified professional.

California’s Self-Determination Program (SDP) is a voluntary way for eligible regional center participants to arrange services. In traditional services, the regional center authorizes services through its usual provider system. In SDP, you have an individual budget and a spending plan, with more choice in selecting qualified providers and arranging eligible supports that address your Individual Program Plan (IPP) goals.

SDP is available to eligible regional center participants with a developmental disability who meet program requirements, including orientation and use of a Financial Management Services provider. Ask your service coordinator to confirm your eligibility. Early Start participation alone does not establish SDP eligibility; children must meet the applicable Lanterman Act eligibility requirements.

Tell your regional center service coordinator that you want to explore SDP and register for the required orientation. After completing it, send your certificates to your coordinator and ask about transition supports, updating your IPP, and developing your individual budget.

Then choose an FMS provider, develop your spending plan, obtain regional center certification, and complete provider onboarding. Confirm your SDP start date and service handoffs with your team.

You can say: “I would like to explore transitioning from traditional services to the Self-Determination Program. Please help me confirm eligibility, complete the orientation steps, and understand the planning and transition supports available.”

Visit the SCDD SDP orientation page and use its registration calendar. Beginning April 1, 2026, SCDD is the only approved statewide provider of the required orientation.

• Register for and attend the full two-hour Part A session.
• Complete Part A before attending the full two-hour Part B session.
• Provide the required participant information to SCDD and obtain both completion certificates.
• Send both certificates to your regional center service coordinator to move forward with transition supports and enrollment.

The SCDD page includes language options and help contacts. ACP classes and parent groups do not fulfill the SDP orientation requirement.

Watching an orientation recording does not earn a completion certificate. Attend the required sessions through SCDD. If you completed the approved SDP orientation before April 1, 2026, or were already enrolled in SDP, you do not have to retake the new two-part orientation. Ask your coordinator to confirm that your earlier completion is documented.

Yes. After orientation, ask your service coordinator about funded initial person-centered planning and pre-enrollment transition supports. These supports can help you understand enrollment tasks and organize planning. A separate written Person-Centered Plan can be helpful, but it is optional; person-centered planning still guides the IPP. Confirm the scope and authorization before arranging paid transition help.

During the SDP transition, you continue receiving services identified in your current IPP until your official SDP start date. Coordinate any service changes with your team so care continues. Timing depends on planning, budget development, FMS selection, spending-plan certification, and provider readiness. Request a written list of remaining tasks and the person responsible for each one.

No. SDP is voluntary. You may also be able to keep current providers if they agree to participate and meet the applicable SDP and FMS requirements. Discuss each service with your planning team. The goal is to choose an arrangement that fits your life and supports your IPP goals.

An independent facilitator (IF) is someone you select to help you understand options, identify needs, participate in person-centered planning, locate services, and coordinate supports connected to your IPP. An IF can help you prepare for meetings and organize your spending plan. You direct the IF’s work and choose the support you want.

No. Hiring an IF is optional. If you do not use one, you may ask your regional center service coordinator to perform the IF functions. To explore options, ask your coordinator or local SDP advisory committee about resources and interview potential IFs. The FNRC Self Determination page is a local starting point.

Ask about their person-centered planning training, experience with your needs, local service knowledge, communication style, availability, and fees. Ask what work is included, how they handle conflicts of interest, and how they will support your own decisions. Paid IF services after enrollment generally come from your individual budget, so discuss the cost and scope before agreeing.

No. Under SDP rules, an IF cannot also provide other IPP services to the same participant or be employed by that participant’s service provider. ACP can explain its services, provide a proposed scope and quote, and coordinate with the IF you choose when you authorize it. You remain free to consider other providers and make your own choices.

Your IPP identifies your goals and the services and supports needed to pursue them. Your individual budget is the amount available for eligible SDP purchases. Your spending plan describes how you will use that budget, including service types, frequency, SDP service codes, and costs. Asking to add ACP usually means identifying the appropriate service in your spending plan.

For current regional center participants, the calculation generally starts with the most recent available 12 months of service authorizations. It adds needed services identified by the IPP team that are not already included in a purchase-of-service authorization and removes specified costs paid outside SDP and one-time expenses. Ask your coordinator to review unmet needs and explain your calculation. Choosing a provider does not automatically increase the budget.

• Contact ACP to discuss service fit, availability, and a written service description and quote.
• Tell your service coordinator and IF, if you use one, which needs and IPP goals the requested ACP service would address.
• Work with your team to include the appropriate service, schedule, staffing, SDP service code, and cost in your spending plan.
• Complete regional center certification, FMS onboarding, and the service agreement before paid services begin.

You can say: “I would like to choose Arcionis Care Partners for the supports we discussed. Please help me document how the service addresses my IPP goals and include the appropriate hours, staffing, rate, and service code in my SDP spending plan.”

Provide the service purpose, the IPP goal it supports, the proposed location, hours or sessions, frequency, dates, staffing ratio, rate, and total projected cost. Include the applicable SDP service code and required provider qualifications. Identify any separately quoted or recurring costs. ACP can supply its proposed service information; your team confirms the appropriate classification and funding requirements.

No. Spending-plan purchases must address IPP goals, meet an eligible SDP service definition, and follow funding requirements. Available generic resources, such as school services, Medi-Cal, insurance, or In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), must be considered and used as required. Ask your team how a proposed ACP service meets an additional need without duplicating available support.

A Financial Management Services (FMS) provider is required in SDP. It helps administer payments, verify provider requirements, and track spending. The regional center pays the FMS fee outside your individual budget. Your FMS will explain its provider paperwork, invoice process, and payment requirements. It does not choose your services for you.

Yes, you can request a change during your budget year. Explain the need to your coordinator and IF, if you have one, and obtain the required approval for spending-plan changes or transfers between services or budget categories. Confirm FMS onboarding and the authorized start date. Do not assume unused funds alone authorize a new service or retroactive payment.

Ask your service coordinator for a clear explanation and whether more information is needed about the service, IPP goal, cost, or provider qualifications. Ask about any applicable written notice and appeal rights. Your IF, a Clients’ Rights Advocate, or the DDS SDP Ombudsperson can help you understand options. ACP can clarify its proposed services, but cannot decide regional center funding.

Email acp.info@arcioniscarepartners.com to ask about upcoming parent support groups and how to join. Include your name, contact information, preferred meeting format, and any access needs. Ask about the next date, location or meeting link, and registration details. Groups offer opportunities to connect with other caregivers and share experiences; availability and arrangements are confirmed by ACP.

Email your RSVP to acp.info@arcioniscarepartners.com at least two weeks, or 14 calendar days, before any scheduled class. Identify the Ukeru or PCMA Everyday BehaviorTools class and date you want to attend, and request confirmation of your place. Early registration helps us arrange materials, instructor time, and any required practice. Contact us for upcoming dates if none are listed.

Include your name, a phone number or preferred contact method, the class name and date, the number of attendees, and any language or accessibility requests. A useful subject line is “Class RSVP — Ukeru or BehaviorTools — Class Date.” ACP will confirm availability and provide the format, time, location or meeting link, fee if applicable, and preparation requirements. Keep client records out of RSVP emails.

Ukeru teaches a trauma-informed approach that emphasizes comfort, communication, and understanding distress. Its protective blocking component uses specialized pads and requires appropriate instruction and practice. Ask ACP which course is scheduled, what it covers, and what participation or certification requirements apply. Reading this FAQ or buying equipment does not replace the training required to use the system.

Everyday BehaviorTools teaches practical strategies for strengthening relationships, using reinforcement, setting clear expectations, and responding more calmly to everyday behavior. The focus is on supportive interactions and useful skills. Ask ACP about the scheduled course level, content, practice, and completion requirements. Applying a tool still requires attention to the individual’s communication, abilities, environment, and authorized plan.

Contact ACP about the intended audience, available seats, fees, and attendance requirements for the specific class or group. Ask your service coordinator or IF whether a caregiver training request fits your IPP goals and an allowable SDP service. Any funded participation must follow the applicable approval and FMS payment process. Registration alone does not establish funding approval.

No. A class provides a shared foundation of knowledge and practice. It does not replace an individual assessment, authorized behavior plan, or clinical direction when those are needed. ACP applies support within each person’s plan and the staff member’s training. Physical safety skills require the appropriate authorized instruction and cannot be learned safely from a short written description.

No. Respite gives usual caregivers time for rest, appointments, personal responsibilities, or other family needs while the individual receives appropriate care and supervision. You can request support before caregiver stress becomes a crisis. Tell ACP and your planning team what you want respite to make possible and what the individual needs during that time.

ACP’s in-home respite scheduling window is Monday through Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. We do not provide overnight care. Actual visits depend on the individual’s authorization or payment arrangement, assessed needs, and qualified staff availability. Contact ACP to confirm openings and an agreed schedule.

We assess personal care needs before accepting services. Our current respite program serves ambulatory individuals who do not need a wheelchair or special medical device for transport. We do not provide lifting or manual or mechanical lift transfers. Toileting or other personal care that involves or could involve exposure requires two staff for one individual, including verbal prompting. Required staffing, consent, care instructions, and funding must be arranged first.

Our in-home respite program is nonmedical. Staff may provide reminders for medication the individual self-administers. With prior written authorization, limited help opening caregiver-prepared packaging may be allowed. Staff do not select or prepare doses, administer medication, or perform skilled nursing procedures. Discuss medication and health needs during intake so we can determine whether our service can safely meet them.

ACP provides scheduled support. Any separate crisis stabilization service must be arranged under the appropriate authorization and clinical oversight; it is not automatically included in respite. We do not provide 24-hour emergency dispatch. If someone is in immediate danger or needs emergency medical help, call 911. For ongoing concerns, contact your service coordinator and ACP to discuss appropriate planned support.

Yes. With the appropriate consent and information-sharing permissions, ACP can coordinate around the individual’s goals, routines, and authorized support instructions. Tell us who you want involved and how you prefer updates. You can request a review when needs change or something is not working. Individual and caregiver feedback help guide adjustments to the support we provide.