California is simplifying and organizing how regional centers and the Department manage information about people supported. The changes should make services better and easier to access for Californians with developmental disabilities.
Right now, information is split across 21 different regional centers. When people move to a new regional center, they must fill out the same paperwork again. The new system will safely connect information across regional centers as it is added. This will create one record for each person, that can be accessed by any regional center who serves that person.
Before this connection can happen, regional centers need to make sure their information is accurate and matches across systems. Each regional center is working to find and fix errors or missing information in their data. They may have questions for you, and we all appreciate your help!
A similar project recently cleaned up Social Security numbers. Those corrections allowed California to request $180 million in additional federal funding for services for people who qualify for federal funding.
The Department and regional centers will also work together to make sure names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, and other important information are correct. More accurate information helps us build a more reliable system that works better for everyone. It also prepares for the future Life Outcome Improvement System (LOIS).